A Long Way Gone #3

Quote #1:
Said by: Ishmael
Page: 84
I was so happy that my mother, father, and two brothers had somehow found one another. Perhaps my mother and father have gotten back together, I thought.

Significance: This quote is significant because it really got my hopes up about him seeing his family again and it made me happy that his friends might get to as well. The second part of the quote is significant because it is Ishmael wishing that his parents got back together. I liked that he added that in the book because this is a book that is so different from our life's but he gives us something to relate to.

Connection: I can tell from the paragraph that Ishmael is so happy that his family is alive and near him. I can relate to his feeling of happiness and relief that him and his friend feel. I think that they will be able to "relax" a little bit more then they have been able to for a while.

Question: Do you think that Ishmael will get to the village in time to see his family?

Quote #2:
Said by: Ishmael
Page: 84
I didn't sleep that night. My hands begin to shake as soon as my friends started snoring. I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. The dogs begin to cry and ran from one end of the village to the other.

Significance: This quote is significant because it makes me wonder why he was thinking something bad was going to happen when he just got such good news. Also I liked the quote because it is an other sign that they saw. The first one was the bird and now the dogs. Also I can relate because I get this feeling sometimes.

Connection: I can relate to this quote because sometimes I get the feeling that something bad is going to happen and normally you can tell when I feel this way because my hand shakes also. Also I can't sleep when I have something important on my mind.

Question: Do you think that Ishmaels feeling is correct? If so what do you think will happen?

A Long WAy Gone #2

Quote #1:
Said by: Saidu
Page: 70

"Saidu spoke in a very deep voice as if someone was speaking through him, how many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?"

Significance: This quote relates to the question about what life was like before immigrating. It is significant because it shows how these boys have had to grow up very fast to survive the war. They have been almost killed many times already. I think the deeper voice is symbolizing maturity in Saidu.

Character Judgement: So far it seems like the boys Ishmael is traveling with are very kind and are feeling the same way Ishmael is feeling. I think that he is being very quite while he is with them because he is so sad and he thinks that nothing he could say will make anything better.

Question #1: Do you think that the boys will be separated? if so, how do you think that will happen?

Quote #2: The most difficult part was the loneliness. It became unbearable each day.
Said By: Ishmael
Page: 52
Significance: This quote is significant because it is right after Ishmael has been separated from his brother and his friends. I also chose this quote because for me this was one of the saddest parts because being alone for so long would be torture, and not knowing if his family and friends had been killed or not.

Connection: I can't really connect to this quote, I know what it is like to be lonely but I can't imagine loneliness to this extreme. It must have been terrible.

Question #2: Do you think that Ishmael will be taken by the rebels? If so, how?

Field Trip Reflection

Part 1: From Haven to Home
The purpose of going to this exhibit was to learn about Jewish history. What I found most interesting was that the underground railroad was originally supposed to be for hiding Jewish people, not African Americans. Also that there was a synagogue that helped out a lot in the underground railroad by giving people a place to stay and food and water. I also learned that when a Jewish person wanted to get married they were sworn in on the Christan bible. They didn't like that so they passed a law called the "Jew Bill" to change it. In the 1880's millions of Yiddish speaking Jews moved from Russia. A man named Judah Benjamin became the first Jew to be in the presidential cabinet. In 1924 we set immigration boundaries that limited the immigrant Jews from coming over from Eastern Europe. In Europe Jews weren't allowed to own land so they would buy things and then sell them, they would go around in a wagon doing this for a living. Most department stores that we have now were founded by Jewish people, like Macy's and Bloomingdale's.

Part 2: Children of Immigrants
Photo: I chose a picture of a little girl holding an American flag. I was taken from the back so you couldn't see her face. The picture was taken a t an immigration rally. I liked this picture becuase she is and immigrant and she is walking with an american flag. I think it shows that she likes America.

Quote: "If we stayed in Bonsnia we would have probably been killed. Although no one can predict the future, just imagine a 7-year-old child wondering if he would be killed that next dayor spared in this world we call home."

I chose this quote because it made me think about how different there world is compared to ours. That they would be killed if they came back.

Essay: I read Paul Train. It show me that it must have been so hard to come to a new school in a totally different country. Also it show me how different her life was before coming to America.

A Long Way Gone #1

Quote #1
Said by Ishmael Beah
Page: 6

"I loved the dance (Hip-Hop) and particularly enjoyed learning the lyrics because they were poetic and it improved my vocabulary."

Significance: This quote is significant because it tells me a little bit about the character. Also because it make me think about how sad it is that he has no idea of what is about to happen to him and his family and at this point he is thinking about music not war.

Connection: I picked this quote because when people think of children in Africa they think that life there is so different and foreign to us. But this quote show that we are not so different and we can relate to people with different cultures and people who live all around the world.

Question #1: How do you think the Hip-Hop will tie in to the rest of the story?

Quote #2
Said by: Ishmael Beah
Page: 1

"There were all kinds of stories told about the war that made it sound as if it were happening in a faraway and different land."

Significance: I think this quote is significant because this is how most people here view the war that is going on in Africa, and yet he is saying this while he is living in Sierra Leone.

Connection: I connect to this quote because I feel this way about the civil wars in Africa and the war in Iraq also. They seem like they are happening in a totally different land.

Question #2: How do you think Ishmael felt when he realized that war had come to where he lived?

Immigration

To me immigrant means someone who was born in a different country and came to America. There could be many reasons why they would want to move to America. A lot of people think that America is more advanced and would be an easier place to live and make money or raise a family. Someone may also want to move here because of all of the freedom that we have, or maybe because it is easier to get a job. Many people want these things so bad that they will move here illegally. I am connected to immigration because in California we are so racially diverse because of all of the people that have immigrated here from other countries. So I am connected because if some of these people’s parents wouldn’t have immigrated then I wouldn’t have some of the friends I have now. I know a few people that have immigrated form other countries. I know someone that grew up in Brazil and someone that grew up in Ireland. You see the effects of immigration everywhere in San Diego. For example, the food. We have so many different types of food in San Diego Mexican, American, Chinese, and some many other types. Another example is language. We speak so many different languages here. You’ll hear English, Spanish, French, and so many more.
If it weren’t for immigration we wouldn’t have all of the foods we like, we wouldn’t be learning different languages in school, and we wouldn’t have the friends that we have now!