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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Early in the biography the audience learns that Doaa almost drowned early in her life at the age of six.

• How does Doaa’s fear of drowning inform the decisions she makes during the course of her journey? (topic sentence)
• Provide three examples of Doaa’s decisions being formed around her near-death experience at six.
• In your concluding sentences, explain whether Doaa was justified in her fears of drowning or not.

2. While in Syria, Doaa decides she does not intend to marry. Even after meeting Bassem, Doaa still does not intend to marry.

• Why does Doaa agree to marry Bassem in Egypt? (topic sentence)
• Explain why Doaa does not want to marry, why she feels uncomfortable with Bassem’s proposal, and why she ultimately agrees to marry him.