Nothing But the Truth by Avi
Due Date______
Standard: Literary Response and Analysis
Name __________________________________
Part I: Choose one of the essay questions below. Write an essay showing your deeper understanding of the
text, its themes and its characters. **Essay must be typed, 12 point font, one inch margins, double-spaced.
1. Write a multiple paragraph essay in which you discuss the pros and cons of the media’s (radio,
television, newspapers) role in this book. Refer to specific examples from the text to support your claims.
Connect your discussion to the positive and negative influences of media in today’s society.
2. Communication between parents and their children, between students themselves, and certainly between
Philip and his peers seems to be dysfunctional. Write a multiple paragraph essay in which you discuss the
theme of communication (or miscommunication) in this book. Refer to specific examples from the text to
support your claims.
3. In the novel, there is mention that Philip’s First Amendment rights are being violated. Write a multiple
paragraph essay addressing whether or not Philip Malloy’s rights or anyone else’s rights are being violated.
Refer to specific examples from the text to support your claims.
Outline for writing:
A. Introduction:
Attention Catcher (quote, statement, question)
Brief Summary of story (as it pertains to your essay choice)
Thesis Statement (your claim; what you are trying to prove in your essay)
B. Body (2-3-paragraphs):
Topic Sentence
Examples and reasons to support your thesis statement
Concluding Sentence
C. Conclusion:
Restate (reword) your thesis statement
End with final thoughts, ideas, commentary
Checklist for writing:
o Develop a clear thesis related to the writing task
o Organize your writing with a strong introduction, body and conclusion
o Support claims with direct or indirect examples (If you include direct quotes, put them in
quotation marks and make sure you introduce them and interpret/analyze them afterwards)
o Keep formal essays third person
o Refer to the literature in the present tense
o Vary sentences
o Check for mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence formation
o Go back to the writing task/direction to make sure your essay is on the right track.
Part II: Group Presentation
Form a group of 3-4 people. Create a class presentation from the following scenarios:
1. Pretend Philip and Miss Narwin are before the Board of Education defending their reputations and citing
their accounts of what really happened. Refer to the events in the book such as Philip’s suspension or Miss
Narwin’s “forced” sabbatical.
2. Choose a form of media (radio show, talk show, reporter on location) to portray the “fight for truth”
surrounding the novel. Group members can take on the roles of characters and/or guests or callers.
3. Extending a scene- Choose a short scene from the novel and extend it by creating more dialogue
between the characters involved. Think of scenes from the bus, school, or Philip’s home. Be sure to start
your dialogue from where it ends in the book.