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. Many of the phrases that the students have to memorize are paradoxes.

• What is Mr. Curtain’s purpose for making the students memorize paradoxical statements? (topic sentence)
• Explain what a paradox is and show how at least three statements that the students have to memorize are paradoxical.
• Give at least two pieces of evidence that support your interpretation of Mr. Curtain’s motivation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this element of the story supports a larger meaning the story is trying to convey.

2. The setting of the Waiting Room has a powerful effect on Sticky.

• What about this particular setting causes a crisis for Sticky? (topic sentence)
• Describe this setting, supporting your description with at least one piece of quoted and cited evidence.