A Long Way Gone​ by Ishmael Beah is about a twelve year old boy who is looking for his

parents in the middle of a war. In this book Ishmael’s journey to get back to his parents changes

his childhood. How could war affect an individual if they were alone and apart from their

beloved ones? War can affect an individual by causing mental problems.

In the book, ​A Long Way Gone​ Ishmael has to care for himself during this war and has to

go through many violent and difficult situations.​ Ishmael believes his father when he tells him,

“If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is

nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die.”(p.54) Ishmael takes these words

from his father to realize that he has to grow up and be brave if he ever wants to get back to his

family. ​During his journey Ishmael realizes, “One of the unsettling things about my journey,

mentally, physically, and emotionally, was that I wasn't sure when or where it was going to end.

I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. I felt that I was starting over and over

again.”(p.69) In other words, ​Ishmael is affected by his lonely situation causes him to have a

mental break down.

During the war Ishmael started to think like a killer, even though he is a child. He

declares, “​Whenever I looked at rebels during raids, I got angrier, because they looked like the

rebels who played cards in the ruins of the village where I had lost my family. So when the

lieutenant gave orders, I shot as many as I could, but I didn't feel any better.”(p.122)​ After this

event Ishmael realizes that after trying to release his anger he could never release his pain of

being apart from his family​. Still, after Ishmael realizes what he’s done, he reasons,“I had my

gun now, and as the corporal always said, "This gun is your source of power in these times. It
will protect you and provide you all you need, if you know how to use it well."”(p.124) This

corporal is brainwashing these children by turning them into followers and destroying their

childhood.

Although war can affect ​an individual by causing problems mentally, many kids end up

fine and move on with their lives. “My eyes widened, a smile forming on my face. Even in the

middle of the madness there remained that true and natural beauty, and it took my mind away

from my current situation as I marveled at this sight.”(p.59)​ Even with the war going on

Ishmael is able to relax and calm down after many struggles to stay alive.​ On the other hand

once Ishmael grows up he realizes that, “These days I live in three worlds: my dreams, and the

experiences of my new life, which trigger memories from the past.”(p.20)​ Even though Ishmael

had a chance to forget the troubles during the war, he is still reminded about that dark past and

what he went through to survive.

In conclusion, war can affect an individual by causing problems mentally even if they

had moments where they left some troubles behind. Even those who haven’t experienced war

before can relate that any event that changes your life in a negative way, you will be reminded.

Individuals that have been affected by war will be reminded of what tragedies happened in the

past even if it has been years since that unforgettable event, Ishmael is proof of that.
 TASK RUBRIC

Learning Goals 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0

PROBLEM I can create an I can select a

FORMULATION: original Personal I can create an Personal
With help, I can Even with help, I
Formulates testable, Essential original Personal Essential
researchable, and select (or create) cannot select or
Question (PEQ), Essential Question (PEQ)
relevant questions, and answer a answer a
take a position, Question (PEQ) and describe the
problem statements, or Personal Personal
hypotheses that and justify that and develop an relationship
Essential Essential
demonstrate clarity position as the argument in between my
about the nature of the Question (PEQ). Question (PEQ).
best amongst response. selected topics
task.
other positions. and themes.
RESEARCH:
Collects information and I can investigate
data necessary to solve outside sources I can classify With help, I can Even with help, I
the problem as I can identify
for relevant textual evidence identify textual cannot identify
formulated, drawing textual evidence
textual evidence as support for evidence as textual evidence
evidence from as support for my
informational texts, to support claims claims and support for my as support for
claim.
conducting an counterclaims, counterclaims. claim. my claim.
investigation, or and rebuttals.
generating data.

I can accurately
I can accurately
analyze and use Even with help, I
INTERPRETATION: analyze and use With help, I can
Synthesizes multiple relevant and I can use relevant cannot use
relevant and use relevant
sources of data to sufficient direct direct evidence to relevant direct
support a claim, solve a sufficient direct direct evidence
and inferential answer my evidence to
problem, or answer a evidence to to answer my
evidence to question. answer my
question. answer my question.
answer my question.
question.
question.

I can introduce
and establish
clear I can introduce
relationships and order ideas Even with help, I
I can introduce With help, I can
COMMUNICATION: among ideas and and information cannot introduce
Incorporates ideas and and groups ideas introduce and
information within within and across and groups
supporting evidence and information groups ideas
and across paragraphs and ideas and
purposefully using through a basic and information
structures that paragraphs and use transitions in information
use of paragraph through a basic
demonstrate the line of use transitions in a way that allows through a basic
structure and use of paragraph
reasoning. a way that the audience to use of paragraph
transitions. structure.
clarifies the follow the structure.
reasoning and argument.
logic of the
argument.

I can submit a I can submit a

PRECISION: final product that final product that I can submit a
Assures that the final With help, I can
product meets all meets or exceeds meets all ELA final product that
submit a final Even with help, I
discipline-specific all ELA standards standards for attempts all ELA
standards for language, product that cannot submit a
for language, language, standards for
terms, expressions, attempts ELA final product.
academic academic language and
rules, terminology, and standards.
conventions. vocabulary, and vocabulary, and conventions.
conventions. conventions.
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