Long+Way+Gone+Thesis+Post

1. Annotated Bibliography **Due Monday**

**Example:**

Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. New York:Henry Holt and Company.

An experienced journalist who graduated from University of Colorado with a degree in Economics and Global Expansion. She has been published in The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, and various business journals. She has been invited to speak at the White House on the current issues dealing with poverty and health care. In her book, she includes research drawn from the last ten years and her book has been a best seller. Ehrenreich is reliable author with years of experience related to economics. She currently is teaching at Yale University.


 * 2. Three-Four Page Paper (Soft-This means you have to end somewhere between page three and page four.) **

Throughout this novel, we have had the opportunity to appreciate war through the eyes of someone who lived it and continues to live it every day of his life. Personal stories tend to have a significantly different impact on people when compared to media headlines, history books, and shocking statistics. Now that have reviewed Maslow's Hierarchy and the roots of PTSD, it's time to consider an analysis topic for your paper.

This paper will focus on analyzing a particular part of this novel by relating research that helps us better understand that the scene, decision, or conflict. The paper will need researched support to qualify as credible, because as we have mentioned so many times in class, without credible support, your opinion has no authority and your paper is ultimately worthless with respects to argument.

We are going to 'test' drive a number of paper ideas and talk about different directions you can go in class.

1. Prove that Ishmael is/is not suffering from PTSD after his removal from the army. 2. Show how Ishmael's PTSD is directly linked to one of Maslow's levels. 3. After research, provide the best therapy option for Ishmael...perhaps you could also look into the possibilities that the therapy option could be used back in Sierra Leone today.
 * Topics we identified in class: **
 * PTSD Topics **

1. Choose one recruitment technique and explain why this approach works especially well with children. 2. Prove that both sides used awful techniques to promote obedience and loyalty. 3. How do certain techniques appeal to the childrens' needs?
 * Recruitment Techniques **

1. Go back to one particular scene in the book that you believe is better understood with a stronger understanding of Maslow's hierarchy. 2. Identify a critical pivot point when Ishmael either moves up or down Maslow's hierarchy. 3. Is the self-esteem level truly gained by the child soldiers? Can you be addicted to violence? Can someone lose the will to live and just die? Can adrenalin really give someone super strength? What does research say about the future of children who have not established the ability to trust?
 * Maslow's **
 * Other topics **

**HOW TO POST YOUR THESIS**

We are going to work on thesis posts in small groups. These groups are going help each other out specifically. 1. Once you believe you have a thesis, post up your thesis and your topic sentences. 2. The majority of you who are struggling with writing are the same ones who don't pre-plan topic sentences. There is a definite pattern. 3. Be sure to help out the other members of your group. 4. You will need to be VERY critical of not just the idea but where the idea is going to end up. There has been a serious problem with people who START with a good idea but fizzle out.