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. Chasing Vermeer conveys many messages about effective ways to see the world.

• What does Mrs. Sharpe mean in Chapter 21 when she says that “looking and seeing are two very different things”? (topic sentence)
• Offer three pieces of evidence—plot details, characterization, word choice, etc.—that support your interpretation of Mrs. Sharpe’s comment.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how Mrs. Sharpe’s comment supports the novel’s theme of Perceiving Patterns.

2. Calder’s pentominoes feature prominently in Chasing Vermeer.

• What is the symbolic significance of Calder’s pentominoes? (topic sentence)
• Offer three pieces of evidence from different places in the text that support your interpretation of the importance of Calder’s pentominoes.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the pentominoes support one or both of the themes of The Oneness of All Things and Perceiving Patterns.