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. Initially, Castle has no interest in the track team, but that changes.

• What does the track team mean to Ghost/Castle? (topic sentence)
• Incorporate at least 3 quotations and explanations to illustrate your arguments.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain what helps Castle change his mind about the team.

2. As the story progresses, Castle learns about himself, faces his past, and begins a new journey.

• Where is Castle/Ghost running toward himself? (topic sentence)
• Include at least 3-4 quotations with citations and reasoning to prove your arguments.
• In your conclusion, explain how Castle illustrates the theme of You Can’t Escape Yourself.

3. The Defenders work hard at practice and at life.

• How does Coach motivate his team? (topic sentence)
• Incorporate at least 3 details and reasons to develop your ideas.