No Talking

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. Dave and Lynsey are both described as talkative.

• Despite their initial gender bias, how does Dave and Lynsey’s relationship change from the start of the story to the end? (topic sentence)
• What events and discoveries contribute most directly to Dave and Lynsey’s changed feelings for one another? Support your argument with evidence from the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, briefly explain the way in which Dave and Lynsey’s changed relationship connects to one of the story’s themes.

2. The contest has many unexpected benefits for the staff and students.

• How does the contest benefit the school, generally speaking? (topic sentence)
• Which benefit that students derived from the contest will be most helpful to the school community as a whole? Which benefit that teachers derived will be most helpful to the school community? Analyze the ways in which these two benefits compare.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize the extent to which silence may be beneficial in a school setting.

3. Mr. Burton finds inspiration for his master’s degree thesis in the no-talking game.

• How do teachers learn from students because of the contest? (topic sentence)
• Provide two or three scenes, events, or reactions from the novel (other than Mr. Burton) that demonstrate ways teachers learn from the students during the contest. Analyze each for its worth in shaping change and developing characters: How effective is the lesson learned? How do readers see change as a result?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, briefly explain why the teachers choose to learn from the students rather than forcing the students to speak.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Clements describes the interactions between students, teachers, and the principal. Analyze the power dynamics in the novel between these different groups. In two to three paragraphs, discuss who holds the most power and how that power position changes the characters, if at all. Reinforce your response by citing relevant information from the text.

2. In the game, the students had a three-word exception for communicating with teachers. How would the contest and overall plotline be different without the three-word exception? In a brief paragraph, describe the largest differences that may have occurred if there had not been a three-word rule. Substantiate your answer by citing details from the text.

3. Initially, the teachers and principal oppose the contest despite acknowledging its benefits. In an essay of at least three main points, explain why some of the teachers are opposed to the contest despite its apparent benefits, and address the reasons why some individuals change their minds. Support your response using quotes from the text.