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. The theme of Hope and Determination is developed throughout The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

• How does William demonstrate that he has not given up? (topic sentence)
• Give several examples of situations in which William could have given up but chose not to.
• In your closing sentences, discuss where William’s unwavering determination comes from.

2. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is written as a first-person narrative memoir that borrows many literary devices from fiction.

• Why might Kamkwamba have decided to use this narrative style?
• Give examples of 3-4 literary devices used in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and explain the effect those devices create in the memoir. Devices might include metaphors, imagery, and hyperbole, among others.
• In your closing sentences, consider what effect might have been created had the author chosen a more technical style.