A NOVEL BY GARY PAULSEN

Complete all of the following activities.

As You Read
1. At the end of each chapter write a brief (3-5 dot point) summary of the events of
the chapter. Also write a brief description of how you think Brian is feeling at that
point.
Survival in the Wilderness
2. RESEARCH: Investigate a real life survival or disaster story where someone has
survived against incredible odds and present it as a short report. You will need to
visit the library and Internet to gather the necessary information so that the report
is accurate and factual. In your report you will need to explain where the incident
occurred, who was involved, why it occurred and what made it an incredible story
of survival. You may need to use maps, illustrations and diagrams to assist in
presenting the information. Include the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and
How questions. Remember to structure your paragraphs using TEL (Topic
Sentence, Explain/Example/Expand, Linking Sentence (to topic)). (300 plus
words)

3. Speak Out: Present this information to the class as an oral presentation. Your
speech should last for a minimum of 2 minutes. You may use support material,
such as photographs and maps to support your speech if you wish.

Finding Textual Reference

4. Brian changes significantly as a person over the course of the novel. His
experiences in the wilderness make it necessary for him to change in order to
survive. Show Brian’s development by finding three quotes or events in the novel
that highlight his development. Quote these references, with page numbers.
Underneath each quote write at least 2 sentences outlining what each quote tells
us about how Brian is changing.

5. Draw and label a detailed diagram that shows Brian’s campsite and the terrain
around it. Include as many details as you can find, using the text as a reference
point. Make your drawing as accurate as possible.
 Looking Forward
6. Brian has changed significantly in order to survive in the wilderness. At the end
of the novel a further challenge awaits him – he is to return to civilisation a
different person from the one who left.
Write a diary entry from Brian for the day after he returns home to his mother.
There are many things you need to consider. For example, how is he coping with
this lifestyle? Has his experience in the wilderness had any long term effects?
What does he enjoy most about being home? Is there anything he misses about
his camp?

Your diary entry needs to be approximately one page (250-300) words in length.
It needs to show evidence of drafting.

Extension – Research Question

Answer the following questions and provide a report on it. You may include
pictures and maps to add to your piece. Cite all sources used and don’t cut
and paste!

• Who was Sir Edmund Hillary, and what were his most important
achievements in his lifetime?

Hatchet
 Reflection Task
Element 2
Think back over your learning. Circle the numbers to give yourself a rating
for each of the following learning behaviours:

I really enjoyed learning about the different issues faced by the characters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10

I tried my hardest

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10

I helped others

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10

I stayed on task

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10

I finished on time

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10

I tried to solve my own problems before asking for help

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10

I understood what I was doing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10

Habit of Mind
Which Habit of Mind did you use when completing your work in this novel study? How did you use it?

Feedback to your Teacher

Help your teacher by giving an idea of how they can improve this unit of work.