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. Throughout the account, Claudette refers to several hardships she experienced during her activism.

• How does Claudette’s story reflect the general experience of women who were activists in the civil rights movement? (topic sentence)
• Identify 1-2 examples from the text to substantiate your answer.
• In which way does gender link to the larger theme of Perseverance Through Hardship and Injustice?

2. Many of the adults in Claudette’s life influenced her to become an activist

• How does Claudette become inspired to join the civil rights movement? (topic sentence)
• Identify 1-2 examples from the text to substantiate your point.
• How does the role of activism link to the broader theme of The Importance of Questioning The Status Quo?

3. Consider the challenges that the Black community experienced in navigating daily life in Montgomery.