Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Nicodemus and Jenner had opposing views on the future of the rat colony.

• Which rat do you feel had the stronger argument, and why? (topic sentence)
• Outline the philosophies of both Nicodemus and Jenner using support from the text.
• Conclude your essay by explaining what the future will look like for the colony based on which rat you believe has the stronger position in the argument.

2. The rat colony has already grown to include at least one new generation that retains the same improved traits of their parents.

• How do you think this new generation of rats will be different from the original group of rats who gained their intelligence and long lives from the NIMH experiment?  (topic sentence)
• Using evidence from the book and from brief research about real-world rat activities and lifespans, predict how the relationships of these enhanced rat families will evolve over time.
• In your conclusion, express and briefly explain whether you feel these changes will be good or bad for the colony overall.

3. In the real world, rats will kill mice if they share the same environment and food sources.

• What do you think would have happened if the other mice had successfully escaped in the story? (topic sentence)
• Consider the relationships of the rats with the other regular animals in the area and discuss how the rats might have behaved with another intelligent species. Use evidence from the book to support your claims.
• In your conclusion, consider whether the rat colony would have benefited or been burdened by a group of mice with their same mental capabilities.

Full Essay Assignments

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

1. Jonathan Frisby decides to keep his background and relationship with the rats secret from his wife. How might Mrs. Frisby’s life be different if she was told about Jonathan’s background from the beginning? How might the Frisby children be different if they knew about their father’s background and how it affects them as well?

2. The theme Literacy as Power is one of the most important in Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. How will the rats’ access to books and knowledge be affected by their move to Thorn Valley? How do you think the rats will react to these changes? What details or evidence in the novel lead you to think that way?

3. The humans in the story are all kept in the dark about just how intelligent the rats and mice have become in the experiment. How do you think the humans would react if they found out that the rats can read and learn, that they are building machines, and that they have planned out their own farms?