88 pages 2 hours read

Jeanne DuPrau

The People of Sparks

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2004

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Who first sees the people of Ember as they approach Sparks?

2. Which villager do Lina and her family stay with upon arriving in Sparks?

3. What element frightens Lina while she is staying with the villager?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the leaders of Sparks primarily worried about?

2. What happened to the mayor as the people of Ember were leaving?

3. What do the leaders of Sparks intend to do for the people of Ember and why?

Paired Resource

Scarcity

  • This brief article describes the concept of scarcity and provides examples of it.
  • What does scarcity determine in the economy? How does scarcity affect the prices of goods? How can scarcity be intentionally created? What kinds of goods are scarce in Sparks? Why might a lack of resources create tension in Sparks? What effect might the doubling of a population have on the scarcity of resources? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of Arbitrary Divisions to Create “Us” and “Them”?