 
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
Hatchet
___________________________________________
 A Guide to Using Hatchet in the Classroom
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.
___________________________________________
 Hatchet : A Unit Plan 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
Hatchet: An Instructional Guide for Literature (Great Works: Instructional Guides for Literature)
Use this guide to explore the story of a boy who is left stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash and must learn to survive with only the help of his hatchet. This instructional guide for literature supports this story and is filled with challenging cross-curricular activities and lessons that work in conjunction with the text to teach students how to better analyze and comprehend literature. This guide is the perfect tool to teach students how to analyze story elements in multiple ways, packed with ways to practice close reading, improve text-based vocabulary, and determine meaning through text-dependent questions. This is the perfect way to add rigor to your students' explorations of rich, complex literature.
72 pages.
___________________________________________
 Hatchet Puzzle Pack (Print Copy)
or
(CD-ROM
Copy)
Grades 5-7. Here's a whole manual full of puzzles, games, and
worksheets related to Hatchet. It includes: 1 Unit word list & clues 4 Unit
fill in the blank worksheets 4 Unit multiple choice worksheets 4 Unit magic
squares 4 Unit word searches 4 Unit crosswords 32 Unit bingo cards 1
Vocabulary word list & definitions 4 Vocabulary fill in the blank worksheets
4 Vocabulary matching worksheets 4 Vocabulary magic squares worksheets 4
Vocabulary word searches 4 Vocabulary crosswords 4 Vocabulary juggle letter
review worksheets 1 Master set of vocabulary flash cards 32 Vocabulary bingo
cards Answer keys to all worksheets & puzzles Unit words are character
names, symbols, places, etc. Vocabulary words are chosen from the book and
are the same words used in the LitPlan Teacher Pack.
___________________________________________
Also see these sequels to Hatchet:
GUTS --
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.
___________________________________________
THE RIVER -
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.
___________________________________________
BRIAN'S RETURN - As millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, and Brian's Winter know, Brian Robeson survived alone in the wilderness by finding solutions to extraordinary challenges. But now that's he's back in civilization, he can't find a way to make sense of high school life. He feels disconnected, more isolated than he did alone in the North. The only answer is to return-to "go back in"-for only in the wilderness can Brian discover his true path in life, and where he belongs.
___________________________________________
BRIAN'S WINTER -- What if
Brian hadn't
been rescued? What if he had been left to face his deadliest enemy -- winter? Gary
Paulsen raises the stakes for survival as one boy confronts the ultimate test and the
ultimate adventure.
Brian's Hunt
When Brian finds a dog one night, a dog that is wounded and whimpering, he senses danger. The dog is badly hurt, and as Brian cares for it, he worries about his Cree friends who live north of his camp. His instincts tell him to head north, quickly. With his new companion at his side, and with a terrible, growing sense of unease, he sets out to learn what happened. He sets out on the hunt.
|
