A Long Walk to Water Novel Study|Two Childhoods |Salva & NyaCharacter Comparison

A Long Walk to Water Novel Study | Two Childhoods | Salva & Nya Character Comparison | Grades 6–8

Help students dig deeper into A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park with this engaging no-prep character analysis lesson focused on Salva’s and Nya’s childhood experiences.

Rather than simply identifying similarities and differences, students examine what childhood actually looks like for each character—their responsibilities, family relationships, education, daily routines, losses, hardships, and ordinary childhood experiences. Students then use textual evidence to explore how family, place, history, responsibilities, and access to resources shape each child’s life.
Designed for Grades 6–8 and approximately 1–2 class periods, this lesson combines close reading, comparative character analysis, collaboration, exhibit planning, and deeper reflection.

Students Will
- Examine Salva’s and Nya’s childhood experiences
- Analyze responsibilities, family, education, and daily life
- Identify losses and disruptions experienced by each character
- Recognize what still remains ordinary about childhood
- Gather and use specific textual evidence
- Identify meaningful similarities and genuine differences
- Explain why those similarities and differences matter
- Analyze how circumstances shape childhood
- Avoid oversimplifying two very different experiences
- Move from comparison to deeper interpretation

What’s Included
- Teacher Directions
- Lesson Overview
- Mini Research Questions
- Salva & Nya Parallel Lives Exhibit Group Activity
- Two Childhoods: Understand Their Lives student page
- Build Your Parallel Lives Exhibit planning page
- Dig Deeper: Childhood & Circumstance student page
- Color student pages
- Ink-friendly black-and-white student pages
- Suggested online resources

Group Activity: Salva & Nya Parallel Lives Exhibit
Students become biographical researchers and build a Parallel Lives Exhibit comparing specific aspects of Salva’s and Nya’s childhoods side by side. Groups select 3–4 aspects of childhood, such as responsibility, education, family relationships, or daily routine, and support their comparisons with evidence from the text. They then identify one genuine similarity and one genuine difference and explain what each reveals about the characters’ lives and circumstances.

Perfect For
- A Long Walk to Water Novel Studies
- Middle School ELA
- Grades 6–8
- Character Analysis
- Compare & Contrast
- Close Reading
- Text Evidence Practice
- Literary Analysis
- Collaborative Learning
- Small Groups
- Sub Plans

Why Teachers Love It
- No prep — print and teach
- Designed for 1–2 class periods
- Goes beyond surface-level character comparison
- Encourages students to distinguish similarity from sameness
- Builds evidence-based analysis
- Includes structured planning before deeper thinking
- Combines individual work and collaborative learning
- Encourages thoughtful discussion about childhood and circumstance
- Includes both color and printer-friendly black-and-white versions
- Student pages use an engaging research journal / exhibit-style design

Important Novel Disclaimer
This is an independently created educational resource designed to support teaching and learning about A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or sponsored by Linda Sue Park, her publisher, or any related rights holder.
A Long Walk to Water and its characters, storylines, settings, and other elements originating from the novel remain the intellectual property of their respective rights holders. The novel itself is not included with this resource, and no part of the novel is reproduced as a substitute for the book.
Students and teachers will need access to a legally obtained copy of A Long Walk to Water for activities requiring them to read or reference the text. Purchase of this resource does not include a copy of the novel or permission to reproduce, distribute, scan, upload, or otherwise share the novel.