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. Is Gräuben a good female role model today? Why or why not?

• What function does Gräuben serve in the story? (topic sentence)
• Identify traits of good female role models and cite passages from the text showing how Gräuben does or does not exemplify them.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether there is anything in Gräuben’s character that modern girls and women should be encouraged to emulate.

2. How does the good luck the characters experience affect the reader’s participation in the story?

• How important is tension to reader engagement with a story? (topic sentence)
• Describe some of the unlikely good fortune the travelers experience. How realistic is the balance between good and bad luck? As a reader, how worried are you that some or all of them might not survive the journey?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how your identification with the characters’ peril (or lack thereof) affects your enjoyment of the story.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.