No More Dead Dogs

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. In Chapter 3, Wallace’s mother suggests that insulting Old Shep, My Pal is the same as insulting Mr. Fogelman since he likes the book so much.

• Do you think insulting something that someone likes is the same as insulting the person? (topic sentence)
• Explain why you believe Mr. Fogelman likes Old Shep, My Pal. Then explain why you think he may be offended when Wallace attacks the book.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you believe Mr. Fogelman’s reaction to Wallace’s dislike of the book is reasonable, and explain why.

2. Trudi serves an interesting role in the novel, as her support for Wallace suddenly shifts.

• Does Trudi’s point of view feel necessary to the story? (topic sentence)
• Explain why you believe the author includes Trudi in the story, what Trudi’s character represents to the story, and whether you believe her perspective is necessary for illustrating the author’s point.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you believe Trudi is a realistic character.

3. One of the reasons Wallace dislikes the novel Old Shep, My Pal is because Old Shep dies at the end of the story.

• What is the novel’s message about the death of dogs in literature? (topic sentence)
• Explain why Wallace finds Old Shep’s death predictable, why Wallace believes Old Shep should live, and how the death of Old Shep might be related to Wallace’s father’s lies and sensational news stories, using specific references from the text.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you agree with Korman’s implied statement about dead dogs in literature.

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. Throughout No More Dead Dogs, it is suggested that truth matters less than what people believe. Do you agree with Korman’s assessment of truth? Take a position (yes or no) and write an essay that defends your position, using specific evidence from the text to support your argument. Keep the following questions in mind as you write: Do individuals tend to believe what they want to believe, or are they often guided by sound analysis? Why might truth be more complicated than Wallace initially believes?

2. Wallace’s coach hopes that Wallace will rejoin the team because he brings out the best in people. Do you believe Wallace generally brings out the best or worst in people? Why? Find at least three instances in the novel that prove or disprove the coach’s claim about Wallace to support your argument.

3. Do you agree with the novel’s assertion that sports are given more importance in American education? Why or why not? What experiences have you had that support your claim? How does your assessment of sports in education compare to the novel’s description of education’s preference toward sports?