Black Brother, Black Brother

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 to serve as examples and support.

1. Donte realizes that fencing is more than a game. It also involves strategy and tactics.

• What does Donte’s realization mean? What strategies and tactics do he and others use? (topic sentence)
• What are three examples of tactics that support your argument?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, connect your thesis back to either the theme of Feeling Confident Both Physically and Mentally Through Sports or The Visibility and Invisibility of Race.

2. Trey is able to pass for white because his skin color is lighter than Donte’s.

• How does Trey’s ability to pass affect his brother and friends? How is his experience different than theirs? (topic sentence)
• What moments from the text mention Trey’s passing for white and its impact on others? Choose at least three to support your argument.