Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their text 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. In the parable of Who Moved My Cheese?, the mice, Sniff and Scurry, exhibit traits that make them more successful than the humans, Hem and Haw.

• What lesson can the humans learn from the mice? (topic sentence)
• Describe the traits of Sniff and Scurry, then explain how those traits help the mice adapt to changes and make better decisions.
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the lesson that Hem and Haw can learn from Sniff and Scurry and emphasize the importance of being adaptable and proactive in business.

2. In the story, Sniff and Scurry each possess a different skill that, when combined, creates successful teamwork.

• How do Sniff and Scurry each use their individual skills to create successful teamwork? (topic sentence)
• Explain the skills of Sniff and Scurry and how those skills complement one another.