The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy

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 text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In The Energy Bus, the ninth rule Joy gives George is “Drive with Purpose.” George asks his team to develop a shared purpose.

• How does a sense of purpose improve the workday experience? (topic sentence)
• Provide three examples of what a shared purpose accomplished for George and his team.
• In your concluding sentences, explain the research behind having a shared purpose at work and why it is important to achieving the desired outcome.

2. At the beginning of the book, George does the right things for his team, but the people on the Energy Bus tell him he is missing the essential element of leading with heart.

• How is love essential to building teams and achieving goals? (topic sentence)
• Explain how George exhibits love toward his team, why trophies and raises are insufficient for his goals, and what research supports the rule of leading with heart.
• In your concluding sentences, summarize how love is important to a healthy work environment.

3. In The Energy Bus, Joy gives George 10 rules to create his own Energy Bus to conduct his life and career in a healthy way.

• Which of the 10 rules of the Energy Bus is the most important? (topic sentence)
• Explain why the rule you chose is the most important to apply in life and in the workplace. Describe why this rule is the most beneficial for yourself and others. Then explain the research backing the importance of this rule.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how George uses your rule and how it makes the crucial difference for him and his team.

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. Suppose a couple of people in your group have become sullen, argumentative foot-draggers. The team’s efforts are suffering because of them. You, the leader, must deal with these Energy Vampires or the group’s goals won’t be met. How should you engage with them? What offers might you make, and how might you deal with them if they refuse to commit to the team’s efforts? How might you use the novel’s themes of The Power of Positive Energy, The Power of Love, and The Power of Purpose to assist you in resolving your issue?

2. Describe how George’s attitude of feeling negative at work and at home have a negative impact on his life at the beginning of the book. What are the consequences of his attitude at work and at home? How does George begin changing his attitude toward his family and coworkers? What steps does he take to improve his attitude and turn around his performance in both spaces? How would you describe the steps of the Energy Bus to someone you see struggling with similar problems?

3. Energy Bus passenger Marty enjoys finding research studies that demonstrate the benefits of positive energy. Describe some of the research Marty uses to support the steps of the Energy Bus. Explain what effect Marty’s research has on the readers and on George. What does the research say about the rules of the Energy Bus and the effect those rules have on a person’s well-being? Explain why research is important in reinforcing the message of the Energy Bus.