La Force du Berger

by Azouz Begag

Deux récits pudiques et poétiques sur l'immigration et la différence. Imagine que ton père nie les principes de physique que tu apprends à l'école! Que lui dirais-tu pour le convaincre? Il est des routes qui n'ont pas de carrefours : celle du père, ancien berger, ignorant des découvertes de l'humanité mais tourné vers La Mecque, et celle du fils qui a rejoint le savoir du monde moderne.

Publication Information

Published: 1995

Originally written in French

Number of pages: unknown

Recommended FSL Programs and Grades

  • Grade 9 (Extended, Immersion)

  • Grade 10 (Extended, Immersion)

  • Grade 11 (Core, Extended)

  • Grade 12 (Core)

Race/Ethnic/Geographic Information

Author: Black/African/Caribbean Heritage

Characters: unknown

Setting: unknown

Notes from a teacher-reader

  • 2 stories (current story and a challenging Christmas-focused story)

  • Nicely written, clear vivid imagery

  • Hook: Newton, physics, Islamic and other cultural content

  • Conspiracy theories

  • Cultural content (about Islam) - what it means to know something through religion and through science

  • Lots of vocabulary. Potential for overlap with vocabulary units.

  • Classroom use:

    • Familiar school and home contexts and vocabulary

    • Written in the present and the 2 past tenses

    • Allows for discussions of education vs intelligence and conspiracy theorists

    • Add on or beginner text for high school Core

    • Content warnings: Religion vs science, scientific fact versus religious belief