1. Fleischman employs numerous literary devices in Whirligig, with allusion being particularly prominent. As you read, document each allusion you identify, including the page number. Research to determine the source of each allusion, explain its significance within Whirligig, categorize the sources, and then present your findings.

2. Create a chart illustrating the financial impact and fatalities resulting from alcohol-related driving incidents. Gather newspaper articles about such accidents and use them to create a collage to accompany your chart.

3. Brent's blood alcohol concentration was .11. How is blood alcohol concentration measured? What effects does alcohol have on the body, nervous system, and brain?

4. Interview a professional in the juvenile justice system in your area, such as a juvenile judge, social worker, or police officer, to learn about probation. Answer these questions and any others you may have: Why was Brent not tried in a courtroom with a jury? Why did the judge opt for probation instead of a jail sentence for wrongful death? Why did the judge allow Mrs. Zamora to determine Brent's punishment? Did Brent go to a detention center? What do your state's laws say about juvenile offenders? Record your interview on audio or video to share with others.

5. In Washington state, Brent saw Mt. Olympus across the water and recalled the tale of a Greek god. He likens his own penance to that of the god. Read the referenced Greek myth. Create a Venn diagram or chart to compare his atonement with that of the god.

6. Create a chart or Venn diagram to compare yourself with Brent.

7. Design a whirligig to honor someone special to you. Construct it and present it to your classmates.

8. Use a map of the United States to locate the four places Brent selected for the whirligigs. Research one of these locations. Find pictures, describe the climate, and explain what people do for a living there. You might find an Internet site about the location. Include any interesting information and share your findings.

9. Mrs. Zamora provided Brent with a bus pass, but he had other expenses. Fleischman describes the tools and materials Brent bought to build the whirligigs, as well as his meals and sleeping arrangements. Create an itemized budget for Brent's 45-day journey. Where did he get the money? Where would you get the money?

10. We know Brent's general route across the United States. Map out a probable Greyhound bus route between the locations where Brent built the whirligigs. Trace this route on a U.S. map. Identify the major cities he would have traveled through and what he might have seen if he had been on vacation instead of a mission.