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. Mason spends time reflecting on Benny, the discussions they had, and his death.

• How does Mason experience and process grief? (topic sentence)
• Provide three examples from the novel in discussing and analyzing the way Mason experiences and processes grief.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize what you believe Mason and his family needed to experience to heal after Benny’s death.

2. Through research, Mason discovers aurochs and immediately becomes fascinated with them.

• What is the significance of the aurochs in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Detail what aurochs are based on the text’s description; then explain why Mason feels connected to them. Incorporate examples of Mason’s direct and indirect characterization in your discussion.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize why aurochs become an important symbol for Mason after the destruction of the root cellar.