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710 views

Novelstudy

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api-254137146
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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You are on page 1/ 17

NOVEL STUDY

KATHERINE CLEMENS
HATCHET
BY GARY PAULSEN



SUMMARY

When thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is flying
in a small plane on the way to visit his father, tragedy
strikes. The pilot who is flying the plane has a heart
attack! Brian is alone and terrified as he tries to
handle the plane. Eventually the plane crashes in a
lake in the middle of nowhere. Miraculously, Brian
survives the crash! Brian is alone in the Canadian
wilderness with nothing but the clothes on his back
and a hatchet that his mother had given him. Brian
struggles to survive in the wilderness, hoping that
someone will come to his rescue soon. He must
figure out how to make fire and get food. Brian not
only struggles physically, but also mentally as he
battles a dreadful secret that has been tearing him
apart since his parents divorce. Brian uses
determination and more courage than he knew he
had, to survive many dangerous obstacles.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
GARY PAULSEN

Gary Paulsen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
on May 17, 1939. School was not his favorite when he
was a child, but he had a special love for books. This
passion for reading started when a librarian gave him a
book and a library card. When Paulsen was fourteen
years old, he left home and joined a carnival. Over the
years he experienced many jobs. Paulsen worked as a
farmer, construction worker, engineer, sailor, and truck
driver. He even joined the Iditarod, an Alaskan dog sled
race. All of his adventures gave him inspiration to create
wonderful stories. In 1959, Paulsen went to Bemidji
College in Minnesota, where he also worked as a
trapper. Two years later, he left college to join the Army
missiles department. Eventually, Paulsen decided to
become a writer when he was working at a Californian
aerospace firm. He left the job to move to Hollywood,
where he got a job as a proofreader for a magazine. At
night, after work he would write on his own. He quit his
job and went back to Minnesota, where he finished his
first novel, The Special War. Paulsen has written over
175 books and 200 short stories and articles. He has
won the Newbery Honor Books award for three of his
books. Most of his stories are based on outdoor
adventures and they emphasize the importance of
nature.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY & ABOUT THE
AUTHORTAB 1
OPENING & CLOSING THE
STUDY.....TAB 2
CROSS-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIESTAB 3
COMPREHENSION
STRATEGIES.....TAB 4
WRITING
CONNECTIONTAB 5
ORGANIZATION...T
AB 6
WORD WORK &
ASSESSMENT.......TAB 7
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES.TAB 8





HATCHET
By Gary Paulsen


NOVEL STUDY

KATHERINE CLEMENS

GRADE LEVEL: 6
TH
GRADE











SUMMARY
AND
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR



OPENING
AND
CLOSING
THE STUDY




CROSS-
CURRICULAR
ACTVITIES






COMPREHENSI
ON
STRATEGIES






WRITING
CONNECTION







ORGANIZATIO
N






WORD WORK
AND
ASSESSMENT





ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES













OPENING THE STUDY

Day Before Starting the Book
Homework assignment: Bring a paper bag with three items inside
that you would choose to bring with you if you were stuck on a
deserted island.
The next day have each student share their items with the class
and why they chose them.

Class Discussion
How do you get motivated to do something that seems almost
impossible?
When was a time when you had to be strong or brave?
How do you overcome challenges?

I ntroducing the Book
Show the class the cover of the book and the title. Ask them to
identify the hatchet and what they think it might be used for.
Have the students speculate on the significance that a hatchet
might have in the novel. Ask the students, What kind of story
does the title suggest? (adventure) and What do you predict the
story will be about?
Encourage the students to describe the elements that they might
expect to find in the story. (character, setting, plot, theme)

Engagement Activity
Have the students do a quickwrite about a time when they needed
to finish a challenging task or solve a problem. How did you
solve the problem? What motivated you to finish it? How did you
feel when times got tough?
After the quickwrite, have students share some of their scenarios.

Setting a Purpose
Read to see how Brian becomes motivated to help himself and
overcome many challenges during his adventures.





CLOSING THE STUDY

Be Creative
Divide the students in groups of 3 or 4 and give each group a
large sheet of blank paper. Have each group write a new
ending to the story and illustrate. Then have each group share
with the class their own version of the end.

Class Discussion
Have the students discuss whether their predictions about the
story were accurate and what was unexpected or different.
Have the student raise their hands and discuss the ways Brian
uses the hatchet throughout the book to survive. Make a list
on the board of what the students say.
Ask the students, If Brian was to go through this experience
again, what survival items would you suggest he bring with
him next time?
Brian acquires many virtues during his fifty-four days alone
in the wilderness including willpower, patience, hope,
courage, and trust in his instincts. Ask the students, How
might these qualities affect Brian for the rest of his life? What
other life lessons does Brian learn?

Personal Response
Have the students respond to this question: What questions
would you like to ask Brian about his experience? Do you
find his experience believable? How do you think you would
have dealt with a similar situation?
Share and discuss answers with small groups.

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