Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Mrs. Gladstone selects Jenna as her driver despite being critical of her driving skills.

• What does Mrs. Gladstone see in Jenna to make her choose Jenna as a driver? (topic sentence)
• Describe Jenna’s character traits, passions, and skills that make her a suitable candidate as Mrs. Gladstone’s driver.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe whether you believe Mrs. Gladstone made the right choice in selecting Jenna as her driver.

2. Mrs. Gladstone is growing older and has health conditions.

• Why is it important for Mrs. Gladstone to remain in the company despite her age? (topic sentence)
• Describe why Mrs. Gladstone feels compelled to remain part of the Gladstone company and Elden’s role in her decision to stay with the company.