The document provides instructions and background information for a lesson on the memoir A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. Students are asked to turn in homework, bring their copy of the book, paper and a writing utensil. They will take notes on the prologue and journal about what it suggests about the story. A brief history of Sierra Leone is given including details of the civil war in 1991 and the Revolutionary United Front led by Foday Sankoh that sought to overthrow the government through violence and cruelty. Potential themes in the memoir are listed such as the damages of war, power, survival, hope, and loss of innocence.