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. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Izzy’s school experiences are important in helping her learn more about racism, both as a topic in discussions about literature and history and through the actions and reactions of her peers.

• What is the most influential lesson Izzy learns about racism as a result of topics and events at school? (topic sentence)
• Discuss why this lesson is the most influential to her character development; use at least 3 specific details regarding topics or events at school to support your discussion.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize how classroom lessons or discussion can encourage overall tolerance and harmony between people of different races and backgrounds.

2. Izzy’s responses to the poems of Langston Hughes and Joyce Kilmer show how individuals can be inspired by literature but still must express their own perceptions and ideas.

• Contrast the way Izzy feels about Hughes’s poem with her reaction to “Trees.