There are many teachers and types of learning in the novel; make an argument for who (or what) is the most effective educator and why. 

The central story of Scat! concerns the disappearance of Mrs. Starch and the conflict in the Black Vine Swamp. But the novel also tells the story of Nick’s father’s return from the Iraq War. Are these two plotlines related thematically? What does the Iraq War have to do with the Florida Everglades?

In the novel, Nick discovers the works of Edward Abbey, a writer and environmentalist who called for “monkeywrenching” or sabotage tactics in defense of the environment. Environmentalist groups like Earth First! who have employed such tactics, are sometimes called “eco-terrorists.” Does the novel support such methods? Do you?