Mann/English 10
Name ________________________ Period_________
A Long Way Gone
Assignments
Here is an outline of the assignments that you will be responsible for in this unit (in
addition to READING THE NOVEL; seriously, if you are going to read only one book
this year, make it this one)
1. Vocabulary (graphic organizer, 50 points; 3 quizzes 20 points each)
You will be responsible for one word to present to the class in a graphic
organizer as we are reading the section that contains your word. Many of
these words can be identified based on context clues from the reading and
are specific to Sierra Leone. The quizzes will be given at 3 times during the
novel, after chapters 7, 14, and 21. They will each contain 10 words that have
been presented by classmates.
2. Quotations (100 points)
You are expected to be an active reader of the novel. To do this you will need
to make connections with the novel in some way. During your reading of the
text, find 25 quotations that stand out to you in some way. You will copy the
quotation (don’t forget the page number) then give a brief 2-3 sentence
explanation of why you chose that particular quotation and what it means to
you. These will be handed in at the end of the book with your final paper.
They may help you with your paper, so be selective with what you choose;
don’t just write down random quotes at the end for points. These will also
need to by typed and double-spaced.
3. Research Project (100 points)
You will be required to complete a research assignment on a topic that
relates to A Long Way Gone and will help the class with our reading of the
novel. You will also be required to share your findings with the class in a
PowerPoint or Prezi presentation. The topics available for this assignment
are:
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Child soldiering
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The United Nations (U.N.)
Past empires and empire-building in Africa (France, England,
Netherlands, etc)
Mann/English 10
Name ________________________ Period_________
 Government and politics in Africa (elections, dictators, political
upheaval, etc.)
 Civil war in Africa (select a nation)
 Military service and drug use
 Drug rehabilitation and rehab strategies
 Cuisine of Sierra Leone and villages in West Africa
 African folklore and the role of storytelling
 Memoir/diary/writing as therapy or coping device
 Jungle survival (how to, dangers, preparation, etc.)
 Limits of human survival (mind and body)
 Role of music in warfare/patriotism/nationalism
 History and origin of Rap music
4. Compare/Contrast Essay (70 points)
You will be required to write one two-page typed essay on the prompt: Lord
of the Flies and A Long Way Gone both discuss the theme of the depth of evil
the human nature is capable of in the absence of structured civilization.
Write an essay that compares the development of this theme in both novels.
How is Ishmael similar to the boys on the island. How is he different? What
elements of difference are due to the fact that Lord of the Flies is a work of
fiction while A Long Way Gone is a true story? This essay will follow the
rubric given with the previous Compare/Contrast essay. Make sure your
paper has a clear thesis statement and a well-developed conclusion, this will
help the body of the paper to stay on topic.
5. Journal Entries (100 points)
These will be on the overhead on entry to class. The prompt will usually ask
you to make a text-to-self connection. You do not need to copy the prompt,
but should answer it completely. A journal entry worth full points will fill the
page from top to bottom and show thought and introspection on the reading.
These will be checked once during the unit, usually at the end of the marking
period. To complete the check, I will ask you to provide me with certain items
to grade. This means you are responsible for keeping abreast of the journal
questions even if you are absent or late to class. They will be listed on the
blog, you may always check if you have missed anything in class.
6. Reading Quizzes (20 points each)
There will be quizzes every third class period on the reading you are
responsible for to that point. These will be open book, but will have a time
limit. These quizzes will test your basic comprehension of the novel. They
will all be short answer.
7. Human Rights Crisis Project (200 points)
In addition to children fighting the wars in Sierra Leone, girls in Southeast
Asia are often sold, even by their families, into prostitution. Women and
children from Eastern Europe are brought to foreign countries, including the
Mann/English 10
Name ________________________ Period_________
United States, and forced to work in sweatshops, homes, and brothels.
Throughout Bangladesh and neighboring countries, impoverished people
work in sweatshops making items for corporations like Walmart and Disney.
There are countless other human rights violations happening at this very
moment all over the world, so let’s educate ourselves. Ishmael traveled to
New York with other children to try to help come up with a solution for this
problem at the same age you are right now. This assignment will ask you to
research a human rights issue that you feel impassioned about. You will then
write a business letter, citing sources, which addresses this issue and
proposes a fundraiser you would like to do to raise money for this cause. You
do not have to actually mail the letter, but it must be done in a way that,
should you choose to mail it, it would be appropriate and correct.
8. Extra Credit (you may do one assignment for the TERM, it will be worth
one quarter of a grade; Ex. Your grade will jump from an A- to an A, or a
D+ to a C-)
 Music plays an important role in Ishmael’s life and in A Long Way
Gone. Include the lyrics of your favorite song which relates to this
book. In approximately 300 words, explain why these lyrics are
meaningful to you and how they relate to the book.
 View on movie from the following list and write a personal response
to it (300-600 words).
o Blood Diamonds from the History Channel
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/blood-diamonds/
o Blood Diamond (2006) rated R
o City of God (2002) rated R
o Darfur Now (2007) rated PG
o Hotel Rwanda (2004) rated PG-13
o Freetown (2015) rated PG-13
o War Dance (2007) PG-13
o Pride of Lions (2009)
Mann/English 10
Name ________________________ Period_________
Quiz 1
Vocabulary Words
1. kamor (p. 8) __________________________________________________________________________
2. lorry (p. 10) _________________________________________________________________________
3. cassava (p. 17) ______________________________________________________________________
4. RUF (p. 21) __________________________________________________________________________
5. subsequent (p. 22) __________________________________________________________________
6. palampo (p. 23) ______________________________________________________________________
7. imam (p. 44) _________________________________________________________________________
8. sura (p. 44) ___________________________________________________________________________
9. Krio (p. 48) ___________________________________________________________________________
10. Mende (p. 48) ________________________________________________________________________
Quiz 2
11. waleh (p. 51) _________________________________________________________________________
12. Temne (p. 55) ________________________________________________________________________
13. soukous (p. 59) ______________________________________________________________________
14. jerry cans (p. 59) ____________________________________________________________________
15. spirogyra (p. 73) _____________________________________________________________________
Mann/English 10
Name ________________________ Period_________
16. pestles (p. 76) ________________________________________________________________________
17. Ngor (p. 91) __________________________________________________________________________
18. wahlee (p. 98) _______________________________________________________________________
19. transfixed (p. 99) ____________________________________________________________________
20. brown brown (p. 121) ______________________________________________________________
Quiz 3
21. kalo kalo (p. 150) ____________________________________________________________________
22. kule (p. 177) _________________________________________________________________________
23. sackie thomboi (p. 181) _____________________________________________________________
24. ablution (p. 182) _____________________________________________________________________
25. raggamorphy (p. 183) _______________________________________________________________
26. poda poda (p. 185) __________________________________________________________________
27. groundnut (p. 188) __________________________________________________________________
28. United Nations First International Children’s Parliament (p. 195) ______________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
29. NGOs (p. 196) ________________________________________________________________________
30. leone (p. 213) _______________________________________________________________________