Mosquitoland

What does the structure of Mosquitoland contribute to the reader’s experience of the story? Consider these points as you formulate your response.

• How does the inclusion of Mim’s letters to Isabel help the reader understand Mim’s motivations and beliefs?
• How do the flashbacks to Mim’s childhood help to characterize her and other characters? How do they contribute to the reader’s understanding of what is happening in the present?
• How does the order in which information is revealed impact the reader? How would the experience of reading the story change if Arnold changed the order in which key information is presented?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt encourages students to consider how the reader’s experience with plot and understanding of characterization can be impacted by the structural techniques an author chooses. If time or student ability makes the broader question that introduces the bulleted points impractical for your classroom, you might choose just one of the bulleted points on which to focus. Conversely, if time permits and your students are ready for the challenge, you might introduce or review the terms “epistolary,” “juxtaposition,” and “non-linear” and ask that students accurately use these terms in their response to the prompt.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with attentional or executive functioning learning differences may benefit from completing graphic organizers before attempting to respond to the prompt as a whole. They might first create a t-chart to organize their ideas related to the first and second bullet points. They can note textual details contained in letters and flashbacks in one column and their thoughts about what these details reveal in the second column. Then, they might create a timeline-style organizer to make some notes about key revelations and where they occur in the plot, noting how this impacts their understanding and enjoyment of the story and why.

If your class will be writing in response to this prompt, students who benefit from strategies for written expression might be allowed to answer each bulleted point separately in a few sentences rather than composing an essay-style response to the prompt as a whole. Alternatively, they might be allowed to turn in annotated graphic organizers.