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. The author challenges conceptions around teenage pregnancy in the novel.

• How does Elizabeth Acevedo use Emoni’s experience to challenge conceptions around teenage pregnancy? (topic sentence)
• Identify and cite three passages that describe Emoni’s experience as a teenage mother.
• In your concluding statement or paragraph explain the impact of Emoni’s experience on the theme of Heterogenous Identity, Prejudice, and Roots or Rules, Recipes, and Self-Creation.

2. Explain the role of fathers, or absentee fathers, in With the Fire on High.

• How do fathers such as Julio or Tyrone impact the people in their lives? (topic sentence)
• Identify and cite three passages that show Julio or Tyrone in their role as father. Consider areas where they are positive father figures as well as areas where they are not positive father figures.