Student Name: __________________________________ A Long Way Gone​
Summer Reading Assignment Choose from the projects below. Each column lets you know how many points you can earn for each activity in that column. You must choose​
three 10 point activities​
, ​
one 30 point activity,​
and ​
one 40 point activity​
. All written work must be typed and double­spaced, using one­inch margins. 10 points (choose three) 30 points (choose one) 40 points (choose one) Type a journal entry from Ishmael Beah’s perspective about his first night in New York City when he visited to speak to the UN. This must be at least 10 sentences, and a hand­drawn graphic should be added. Make the journal entry and the paper itself look like a real journal. Choose a significant scene from the novel and rewrite it from the perspective of one of the characters present. This means you will write it in the first person (using I, me, my, etc.). It should be written like a story and include appropriate descriptions and dialogue. Your scene should be between 500 and 600 words and be double­spaced. Draw a storyboard mounted on construction paper with at least ten detailed images on 8 ½ X 11 paper. These images should tell the story of ​
A Long Way Gone​
. Type captions two sentences long for each drawing and paste them below the images. No clip art allowed; only original sketches. Type a letter from any of Ishmael’s lost family members to Ishmael detailing what thoughts or advice they would share with him. This must be at least 10 sentences, and a hand­drawn graphic should be added. Make the letter look like a real letter. Create a two­column quote journal with ten passages (no longer than ten lines) from the novel (choose quotes spread throughout the novel to demonstrate you read the entire novel). Put the quotes in the left­hand column and respond to them in the right­hand column, responding, analyzing, and evaluating the significance of the passages you chose in complete sentences. Using quotes and images from the novel, create a scrapbook that encapsulates a character. It must be on 8 ½ X 11 paper and be at least ten pages. Images must be created by the student and scrapbook must be bound like a book with a title page. The title page should include a hand­drawn graphic and the character’s name. Create an illustrated picture dictionary for 10 unfamiliar vocabulary words from throughout the novel. Each page of the dictionary should include the word, part of speech, definition, and a colored illustration representing the meaning of the word. Only one word should be included per page, and all ten pages should be bound in some way to be like a book. Create a children’s book with ten pages and a cover about one of the folktales that Ishmael shares in the novel. On the title page, include the title of the story and a hand­drawn illustration in color. On each page, also include a hand­drawn illustration and three to five sentences in your own words telling the story. These sentences must be typed. On a piece of foam board, create a 3D map of Ishmael’s journey with at least ten important points in his journey. Each point in his journey should have a 3D object to represent what happened at that point in his journey. Number the places on the map to detail the order of his journey. On the back of the map, include a two sentence, typed description of each spot on his journey. Make the map colorful. Type an obituary for one of Ishmael’s friends who dies in the course of the story. Use a newspaper obituary as a model and include a hand­drawn picture of the person for whom you are creating the obituary. Make sure you give important details about this person’s life and how they died. This must be at least 10 sentences. Choose ten songs that would reflect Ishmael’s journey from beginning to end as a soundtrack for the novel (do not turn in the actual music). For each song, make a scrapbook page, which should include the song title, an illustration of the event it goes with in the book, at least three lines from the song that you think would connect to the event or Ishmael’s frame of mind, and then explain why you chose that song and how those lines best reflect what is happening in the novel. Text should be typed and illustrations should be hand­drawn and in color. Bind all of the pages together with a title page. On a piece of foam board, draw the silhouette of Ishmael’s head (which should take up the majority of the board), and then fill the entire space with images of his journey through the book. Use the entire space within his head to fill it with thoughts, images, symbols, and dominant scenes from his life in the book. On the back of the foam board, tape or glue a typed explanation for each symbol, picture, scene in his head and its significance to Ishmael. The front should be in color and completely hand­drawn. Create a word cloud about Ishmael. You must use at least 15­20 words, including Ishmael’s name. In a typed page, give your reason for choosing each word and the reasoning behind the size of the words. Create a board game to represent Ishmael's journey in the book. It should have a creative and colorful game board, ten questions and answers which relate to the novel, directions, and game pieces.