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. Describe how Falk is shaped by his childhood experiences and how it impacts his objectivity as a special agent.

• How is Falk’s judgment hindered by his childhood experiences? (topic sentence)
• Describe three times in which Falk made decisions based on biases from his childhood.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how these choices were motived by Secrets, Lies, and Mistrust in an Intimate Community.

2. Explain how the bush, the rock tree, and the Kiewarra River connect Falk to his childhood and present self.

• How do the bush, the rock tree, and the Kiewarra River personally affect Falk and connect him to his present and past selves? (topic sentence)
• Provide specific details about the bush, the rock tree, and the Kiewarra River that show how each connects to significant events in Falk’s childhood.