The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

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. The theme of Hope and Determination is developed throughout The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

• How does William demonstrate that he has not given up? (topic sentence)
• Give several examples of situations in which William could have given up but chose not to.
• In your closing sentences, discuss where William’s unwavering determination comes from.

2. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is written as a first-person narrative memoir that borrows many literary devices from fiction.

• Why might Kamkwamba have decided to use this narrative style?
• Give examples of 3-4 literary devices used in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and explain the effect those devices create in the memoir. Devices might include metaphors, imagery, and hyperbole, among others.
• In your closing sentences, consider what effect might have been created had the author chosen a more technical style.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least 3 main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Throughout the text, there is considerable emphasis placed on situations where Corruption abounds. Corruption is evident from the highest levels of government to the lowest. What is the impact of corruption in the text, whether large-scale or small? How does corruption drive William’s desire to successfully create the windmill? Cite 3-4 moments in the text when corruption occurs, describe its impact, and explain how this corruption influences William.

2. Friendship is essential to William’s success—without the help of those who cared about him, it is unlikely that he would have succeeded in creating a functioning windmill. Cite 3-4 moments in the text when other people who cared about William directly impacted his ability to move forward in his plans for the windmill. Discuss the importance of supportive relationships to overall success in the text.

3. Mark Twain once said, “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.” In what ways do William’s experiences embody this quotation? Cite 2-3 moments in the text that illustrate that a formal “schooling” is not always necessary to pursue an education.