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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The contrast between Paine’s and Donna’s behavior suggests a message about adult responsibility and family life.

• In what important ways do Paine and Donna approach family life differently? (topic sentence)
• Give at least two details that demonstrate Paine’s approach and two details that demonstrate Donna’s approach to family life. Explain how each character’s approach impacts the family.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain what message about adult responsibilities and family life are conveyed by the contrast between the behavior of these two characters.

2. The author uses the setting and plot of Flush to convey a message about the Fragile Environment.

• What point about the fragility of the natural environment does Hiaasen make in Flush? (topic sentence)
• Give at least two details of the setting and two details of the plot that support your interpretation of this theme.