It is wrong to think of Africa as a single country- with one people or struggle, but like America, there are commonalities. Music is one of them. As we have discussed, the music in this book contains powerful messages, that when understood carry so many deeper meanings.
​Your project is to think about how music affects your life, too. 
Quiz Chapters 1-4. Read in class chapters 5-8. 

Literary devices are brushes that word artists use to paint their pictures, tools with which they carve our our experiences. This book is an excellent piece to use as a literary cornucopia of devices. Here are the devices we are focusing on today: flashback (review), juxtaposition, genre, tone, symbol/archetype (water and moon), motif. We are also starting a soundtrack for our lives. I will give the teacher directions later, for now just think about the music that defines your life. :)

Music plays a huge part in A Long Way Gone, as it does in many cultures as religion, as history, as revolution, as a cultural central point. Let's keep track of the songs in A Long Way Gone and discuss the importance of representation, language, and storytelling. 

Literary Device- Flashbacks
Literary Devices are the meaning- how do flashes of memory overtake you? How do too many flashbacks in a piece of literature make you feel? How does the author feel?

12 September 2017-
​Awesome job today! I have most "Destiny" and "Losing Control" assignments turned in! You have until tonight to turn them in. Bring your book A Long Way Gone and notes on Thursday. Make sure essays (Invisible Millions and "As I Grow Older") are turned in. I will be adding these to your grades for progress reports. :) You may leave your StudySync books in your locker. :)

Destiny is the theme of our unit. How much of our lives are affected by things outside of our control or how much can we change our lives...or the lives of others...when it matters most? How brave are we? What would our ancestors want for us?