Student prompts - A Long Way Gone

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Here are some discussion questions contributed by Pinellas County high school students. Click on the blogging link to discuss any of these topics for the book A Long Way Gone.

• In the news today there have been many natural disasters such as Hurricane Ike.  In A Long Way Gone, Beah struggles to make a decision as to whether he should stay and fight for the army or continue to run from the rebels.  How is Beah’s struggle to decide similar or different from those “civilians” choosing to evacuate?  What would you do; stay or go?
• How would you compare the civil war in Sierra Leone to the war on terrorism in Irag?  Explain how the two could have been prevented?
• Ishmael Beah was influenced by hip-hop and rap music.  In the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, do you think young people were influenced by music like Beah and many young people today?
• If Sierra Leone was able to choose their own President like the United States how would this affect their community, life, and government?
• In the memoir, A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah is suffering to survive by running away from the war.  Beah is in desperate need for shelter, food, and water.  How are the Hurricane Ike victims in the same situation as Beah?
• One of the most disheartening situations today is the war in Iraq.  Some people may not find it disheartening but there are many people who do.  So, my question for you is this; how is the war in Iraq similar to the civil war in Sierra Leone?\
• “That is why we need strong men and boys to help us fight these guys, so that we can keep this village safe.  If you do not want to fight or help, that is fine.  But you will not have rations and will not stay in this village” (Beah 106).  How is the soldiers persuading Beah and his friends differ from the military persuading our future soldiers of today?

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser

Boot Camp (grades 9-12)
When 15-year-old Garrett refuses to end a relationship with 23-year-old Sabrina, his controlling parents send him to a behavior modification boot camp in hopes that the camp’s extreme methods will teach him to be a more respectful son. Garrett struggles to survive the extreme cruelty and eventually joins two other teens in a desperate escape attempt. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum connection: Examine the controversy surrounding correctional boot camps for the youth. Do boot camps work? Take a look at the pros and cons of the system and write an argumentative essay. 

Connecting with the Times: Define respect, discipline, obedience, punishment.  One of the rules in boot camp where Garrett is that you will obey all orders immediately and without hesitation.  Look for articles in the St. Petersburg Times that show an event where this rule was followed to the letter and when it was broken. What do you think of that rule?  Is there any time that rule should not be followed?

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It (grades 9-12)
When an asteroid hits the moon knocking it closer to the Earth and causing a chain of cataclysmic natural disasters, 16-year-old Miranda, through journal entries, tells what happens as her family faces dismal conditions that include power outages, lack of food and water, and outbreaks of disease. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum connection: Research various natural disasters.

Connecting with the Times: Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, droughts and floods, are common in Florida as well as in other parts of the country. Each type of disaster brings different problems to individuals, towns and the economy. Look for recent examples of floods and droughts in the newspaper and on the Internet. Click on the link below to discuss how these disasters affect people and what others can do to offer assistance.

Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

Street Love (grades 9-12)
Using a rap beat and rhyme, this Harlem-set story tells of the romance between Damien, a straight-A, college-bound, basketball star whose parents want him to date middle class Roxanne, and Junice, a beautiful street-strong young woman trying to keep her family together after her mom is sent to prison. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum connections:  How does the jailing of a parental figure affect the lives of the children involved? Write the sequel to Street Love continuing the story of Junice and Damian where it ended.

Connecting with the Times: Street Love is written in fluid mixture of poetry and prose. Find an article in the St. Petersburg Times that focuses on an individual. Rewrite the story using Myers’ style of poetry. Try to convey the main ideas of the article in no more than eight lines.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Wicked Lovely (grades 9-12)
Aislinn has always been able to see the faeries that are invisible to most humans, and she lives by a set of rules to keep her safe from their notice.  But when Keenan, the Summer King, targets her to be the next queen, the rules change and the fate of both human and faerie worlds lies in her. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum Connections: We all know Tinkerbell – the fairy in Peter Pan.  There are faery/pixie stories in many cultures.  Take a look at folklore from other countries and compare faery/pixies stories you may find.

Connecting with the Times: In Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr infuses the setting, characters and dialogue of the novel with folklore. Societal events affect our lives every day. What events have influenced your life? Look in the St. Petersburg Times for examples of everyday events that influence your life. Do these events influence your life in a positive or negative way? Share your thoughts here.

Firestorm by David Klass

Firestorm (grades 9-12)
When Jack, who has always been told to blend in, sets his school’s rushing record, he puts into motion a course of events including finding out his parents aren’t really his parents, running for his life from a shape-shifting wolf girl, communicating telepathically with a dog named Gisco, being trained by a ninja babe named Eko, and finding out he is the only one who can save the world from ecological disaster if he can find “firestorm”. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum Connections:  Firestorm suggests that there is a “turning point” in environmental history.  What does this mean?  Is there evidence to support this assertion? List three “turning points” in world history.  What caused these turning points?  What was the effect on world history?

Connecting with the Times: Look for articles in the Times that you feel could be turning points for Florida, the United States or the world. Why do you think these events are turning points? How will they change the way we live our lives?

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossani

A Thousand Splendid Suns (Mature Reader- grades 9-12)
This novel, set in Afghanistan during three decades of Soviet occupation, civil war and Taliban rule, follows Mariam and Laila, two women 19 years apart in age, whose lives are dramatically intertwined by dire circumstances including marriage, childbirth, abuse and murder. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum connections: Research the lives of women in Afghani culture. What advantages or restrictions did the women experience under the monarchy? Under the warlords? Under communist rule? Under the Taliban? Since the U.S. invasion, have their lives improved?

Connecting with the Times: Violating human rights is often a precursor to civil unrest and war. For example, after World War I, Hitler’s actions were a clear violation of the rights of German citizens. Search the St. Petersburg Times for current examples of an elected government violating the rights of its citizens. Read the article. Think about the rights that are being violated. Think about how you would feel if the government took away your rights and property, and forced you to live in a ghetto or leave your country. Discuss your thoughts here.

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Incantation (grades 9-12)
Set during the Spanish Inquisition, this is the story of two best friends, Estrella and Catalina. Estrella realizes that her family is secretly Jewish, and when Catalina discovers that the man she intends to marry has fallen in love with Estrella, she betrays Estrella’s family with tragic consequences. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum connections:  Besides Jews, other groups have been targeted for prejudice over the centuries.  After reading this book, research another victimized group and tell what life was like for them. Incantation takes place during the Spanish Inquisition. How does it compare to Germany during Hitler's reign during World War II? How is it different?

Connecting with the Times: Studies show people can be consciously committed to democracy and deliberately work to behave without prejudice, yet still possess hidden negative prejudices or stereotypes. So even though we believe we see and treat people as equals, hidden biases still may influence our perceptions and actions. Look for examples of biased ideas and language in the St. Petersburg Times. Explore your thoughts about the biased language you have found in the newspaper. Do some words make you more uncomfortable than others?

What Happened to Cass McBride? By Gail Giles

What Happened to Cass McBride? (grades 9-12)
After his brother commits suicide, Kyle Kirby kidnaps and buries alive Cass McBride, the girl he holds responsible. Cass talks to Kyle through a plastic air tube and frantically tries to get him to set her free. She fights for her life both physically and mentally before time runs out. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum Connection: Cass knows that words are power – she learned that from her father who is a salesman. He taught her a lot about the business world and the psychology of people.  Now it is your turn to take a look into the business world. What makes a good salesman?  What techniques do they use? Brainstorm the best and the worst sales experiences as a class. Record these points on large poster paper and post in the room.

Connecting with the Times: It is time for you to be the salesperson.  Look through the advertisements in the Times. Find a product that you are comfortable selling. Remember that you have to be knowledgeable about the product you are selling from the history of it to the development of it to its present use.  You may need other information such as the history of the company, materials used in the manufacturing of the product; how the product is made. You have to be able answer these questions about your merchandise as well.  What are the uses of the product? What are the advantages of its uses? What are the special features of the product? Are there any guarantees? Why is the product worth the price? How does the product compare with competitive products? Create a brief commercial for this product. Share the slogan for your product and your strategy for selling it here. You also can create a podcast for the product. Send your MP3 file to jpushkin@sptimes.com.

The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson

The Christopher Killer (grades 9-12)
Aspiring forensic pathologist Cameryn Mahoney convinces her father, who is the coroner in a small town, to hire her as an assistant to help him solve the mystery of a serial killer who leaves a St. Christopher medal with each victim. She puts herself in danger when the next victim turns out to be her friend Rachel. Share your thoughts about this book by clicking on the link.

Curriculum Connection: How does someone become a serial killer? Are there certain characteristics serial killers have in common? Read up on a serial killer of your choice and present a biographical sketch.

Connecting with the Times: Do you find what Cameryn and her father do for a living interesting? If so examine the education you must take in college and the career options a forensic pathologist has.  Look for classified ads or articles in the Times or on tampabay.com that would interest you in this career path. Discuss why this path interests you and what educational background you would need. Based on the information in the classified ads and/or articles, identify the salary range for this career path.