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. Coraline has two settings, one in the real world and one in the “other” world—the world where the beldam exists.

• How are Coraline’s experiences in the real world and in the other world alike and different? (topic sentence)
• Compare Coraline’s life in the real world with her life in the other world. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each world.
• In your concluding sentences, explain why Coraline did not stay in the other world on her first visit.

2. The cat compares the other mother’s world to a spider’s web.

• In what ways is the other mother similar to a spider? (topic sentence)
• Describe how the other mother’s behavior is like a spider, how her physical features might resemble a spider's, and how her dwelling is like a spider’s web.