Slam!

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 bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Tension rises between Slam and Ice when Slam attends a different school.

• Do Slam and Ice have more similarities or differences overall? (topic sentence)
• Explain why the two friends have more differences as the novel ends, using evidence from the text to support your claims.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why you believe Ice’s perspectives and mannerisms changed after Slam changed schools.

2. Consider the novel’s themes of Coming of Age, The Importance of Teamwork, and The Role of Mentorship.

• Which of the novel’s themes do you believe is the most important? (topic sentence)
• Describe how that theme presents itself in the novel, then explain why you believe it is the most important.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why you believe Myers chose this theme.