Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Who first sees the people of Ember as they approach Sparks?

2. Which villager do Lina and her family stay with upon arriving in Sparks?

3. What element frightens Lina while she is staying with the villager?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the leaders of Sparks primarily worried about?

2. What happened to the mayor as the people of Ember were leaving?

3. What do the leaders of Sparks intend to do for the people of Ember and why?

Paired Resource

“What Is Scarcity, Really?”

• This brief article describes the concept of scarcity and provides examples of it.
• What does scarcity determine in the economy? How does scarcity affect the prices of goods? How can scarcity be intentionally created? What kinds of goods are scarce in Sparks? Why might a lack of resources create tension in Sparks? What effect might the doubling of a population have on the scarcity of resources? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of Arbitrary Divisions to Create “Us” and “Them”?

Part 1, Chapters 5-10

Reading Check

1. Where are the Emberites expected to stay after their first night in Sparks?

2. Which Emberite complains most about the living and eating arrangements in Sparks in this section of the novel?

3. What happens to Poppy’s health in her new environment?

4. What is the name of the Sparks storehouse?

5. Which Emberite stirs up tension between the people of Sparks and the Emberites?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Torren say happened in the Disaster?

2. How is life in Sparks different from what the Emberites are used to?

3. Why does Lina feel disconnected from Doon in Sparks?

Paired Resource

"What Is Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction?"

• This accessible article is divided into sections for shorter readings.
• What is post-apocalyptic fiction? What events spurred post-apocalyptic fiction? What are some of the typical themes of post-apocalyptic fiction? In what ways is the novel representative of post-apocalyptic fiction? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of The Importance of Identity and Purpose?

Part 1, Chapters 11-13

Reading Check

1. What do the people of Ember place on the Pioneer that causes the people of Sparks to do the same on the town hall?

2. Who does Torren idolize?

3. Who convinces Doom to “take action" against the people of Sparks?

4. What does Edward determine is his new purpose in Sparks?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. At the end of Chapter 12, what does Lina think she and the Emberites might be destined to do in this new world?

2. Why does Doon help Tick with the projects in the Pioneer even though Doon sees them as fruitless?

Paired Resource

"Culture Shock and The Cultural Adaptation Cycle"

• This five-minute video describes the phases of culture shock.
• Why can it be difficult to adapt to new cultures? How do some of the characters in the novel exhibit signs of being in the honeymoon phase of culture shock? What are some of the characteristics of someone who is in the slump phase of culture shock? How might someone overcome culture shock? How is this video related to the novel’s themes of Arbitrary Divisions to Create “Us” and "Them" and The Importance of Identity and Purpose?

Part 2, Chapters 14-17

Reading Check

1. Who is blamed for the wasted tomatoes and broken window in Sparks?

2. What lands on Lina's leg, causing her ankle pain?

3. Who raids the camp of Maddy, Lina, and Caspar while they sleep?

4. Which of Sparks's leaders is hostile toward the Emberites?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What shared similarities is the connection between Maddy and Lina built on?

2. What effect does the graffiti have on the Emberites?

Part 2, Chapters 18-23

Reading Check

1. What does Caspar believe he has deciphered to locate hidden treasure?

2. What does Doon agree to help Tick do?

3. What makes Lina feel as though she has a purpose?

4. Who or what does Lina realize the treasure in the song represents?

5. Who makes the announcement that the people of Ember must leave?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Maddy believe is the correct way to deal with revenge?

2. How do the Emberites react to the attacks on them?

Paired Resource

“Why People Fall for Misinformation”

• This five-minute video describes the concept of misinformation and where it originated.
• What is disinformation and why is it different from misinformation? How was Hänig’s work falsely interpreted? How is the game of telephone like misinformation? Who in the novel spreads misinformation and disinformation? How is this article related to the novel’s themes of Arbitrary Divisions to Create “Us” and “Them,” and the Cyclical Nature of Violence and Revenge?

Part 3, Chapters 24-27

Reading Check

1. Where does Torren hide to witness the ancient weapon of Sparks?

2. What does Lina give to Doon after returning from roaming?

3. What causes the fire in the city of Sparks?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is it noteworthy that Doon rescues Torren from the fire?

2. What is significant about Lina’s decision to help fight the fire in Sparks?

Part 3, Chapters 28-29

Reading Check

1. Who does Doon suspect is behind the anti-Ember vandalism?

2. What did Doon make with the magnet Lina gave him?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. After the fire, it is impossible to tell who is from Sparks and who is from Ember. How is that important to the plot of the novel?

2. What is decided at The Fourth Town Meeting of Sparks?

Recommended Next Reads

The Giver by Lois Lowry

• This dystopian novel is about a young boy who has been chosen to receive the memories of The Giver, memories that describe the historical events leading up to the formation of his society.
• Shared topics include communal conflicts, identity, and conformity.
• Shared themes include Arbitrary Divisions to Create “Us” and “Them” and The Importance of Identity and Purpose.
• The Giver on SuperSummary

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

• This dystopian novel is about a third-born child whose existence is illegal because families have been prohibited from having more than two children. This young boy meets another third-born child and learns the truth about the history and structures of his country’s dystopian society.
• Shared topics include scarcity, government regulations, and belonging.
• Shared themes include Arbitrary Divisions to Create “Us” and “Them” and The Importance of Identity and Purpose.
• Among the Hidden on SuperSummary