Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH explores animal intelligence. What do you know about animal intelligence? Do you know of any animals that can do unexpected things? How do you think animal intelligence might be studied?

Teaching Suggestion: Discussion and/or brief investigation of this question will help set a solid foundation for students’ understanding of the experiment discussed in the book and provide a good baseline for typical animal behavior. This foundation will help them understand how extraordinary the experiment in the book is as well as how unlikely it is that an experiment like it would be performed in the real world. This understanding will help students remain focused on the more important and more philosophical themes O’Brien presents, such as The Double-Edged Sword of Knowledge and Technology and Literacy as Power.

• “Inside the Minds of Animals” is a 5-minute video from TED-Ed explaining some perspectives on what animal intelligence is, how it is studied, and which animals show surprising skills and abilities.

2. Which animal fascinates you the most? If you could perform an experiment on any animal to determine a skill or ability, what would it be? How would your experiment be set up and conducted? What steps would you take to ensure that the animal is treated with kindness and consideration?

Teaching Suggestion: With this prompt, students have the opportunity to reflect on the scientific process, the potential ethical issues that can surround this type of experimentation, and how those issues can be prevented. Discussions for this prompt can help create context for thinking about the future of the rat colony and Mrs. Frisby’s children in the book; it can also promote understanding of broader implications in relation to the theme of The Double-Edged Sword of Knowledge and Technology.

• The article “Federal Laws and Agencies Involved with Animal Testing” from the Animal Legal Defense Fund provides brief descriptions of bodies responsible for overseeing animal welfare and testing.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH highlights the importance of courage and loyalty. Write about or discuss a time you or someone else behaved courageously or showed loyalty. Why are courage and loyalty important traits to have?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt will help students develop context for one of the primary motifs in the novel and encourage empathy for the characters.  

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who respond well to creative prompts may prefer to connect to the concept through a creative exercise, such as writing a short story or poem or acting out a scene that demonstrates qualities of courage and loyalty.