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. Without his parents at Dadaab, Omar relies on Fatuma as a foster mother for basic needs and supervision.

• What other adult figures care for Omar’s well-being and future? (topic sentence)
• Describe the adult figures (other than Fatuma) who take care of Omar in his early life, then explain which of the adult figures you believe is the most influential and why.
• In your concluding sentences, explain why the adults in Omar’s life may have decided to support him despite their personal hardships.

2. Although Omar occasionally struggles with having empathy due to his bitterness, Hassan is the embodiment of empathy in the memoir.

• In what ways does Hassan exemplify empathy? (topic sentence)
• Provide three examples from the memoir in which Hassan demonstrates his capacity for empathy.