Whirligig

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“A Whirligig for Brent”

In this activity, students will work either individually or in small groups to design and sketch plans for a whirligig that represents the shift in Brent’s outlook.

In the novel, Mrs. Zamora explains to Brent that his four whirligigs should represent Lea’s spirit as a way to honor her memory. Design a whirligig that represents Brent’s character arc in the novel. Use the following steps to guide your process:

• In your notes or a reading journal, summarize in lists, phrases, or bullets the changes in Brent’s outlook. Include his traits and characteristics before the accident, throughout his journey, and as he looks ahead upon completion of his task.  
• In a separate list, note key objects, observations, or other details from Brent’s journey that are symbolic of the changes in his outlook.
• Sketch a design of your whirligig. The design should represent the change in Brent’s outlook; for example, you might incorporate objects or ideas from your symbols list to represent key moments of change.
• Label the parts of your whirligig to explain how the various components represent Brent’s character. Be sure to note which parts of the whirligig spin or move, and what that movement symbolizes or suggests.  
• In at least 3 of your labels, incorporate a direct quote from the novel that connects or shows the symbolism of the whirligig’s component.
• Be able to explain your design choices and how they represent Brent’s character arc when you share the sketch with  the class.

After presentations, compose a journal entry-style paragraph: How does your project, a classmate’s project, or the collection of projects connect to one or more of the novel’s themes (The Far-Reaching and Unknowable Consequences of Actions, Materialism as Unfulfilling, Karass, Atonement and Rebirth)?

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to use their knowledge of characterization and plot events in a visually creative project. Students might share their sketch with a partner to practice communicating complex ideas; hearing their partner’s questions and comments might provide a beneficial opportunity to clarify before presenting to the class.

Differentiation Suggestion: Tactile and kinesthetic learners might benefit from the option to construct a simple prototype of their whirligig. Students who opt for this approach should plan into their design a way for the whirligig to be displayed, such as hanging it or providing a supportive, free-standing base. Labels and quotations can accompany the project on a separate medium such as posterboard or foam core.

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. Brent learns that actions can have far-reaching, unseen, and unintended consequences in Whirligig. Choose another character in the novel who also comes to understand the significance of consequences.

• How does this character reinforce the novel’s focus on consequences? (topic sentence)
• Analyze and discuss in at least 3 points the ways in which this character’s actions have significant consequences, or how others’ actions impact the character.
• In your concluding sentences, evaluate the effectiveness of this character’s role in the novel and in developing the theme of The Far-Reaching and Unknowable Consequences of Actions.

2. Brent’s relationship with his parents is revealed briefly at the start of the novel.

• How do the scenes with Brent’s parents contribute to the novel overall? (topic sentence)
• Analyze and discuss the impact his parents have on Brent, his journey, and his character arc. Incorporate details and quotations (cited by chapter) for each of your points.
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the way in which Brent’s parents’ characterizations contribute to the development of one of the novel’s themes.

3. Fleischman uses the word Karass in the novel to refer to “a term for a disparate group of people linked together without their knowledge.”

• How does this idea of Karass depart from Brent’s initial understanding of community? (topic sentence)
• Identify 3 examples from the novel in which a group of people might be considered Karass. What impact does this group have on Brent or on others? How does each group contribute to Brent’s changing ideas of the importance of community?  
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the overall message the author conveys through the concept of Karass.

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. On his travels, Brent is surprised to learn many new things. What role does new knowledge play in his transformation? How does Brent begin to show interest in new knowledge? How do the different characters that he meets throughout the story help to boost his new interests? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, analyze and discuss the significance of new knowledge to Brent’s changed outlook. Relatedly, how do his experiences reawaken a sense of curiosity, and how does Brent demonstrate this trait in the novel’s conclusion?

2. Consider each of the four whirligigs and the characters who observe them. How is each whirligig related to that character’s specific narrative? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, explain how these personal narratives contribute to the overall storyline and themes. What message is conveyed by these narratives, collectively? What purpose is fulfilled with their inclusion?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which item do Brent’s family dinners revolve around?

A) Cell phones

B) Laptops

C) Television

D) Video games

2. Before the party, which of the following phrases best describes how Brent feels about societal expectations?

A) Aware of different cities’ social climates

B) Apathetic to trends and popularity

C) Rejected as a social outcast

D) Concerned only with what his girlfriend thinks

3. Which of the following sentiments does Alexandra feel about her friend Steph?

A) That she should cry less often

B) That she should look more feminine

C) That she should appear more tough

D) That she should act more serious

4. As Brent wakes up in the bus, he notes, “To be crowded in with a collection of strangers, plunging through a foreign landscape, headed toward an unknown destiny. The bus was his ferry across the river Styx.” (“The Afterlife”) Which of the following literary terms does Brent use in his observation?

A) Allegory

B) Alliteration

C) Allusion

D) Anaphora

5. Walking around Seattle, Brent observes, “Every family was a universe, with its own peculiar natural laws.” (“The Afterlife”) Which of the following literary terms does Brent make in his observation?

A) Metaphor

B) Simile

C) Metonymy

D) Synecdoche

6. What kind of environment does the unnamed narrator in “Miami, Florida” seek?

A) Abundant

B) Peaceful

C) Materialistic

D) Wealthy

7. Which of the following ideas best describes how Brent handles the finances of his journey across the US?

A) Whimsically

B) Apathetically

C) Frugally

D) Luxuriously

8. Which of the following phrases best describes how Brent processes his journey?

A) As personal development

B) As a signal to those at his former high school

C) As an escape from his grandparents

D) As proof of his changed ways for Brianna

9. Which of the following phrases best describes how Brent’s family views religion?

A) God-centered

B) Social-centered

C) Charity-centered

D) Atheist-centered

10. While at a motel in Florida, Brent “shamelessly loaded on the Ma’ams, then amazed himself by asking if there would be a Bible in his room. This gained him admittance to air-conditioning, a shower, a television, a telephone for ordering pizza, and a sagging bed.” (“Apprentices”) What does this say about Brent’s character?

A) He is capable of manipulation.

B) He has low standards for accommodation.

C) He is becoming devoutly religious.

D) He is very nervous asking people for help.

11. Based on the content of the “San Diego, California” narrative, which of the following is true about Jenny?

A) She is an atheist in a family of believers.

B) She is deeply immersed in her family’s past.

C) She is overburdened with the driving tasks in the family.

D) She is annoyed with her grandmother’s lackadaisical way of life.

12. To which of the novel’s motifs is Brent alluding when he says, “Though his last name was Bishop, Brent felt like a rook [...]” (“Everybody, Swing!”)?

A) Chess pieces

B) Medieval history

C) Wealthy families

D) Church hierarchy

13. Which of the following reasons best explains why Brent chooses not to visit his family while travelling in the northeast?

A) Because he lost their phone numbers

B) Because he was shunned by them

C) Because they were a part of his past

D) Because they would think his project was selfish

14. Which of the following sentences best describes what Brent likes the best about travelling by buses?

A) He can talk to more people.

B) He can spend more money on souvenirs.

C) He can spend more time on his cell phone.

D) He can remain anonymous.

15. Which natural site does Brent see in all four of his destinations?

A) Mountains

B) Water

C) Desert

D) Jungle

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Describe the narration style of Fleischman’s novel. How does the narration style contribute to the book’s themes?

2. What do whirligigs come to symbolize over the course of the story?