Hatchet
Hatchet
Hatchet
GRADES 48
Hatchet
by
Gary Paulsen
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Written by Linda Ward Beech
Cover design by Jaime Lucero and Vincent Ceci
Interior design by Grafica, Inc.
Original cover and interior design by Drew Hires
Interior illustrations by Jenny Williams
Photo research by Sarah Longacre
Photo acknowledgments
Cover: Jacket cover from HATCHET by Gary Paulsen. Copyright 1987 by Gary Paulsen. Used by permission of Puffin Books, a
division of Penguin Books, USA Inc.
ISBN: 0-590-38924-6
Copyright 1998 by Scholastic, Inc.
All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Table of Contents
BEFORE READING THE BOOK
Summary ............................................................................ 3
Characters ........................................................................... 3
About the Author ................................................................ 4
Vocabulary .......................................................................... 4
Getting Started..................................................................... 5
STUDENT REPRODUCIBLES
In the Wilderness............................................................... 14
Growing Steps ................................................................... 15
Sensory Sentences ............................................................ 16
Answers for Worksheets .................................................... 13
CHARACTERS
People
Brian Robeson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-year-old boy; main character
Jim or Jake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pilot of Cessna
Mrs. Robeson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brians mother
Mr. Robeson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brians father
Terry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brians friend
Mr. Perpich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brians English teacher
Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brians uncle
Rescue pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fur buyer
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LITERATURE CONNECTIONS
Other books for young readers by Gary Paulsen:
Dogsong
The River
Brians Winter
Tracker
Sentries
Dancing Carl
VOCABULARY
The following words appear in the story but may be unfamiliar to students. Assign
several words to each student. Have them learn the meanings, parts of speech,
syllables, roots, and other information. Then instruct students to write riddles about
the words. Encourage them to use a variety of clues such as the following:
furor
oblivious
stabilizer
fuselage
drone
syllables
It has three d to the
and is relate
word flame.
(flammable)
tundra
bush flight
audible
turbulence
cowling
altimeter
throttle
abated
keening
flammable
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comprised
refracts
eddy
ruefully
incessant
pods
camouflage
sulfurous
massively
remnants
hordes
hummocks
wincing
viciously
amphibious
haunches
flue
smolder
exulted
predators
stymied
savagely
grimacing
retrieved
dung
corrosive
welted
gorge
rivulets
slithering
rasping
ignite
dormant
convulse
virtual
rectify
GETTING STARTED
Consider the following activities as you introduce the book to the class:
Write the book title Hatchet on the board, and ask students to speculate on its significance to the story. Ask: What kind of story does the title suggest?
TEACHER
TIP
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WHAT HAPPENS
As he begins a plane trip to visit his
father, Brian Robeson is a very angry
thirteen-year-old boy. Hes bitter
about his parents divorce and feels
that his mothers Secretanother
mancaused the split. Brian soon
has a lot more to worry about when
the pilot of the small plane suffers a
fatal heart attack, forcing the teenager to take over the controls. In the
confusion, the plane veers from its
flight path, and Brian is unable to
radio his position when calling for
help. The plane runs out of gas, and he manages to crash-land the plane into a lake.
Battered and bruised, Brian escapes from the submerged plane and finds himself
stranded in the vast Canadian wilderness. He suffers from thirst, hunger, sunburn,
and vicious mosquito attacks, but recalls the words of an English teacher about staying positive and motivated. After following some birds, Brian finally finds some
berries and gorges himself until he upsets his stomach.
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7. How might his mothers gift help Brian survive? (Students answers will vary.)
L ITERARY E LEMENTS
8. Action: Describe what makes the first chapter so dramatic. (The reader learns
of the divorce and the Secret; the pilot suffers a heart attack; Brian lands the plane
safely, but he is stranded in the wilderness.)
9. Style: Why does the author repeat some phrases; for example, But he had to.
Had to get the radio.? (The repetition is for emphasisto show how Brian is
thinking and how desperate he is.)
P ERSONAL R ESPONSE
10. Do you think Brians luck is good or bad? Explain your reasons.
11. Brian recalls advice from a teacher. What advice would you give him?
12. Television shows that Brian once saw prove helpful to his survival. What have
you learned from television that might help you in similar circumstances?
CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
ART: A Look at Small Planes
To see his father, Brian flies in a small plane called a Cessna 406. Interested students
might research this particular aircraft and similar small planes and then draw pictures of them. Suggest that they also draw diagrams showing the planes interiors
and include labels for the exteriors and interiors so they can discuss the parts, relationships to the story.
LANGUAGE ARTS: The Vocabulary of Flight
There are specialized vocabularies for many kinds of careers, businesses, and
events. In Hatchet the author uses a number of words related to aircraft and flight.
Examples include rudder pedals and transmitter. Challenge students to look for
and definesuch words as they read. Urge them to follow up by making mini-dictionaries of flight vocabulary with illustrations.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Sentence Subjects
Draw students attention to the style of Gary Paulsens writing. Explain that the
author uses this style deliberately to emphasize Brians thoughts as he faces fear,
danger, loss, and frustration in his quest for survival. Note that Paulsen uses short or
one-word sentences, repeats phrases, or omits parts of sentences to create this effect.
As an example, write the following on the board: Just battered around a bit. Ask
students what is missing in the sentences structure (subject). Have them find other
examples of sentence fragments in the story, and challenge them to supply the missing subjects or other missing parts.
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CHAPTERS 7 13
WHAT HAPPENS
Brian becomes violently ill from
eating too many unripe gut berries.
The next day he finds raspberries
but has to share them with a bear.
That night an encounter with a
porcupine leaves Brian with quills
in his leg. After many attempts, he
manages to start a fire by creating
sparks with his hatchet. He discovers another source of foodsea
turtle eggs. Collecting wood, keeping a signal fire going, and trying
to make a spear and bow and
arrow to catch fish keep Brian
busy. When a plane does fly overhead, however, he is unable to signal to it and must again face the
seriousness of his plight. After a
period of great despair, Brian realizes that he is no longer the same person who
began the trip, and he resolves not to die.
9. How does Brians use of his senses change? (He sees and hears things differently; has a more acute sense of danger, too.)
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10. It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention. How is this true for
Brian? (He makes a spear and bow and arrow and starts a fire because he needs
these things for survival, and theres no other way to obtain them.)
11. How does the search plane incident change Brian? (He becomes stronger; he
feels new and wont let death come.)
12. How would you describe the way Brian learns new skills in the wilderness?
(Possible: trial and error; with persistence)
L ITERARY E LEMENTS
13. Character: How do Brians goals change from the time of the crash to the fortyseventh day? (He no longer expects to be rescued by others but hopes to survive on
his own.)
P ERSONAL R ESPONSE
14. Brian thinks he is full of tough hope. How would you define tough hope?
CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
SCIENCE: What Water Does
Brian is unsuccessful in catching fish until he recalls a science lesson where he
learned that water bends light; thus, the fish are not where they appear to be when
he looks down at them through the lakes surface. Have students set up an experiment to demonstrate how refraction works.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Plan a Wilderness Trip
Brians wilderness experience is unexpected, and he is ill-prepared for it. Ask students what they would take on such a trip if they could prepare for it. Direct them to
identify a specific area in the Canadian north that they would like to visit. Students
should research the weather and climate conditions, the plant and animal life, and
other resources. Then they should compile a list of clothing, food, tools, and other
equipment that would enable them to survive on their trips. Remind students to plan
no-impact trips so they can leave the environment just as they found it.
SCIENCE: Brians Neighbors
Suggest that students keep a list of the wildlife that Brian encounters and then make
tables showing information about each animal. Some of the creatures they should
include are beaver, moose, rabbit, squirrel, skunk, bear, wolf, porcupine, snapping
turtle, bluegill, sunfish, and perch.
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CHAPTERS 14 EPILOGUE
WHAT HAPPENS
Brian is almost blinded when a skunk sprays him. He realizes
that he has to build a better shelter and protect his food. As
his skills with the spear and bow and arrow improve, he is
able to catch birds and small animals for food. One day a
moose attacks and nearly kills him. Then a tornado strikes,
turning Brians environment upside-down. As he surveys the
damage, Brian sees the tail of the plane sticking out of the
lake; somehow the tornado has flipped the plane, making the
tail visible. He recalls the survival kit in the Cessna and sets out
to retrieve it. After building a raft, Brian makes his way to the plane,
hacks his way through its exterior, and gets the kit. Inside are unbelievable richesincluding a transmitter, which he unwittingly turns on. He
is soon found by a bush pilot. Brian survived 54 days in the wilderness. He leaves there a different, more thoughtful and observant, boy.
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12. Why do the contents of the survival kit give Brian up and down feelings?
(Hes glad to have the supplies but feels they remove him from where he is and
what he has to know. They represent technology, not the natural world in which he
finds himself.)
13. Why is Brian less obsessed by the Secret at the end of the book? (Hes grown
independent; matured; has his own experiences; isnt as focused on his parents
and their relationship to him.)
L ITERARY E LEMENTS
14. Foreshadowing: How does the author foreshadow Brians injury from the
moose? (After the skunk attack, Brian realizes that he needs food in case of an
injury.)
15. Character: What qualities does Brian show when he tries to get the survival kit
from the plane? (Possible: courage, determination, strength, fear)
P ERSONAL R ESPONSE
16. What survival skills do you possess?
17. Brian asks the bush pilot if he would like some food. What would be your first
words to a rescuer?
CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
SCIENCE: What Time Is It?
Remind students how Brian kept track of time (see question 3). Then ask them to
think of other ways to record the passing of time in the wilderness. Discuss why
time would be important to someone in a situation like Brians.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Descriptive Writing
Draw students attention to the authors use of similes and metaphors. Give the
following examples:
And now a jolt took him like a hammerblow . . . (describing the pilots heart
attack)
. . . leaving the snags poking into the sky like broken teeth. (describing trees
after a fierce wind)
a flying pear (describing a foolbird)
a brown wall of fur (describing the moose)
Encourage students to find other examples of similes and metaphors in the book to
share with the class. Then challenge them to write their own.
WRITING: Looking at Luck
Brian considers himself unlucky because his parents are getting a divorce but lucky
because he survives the plane crash. Have students make charts showing other
examples of Brians good and bad luck. Then ask: Is it enough to be lucky, or is it
how you use good luck that matters? Why might the way you react to bad luck
make a difference? Conclude by asking students to write compositions about how
Brian responds to his luck, good and bad.
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sees
tracks
finds
eggs
buries
eggs
skunk digs
up eggs
skunk
sprays
Brian
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EVALUATION IDEAS
You might use the following rubric to assess students work for the Illustrated
Translation activity. You may also wish to let students create their own rubric.
Does the translation have a title?
Do students demonstrate an understanding of the plot, setting, and character?
Do students show attention to detail in their text and illustrations?
Do students successfully adapt the book into comic book form?
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Name: ____________________________________________________
In the Wilderness
The pictures show what Brian used or might have used in the wilderness. Match each
picture to a way that Brian could use it.
1.
2.
b. egg beater
3.
c. criss-cross fire for
long burning
4.
d. ladder
5.
e. rack for storing
clothes and other items
6.
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Name: ____________________________________________________
Growing Steps
Brian learns a lot about himself as he fights to survive. What lesson
does he learn after each of these events?
1. The porcupine slaps Brian with quills. Brian cries in the cave.
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2. Brian feels depressed after the search plane flies away without spotting him.
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3. Brian sees the wolf looking at him.
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4. Brian makes a spear and a bow and arrow but cant catch a fish.
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5. Brian scares a skunk and gets sprayed.
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6. Brian has trouble catching a foolbird.
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7. A tornado strikes Brians shelter.
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Name: ____________________________________________________
Sensory Sentences
The author often describes Brians experiences through his sensestaste, smell, touch, sound, and
sight. Write which sense each sentence describes. Then find another sentence in the book that describes
each sense.
1. It wasnt that they were bitter so much as they lacked any sweetness . . .
Sense: ______________________ Sentence: ___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. . . . he noticed that the water seemed to make the arrow bend or break in the middle.
Sense: ______________________ Sentence: ___________________________________________________
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