Flush

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are the goals of environmentalism? What are some examples of things environmentalists work to protect?

Teaching Suggestion: Students will be more engaged with their reading of Flush if they can empathize with the protagonist’s goals. Some Americans think of environmental activism as a fringe activity that prevents others from exercising their economic rights. The framing of this question is intended to get students thinking about what the real goals of environmentalists are and how their achievements benefit society. The resources linked below can be used to deepen students’ understanding and spark their ideas on this topic.

• This 1-minute video by poet Jordan Sanchez shares her poem “Reimagine, Recreate, Restore” and her goals for the future of the environment all humans share.
• This brief explainer from James Madison University describes the scope of the term “environmental stewardship” and contains links to more in-depth information.

2. Even though environmental activists are trying to preserve a healthy planet for all of us to live on, do you think it is possible for them to go too far? What kinds of actions would you consider too extreme?

Teaching Suggestion: More flexible and fluent thinkers will be able to think of many actions that are too extreme and will easily begin to sort these into an ethical hierarchy, while others may stall out quickly, suggesting only that “murder” or some other similarly serious offense is “too extreme.” Asking students to answer aloud or allowing them to write answers with a partner or small group may help them generate richer responses to this question and provoke an interesting discussion of what “too extreme” means in this context. You might extend the discussion using the resources below, which offer students insight into how to ethically weigh opposing interests.

• This 5-minute video from TED-Ed introduces the famous trolley problem, which at its heart asks people to think about how far it is acceptable to go in pursuing a just cause.
• This careful overview of ethical decision-making is from Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Can you imagine circumstances under which you might break the law for a cause? What would those circumstances be? What line would you not be willing to cross, even for a very important cause?

Teaching Suggestion: Some students may say that they would never break the law under any circumstances. It may be insightful to ask whether they would have been willing to sit in the “wrong” part of a bus or restaurant to protest for civil rights, or if they would skip class without their parents’ permission to attend a student protest regarding a new rule that discriminates against certain students. You might remind them that these would be illegal actions, and that “breaking the law” does not necessarily mean harming another person or their property. It is possible that some students will still prioritize laws over any other value—and this is, of course, an acceptable answer to the question. It may be beneficial to encourage these students to fully explain their reasoning rather than allowing them to simply answer the first question with “No.”