Teacher Study Guides and Lesson Plans for
"Hatchet"

About Hatchet by Gary Paulsen:
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother has given him as a present — and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart ever since his parents' divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self-pity, or despair — it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.

Hatchet won the 1988 Newbery Honor Book.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Check out reader reviews of Hatchet

___________________________________________

Written by the author himself! This resource is directly related to its literature equivalent and filled with a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. This reproducible book presents an exciting approach to teaching well-known literature! It includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and many ideas for culminating and extending the novel. 48 pages.

___________________________________________

Complete lesson plans for teaching Hatchet. Includes introduction to the unit, unit objectives, reading assignments, unit outline, study questions (short answer), study/quiz questions (multiple choice), vocabulary worksheets, daily lessons planned, related nonfiction reading assignment, oral reading evaluation, biographical info about the author, three detailed writing assignments (inform, persuade, personal opinion), vocabulary review games & activities, unit review games & activities, at least one group activity assignment, discussion questions on all levels (factual, critical, interpretive, personal response), short answer unit test, multiple choice unit test, advanced short answer unit test, unit and vocabulary crossword puzzles, unit and vocabulary extra worksheets & games, bulletin board ideas, ready-to-copy student materials, answer keys, and more!
CD-ROM: 132 pages

___________________________________________

16 pages. Cross-curricular activites for students of all learning styles. Includes reproduciblles, author biography, chapter summaries, assessment strategies, vocabulary builders, stimulating questions and writing prompts that motivate students to think and respond thoughtfully. As

___________________________________________

Also see these sequels to Hatchet:

In Guts, author Gary Paulsen tells the real stories behind the Brian books, his own real-life adventures that inspired him to write Brian Robeson's story: working as an emergency volunteer; the death that inspired the pilot's death in Hatchet; plane crashes he has seen and near-misses of his own. He describes how he made his own bows and arrows, and takes readers on his first hunting trips, showing the wonder and solace of nature along with his hilarious mishaps and mistakes. He shares special memories, such as the night he attracted every mosquito in the county, or how he met the moose with a sense of humor, and the moose who made it personal. There's a handy chapter on "Eating Eyeballs and Guts or Starving: The Fine Art of Wilderness Nutrition." Recipes included. Readers may wonder how Gary Paulsen survived to write all of his books -- well, it took guts.

___________________________________________

Two years earlier, Brian was stranded alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days with nothing but a small hatchet. Yet he survived. Now the government wants him to do it again -- to go back into the wilderness so that they can study the survival techniques that kept Brian alive. This time he won't be alone: Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, will accompany him to observe and take notes. But during a freak storm, Derek is hit by lightning and falls into a coma. Their radio transmitter is dead. Brian is afraid that Derek will die unless he can get him to a doctor. His only hope is to build a raft and try to transport Derek a hundred miles down the river.

___________________________________________