Chase and other characters choose cooperation over selfishness in different ways. When characters help others, how do they also help themselves? Consider these and other points while reflecting on the text:

• Why does Chase get on the school bus despite seeing the danger? How might staying have affected him?
• What does Chase risk when trying to help the bus driver, Nicole, and Rashawn get out of the sinking bus? What does he gain?
• Where does Nicole put others above her safety? What is her reaction?
• When trying to jump the flood, how does Rashawn help herself, Nicole, and Chase, even though the wind pushes her into the water?
• What role does the media play in cooperation and selfishness?
• Where do we see characters only caring about themselves, and how does that affect them?

Teaching Suggestion: Before the discussion, developing class definitions of cooperation and selfishness and discussing varied ways to view the terms could help deepen this activity. Students writing before the larger discussion could give more think-time and encourage more voices to share. Encouraging building on each other’s ideas can grow speaking skills. Posted sentence stems could help: “I agree with ____ because”; “While I see the point that ____, I wonder if ____”; “I mostly agree and want to add____”; or “I have an example that backs that up….