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. Malala’s mother gave up going to school because her cousins stayed at home.

• With regard to education, how is Malala different from her mother? (topic sentence)
• Consider Malala’s relationship to her peers. What effect do they have on her education?
• In your concluding sentences, explain how Malala’s stance on education contributes to the book’s larger discussion around the Individual Versus Society.

2. In Chapter 6, Malala talks about her profound connection to a TV show featuring a boy with a magic pencil.

• Why might the concept of a “magical pencil” have a larger meaning for Malala? (topic sentence)
• In what ways does the magical pencil relate to Malala and her family’s life?
• In your concluding sentences, explain how Malala’s connection to this TV show speaks to her belief that the Power of Words can change the world.