Sunrise Over Fallujah

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. In which country is Robin “Birdy” initially stationed outside of Iraq?

2. What is the role of the Civil Affairs team?

3. Why did Jonesy join the US Army?

4. Which team within the Civil Affairs Unit is Birdy a part of?

5. Who is in the First Squad?

6. What changes people’s perspective of the Middle East?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1.Summarize Birdy’s letter to his uncle. Why did he decide to join the US Army? How does Birdy feel about his commitment?

2. Describe Operation Iraqi Freedom. What are the four stages? In which stage is Birdy and his team?

3. Who are the “Hoodlums”? What are they responsible for and what has Marla Kennedy seen them doing?

Paired Resource

A Map of Iraq and Surrounding Countries

• A Britannica map of Iraq and its geographical neighbors
• How does Iraq's geographical location make it a strategic point of entry into the Middle East?

The Kurds

• A 2019 National Geographic article on the Kurdish ethnic group
• Why do the Kurds not have their own state? How does their statelessness affect politics in the Middle East?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. Where did Jonesy receive his gunfire training?

2. According to Pendleton, who are they allowed to shoot?

3. What does the PYSOP unit do?

4. What is a Rule of Engagement card?

5. When does Birdy realize that he does not want to be in Iraq?

6. What do the PYSOP leaflets say?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is the right equipment important for warfare? According to Captain Coles, who is responsible for ensuring that the right equipment is worn?

2. According to Captain Coles, what will the Civil Affairs Unit be doing in Iraq? Why is their unit important?

3. Describe the initial US news coverage of the bombing of Iraq. What are Birdy and his companions’ impressions of this coverage?

4. What is Birdy’s first experience with death in Iraq? Summarize the circumstances, as well as Birdy’s reaction to the outcome.

5. Consider why Birdy finds the enemy to be confusing. How is this confusion compounded through his interactions with Iraqis?

Paired Resource

The Sunni-Shiite Division

• A 2019 History.com article on the differences between Sunni and Shiite sects in Islam
• How does the US Army use the Sunni-Shiite division to its advantage?

The Iran-Iraq War

• A brief summary from Oxford Reference on the 8-year war between Iran and Iraq
• Connects with the themes War and The Fog of War
• Describe ways in which the legacy of the Iran-Iraq War continued to impact Iraqi civilians portrayed in the novel.

Chapters 7-9

Reading Check

1. What comment does Pendleton make that Birdy and Jonesy do not appreciate?

2. What does the USUS Army offer the families of the civilian casualties?

3. According to Captain Coles, how did the Iraqis break the Rules of Engagement in Chapter 7?

4. In his conversation with Ríos, Owens compares the US Army to what?

5. What is an IED?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. So far, a few references have been made to Sunni and Shiites, two sects of Islam. Which side does the US military prefer? Describe how this preference affects military decisions.

2. Which other country’s military does Birdy and his squad meet in Iraq? What are some differences between these two military units?

3. What is the tension between Lieutenant Maire and Captain Miller in Ba’qubah? Summarize the outcome of the situation.

4. Why does Harris say to Jamil that his country has nothing to “worry about”? What does this imply about the international interest in the War in Iraq?

5. Where is the Civil Affairs Unit invited to? What are Birdy’s impressions of the place? What does Birdy witness on the way back?

6. Based on Birdy’s letter to his father in Chapter 9, how has Iraq changed since the US invasion? How will Birdy’s unit be involved?

Paired Resource

Other Countries’ Involvement in the War in Iraq

• An article from GlobalSecurity.org on different countries' contributions to the pro-Iraq War Coalition
• What role did other countries play in the invasion and war in Iraq?

The Role of Oil in the Invasion of Iraq

• This 2014 article from The Guardian argues that there is a causal connection between the international community’s invasion of Iraq and the presence of the oil in the region.
• Why would Iraq’s oil reserves make the country an attractive target for invasion?

Chapters 10-12

Reading Check

1. How does Halima believe that the US Army can help the Iraqis?

2. What game does Birdy play with the Iraqi children?

3. What is the Confession Box?

4. Where was the detonator hidden in Chapter 11?

5. What piece of personal information does Marla want to know about Birdy?

6. Where is the US Army setting up a prison?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe the object that Ríos receives in Chapter 10. What happens to this object and what does the squad decide to do with it?

2. Summarize Corporal Lawler’s mission for the Civil Affairs Unit. Why is this a priority?

3. Describe where Birdy and his squad go with Major Sessions. What is their mission? What is the outcome?

Paired Resource

The Ba‘ath Party

• A Britannica overview of the Arab political party
• What are some ways in which the Ba‘ath Party’s central doctrines collide with the international community’s interest in the region?

Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal

• The American Civil Liberties Union website highlights the torture of imprisoned Iraqis by US soldiers at the infamous prison. Photo-documentation of the torture can be viewed through internal links within the article (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing)
• Content Warning: Some pictures show death, torture, and sexual abuse.
• How did the Abu Ghraib scandal affect public perception of the US invasion of Iraq?

Chapters 13-16

Reading Check

1. Why does Birdy’s squad set up a rematch with the Iraqi kids?

2. Why does Omar believe that the Americans cannot win the game?

3. Why did Birdy change his mind about being willing to kill?

4. According to Lieutenant Colonel John Kelly, what did the US’s invasion of Iraq create?

5. Who dies protecting a child?

6. Where is Birdy sent after Iraq?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe the explosion in Chapter 13. Which character is a casualty? How does Birdy react?

2. Describe some of the rumors that Birdy hears in Chapter 14.

3. What does Birdy think of the Iraqi people? Describe some of the observations that he shares in Chapter 15.

4. According to the sheikh in Chapter 15, what is the new war that is being fought? How does it compare to the previous war?

5. What is Birdy’s squad’s mission in the small village? Describe an interesting fact he learns about the mission. How does Birdy feel overall?

Recommended Next Reads

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

• A 1988 novel about Birdy’s uncle, Richie Perry, in the Vietnam War
• Fallen Angels on SuperSummary

The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq by Helen Benedict

• A 2010 nonfiction account of women who fought in Iraq