Breathing Underwater

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

What are some of the characteristics of healthy relationships? How might healthy relationships approach difficulties? What might be some of the characteristics of unhealthy relationships?

Teaching Suggestion: Nick, the protagonist, is abusive toward his girlfriend and sentenced to write in a journal and attend a family violence class. With sensitivity in mind for the individual circumstances that might be represented with group members, consider discussing aspects of healthy and unhealthy relationships. These or similar resources might be helpful in providing ideas or language for discussion or in responding to students’ written answers.

• This article describes the aspects of a healthy relationship and identifies unhealthy patterns in relationships.
• This 2-minute video explains the difference between healthy and unhealthy teen relationships.

Short Activity

Create a T-chart to compare healthy and unhealthy ways that people can cope with intense emotions.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may wish to complete this activity individually for the sake of privacy. Students can create this comparison with a T-chart (dividing healthy coping mechanisms in one column and unhealthy coping mechanisms in the other column), but other graphic organizers would work as well. This activity relates to the theme of Overcoming Trust Issues and Embracing Vulnerability and Fantasy Versus Reality. Consider asking students to reevaluate their chart as the novel progresses, adding and changing details as they read about Nick’s experiences.

• This article explains the reasons that emotions may be felt intensely and describes several recommended coping strategies.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

Consider a time when you noticed differences in the way your family functioned from the way other families functioned. What differences did you notice? How might family differences cause individuals to view the world differently?

Teaching Suggestion: Nick first notices his father is unlike other fathers when his father accuses him of putting a scratch in his new car. Later, it is revealed in the novel that Nick’s father had experienced abuse from Nick’s grandfather as well; this abuse is now echoed in his treatment toward his own son, emphasizing The Generational Cycle of Violence and Fear. With sensitivity to students who might have experienced familial differences or difficulties, consider using the prompt as a writing activity for students to explore their personal thoughts on family experiences.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who would prefer to not analyze or address their own family might adapt the assignment to compare and discuss family relationships in a film or book.