View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the student in Diary Three at Wilson?

2. Why does one student call the story "The Last Spin" a trip?

3. In the fall of 1994, why does one student say s/he does not belong in Gruwell's class?

4. What book relates to the life of a student who lives in an interment camp?

5. Why is Gruwell not allowed to teach Sharaud and his classmates the following year?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are some students not allowed to go to Medieval Times?

2. Why is the word 'murder' a shadow hovering over a student's life the fall of 1995?

3. Who is Gerda Seifer?

4. What do the students do when they play the peanut game?

5. Why is Zlata Filipovic pleased and honored to write a foreword for "The Freedom Writers Diary"?

6. As described in Chapter 1, why does a student get a gun to protect him/herself?

7. Why did Zlata begin writing a diary and how did her diary evolve?

8. What does Zlata think about the situation in Kosovo?

9. Why is the summer before the sophomore year the worst ever for one student?

10. Because of the Read-a-Thon for Tolerance, why is Zlata invited to speak to the class?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

During the fall semester of the sophomore year, a student struggles with the decision of whether to protect a "homie" and lie in court or to tell the truth. Before the student went to courtroom, what does s/he plan to say? What changes the student's mind? What conversation with his/her mother may be a factor in the student's decision? What circumstances in the student's own life may influence the student's decision? What does the student finally decide to do? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Violence is an everyday occurrence for the Freedom Writers in their homes and neighborhoods. Write about the violence they see everyday. How does this violence affect the students? How does this violence affect their families or friends? How does writing the diaries help the students learn to deal with the violence in their lives? Does Gruwell help the students to break this cycle of violence?

Essay Topic 3

Write why Gruwell decides that she is being hypocritical at the beginning of the sophomore year. What is hypocrisy? How is Gruwell being hypocritical? How is Gruwell using labels to describe people? What is the danger of stereotyping? How many of the teachers actually are out to get Gruwell? Who helps Gruwell understand her hypocrisy?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 983 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample