Book Bag Activities for
Hatchet
By: Dan Johnson

• Paulsen, Gary (1987). Hatchet. New York: Bradbury Press

Rationale:

• I would use this book with my students because this book can be intergraded with so many other topics. I believe intergrading makes it fun and interesting to learn.

Information about the author::

• "I would have been an intellectual idiot without the library. I was a miserable student and flunked the ninth grade and finally graduated from high school with probably a D-average. I had a miserable home life and I would sell newspapers to the drunks at the local bars to make a little money. I went into a library one night in a small town in northern Minnesota to get warm and the librarian asked me if I wanted something. I said, no, I just wanted to warm up a little. At that point, very few people had ever given me anything. Both my folks were drinking and it was a rough run. And then she said, "Do you want a library card?" So I said yeah. She handed me a card with my name on it-- my name-- which was amazing to me. And then she asked if I wanted a book. I said, "Sure," kind of cocky. And she said to bring it back when I was done and she'd give me another one. This went on for a long time. The librarian kept giving me books; at first it took me a month to read a book, then two weeks, then a week, and pretty soon I was reading two books a week. She'd give me Westerns and science fiction and every once in a while she'd schlepp in a Melville. It saved me, it really did. I still read like that, like I tell kids, like a wolf eats. I read myself to sleep every night. And I don't think of any of the good things that have happened to me would have been possible without that librarian and libraries in general." --Gary Paulsen
• Gary Paulsen is a three time Newberry Honor Winner and he and his wife Ruth Wright Paulsen, an artist who has illustrated several of his books, divide their time between homes in northern Minnesota and La Luz, New Mexico.

Some of Paulsen's books are:

HATCHET, THE RIVER, BRIAN'S SONG, DANCING CARL, THE TENT DOGTEAM, NIGHTJOHN, THE WINTER ROOM, and THE HAYMEADOW.

Questions to use with the story:

• Knowledge-Where was Brain going when the plane went down?
• Comprehension-Explain why the plane went down?
• Application-Chose someone you would want with you if you were last and why?
• Analysis-Identify some daily activities for a black bear?
• Synthesis-Suppose the plane didn’t go down. How would the story change?
• Evaluation-Decide what you would do different if you were in Brain’s shoes?

Activities to use with the story:

• The Physics of Flight-In this activity students will learn about the physics of flight and create a glider to complete an experiment. Students will have a greater understanding of the fear and difficulty Brain experienced while flying the plane.
• Orienteering Map-In this activity students will learn about orienteering and create an orienteering map of their school, local park or neighborhood. (Also great math’s tie in if you would like to include transferring inches or cm to miles or km on a map!) Students will relate to Brian's situation of being in the wilderness alone and appreciate learning more about direction and distance. This activity will make a great cooperative group project!
• Expository Report of Canadian Wildlife-In this activity students will learn about some of the wild animals that Brian encountered while stranded in the Canadian wilderness. The students will choose one of the animals or the biome of the Canadian wilderness to research.
• Survival Guide-In this activity students will research and create a small booklet or brochure-style survival guide. The students will relate to Brian's experience of having to survive on his own using critical thinking skills, mental and physical strength.
• Building a Shelter-In this activity students will students will build a model of Brian’s shelter out of natural materials such as rocks, sticks, leaves, and dirt.
• Starvation-In this activity students will research how long a person can go without food and water. Was it safe for Brian to drink the lake water? Research the possible reasons for not drinking this water.
• Heart attack-In this activity students will learn about symptoms leading up to a heart attack. What you can do to prevent a heart attack? What first aid should you give to a person who is suffering a heart attack?
• Finding where the plane went down-Determine the location of the plane at the time of the heart attack and again at the place where the plane went down. Things to remember are:
• Brian left from New York
• Brian's father was working in the oil fields of Canada, up on the tree line where the tundra started and the forest ended.
• Airspeed is measured in knots.
• Distance/time = rate
• Fire-In this activity you will learn more about fire. How did early man build fires? What is the safe way to build a fire in the wilderness?

Journal writing-In this activity the students will write in their journal as a timeline for Brian. They will keep track what every Brian does out in the wilderness.

Bibliography of other related books:

• Paulsen, Gary (1999). Brian's Return. New York: Bradbury Press
• Paulsen, Gary (1996). Brian's Winter. New York: Bradbury Press
• Paulsen, Gary (1991). The River. New York: Bradbury Press

Assessment Plan:

• The way I would asses them would be on what kind of lesson I was giving. I would not grade them on whether or not they understood the book but I would bring out the book and use that to grade them over this.
  • Math: Latitude and Longitude
  • Geography: Mapping and studying the area around where Brain’s plan went down.
  • Writing: I would have them write out what would happen if Brain’s plan didn’t go down, how would the story go then.