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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Hatchet

The cover for Hatchet Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources

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Use Hatchet by Gary Paulsen to turn your read aloud or small group work into a time to improve comprehension and talk about the text in purposeful ways.

Gary Paulsen's award-winning novel, Hatchet, is the classic survival story for elementary students. It recounts the adventures of Brian, who is on his way to visit his father in a small single-engine airplane when the pilot suddenly has a heart attack and the plane crashes. The fast-paced plot and use of character development make Hatchet an ideal choice for close reading mini lessons where students learn to ask questions while reading as well as cite textual evidence to defend their conclusions.

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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Hatchet in the drop down below.

Instructional Overview

The instructional overview includes instructional background for drawing conclusions, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings, and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to Hatchet Book Club.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

RL.4.5RL.4.4RL.4.3RL.4.2RL.4.1RL.4.6L.4.5cW.4.9L.4.6L.4.4aW.4.8SL.4.1cSL.4.1bSL.4.1aRL.4.10RL.4.9RL.4.7

TEKS Alignment

4.7D4.9B4.9A4.8D4.8C4.8B4.8A4.7G4.7F4.7E4.9D(i)4.7C4.7B4.7A4.6I4.6H4.6G4.6F4.6E4.10C4.13H4.13E4.13C4.13A4.10G4.10F4.10E4.10D4.6D4.10B4.10A4.9F4.9E(iii)4.9E(ii)4.9E(i)4.9D(iii)4.9D(ii)4.6C4.6B4.6A4.1D4.1C4.1A

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Management Resources

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.

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Meeting 1

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is an ideal novel for students to practice effective reading skills. This first Book Club meeting shows students a useful technique for asking questions as they read.

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Meeting 2

As students share their questions from the last Hatchet reading assignment, they will be introduced to four different was to answer the questions.

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Meeting 3

It is important that students not only ask thoughtful questions while reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, but also cite the text as evidence for the answers. Students will practice correctly citing the text during this meeting.

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Meeting 4

Careful reading of Gary Paulsen's novel, Hatchet, will allow students to identify key passages that will help them understand the plot, character motivation, and the author's message.

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Meeting 5

The final Hatchet Book Club meeting provides students with the opportunity to find evidence in the text that shows important changes in Brian's character. Discussing these changes illustrates each student's ability to apply effective reading skills.

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The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Vocabulary Connections with Hatchet

This set of vocabulary development resources for Hatchet highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

L.4.4a,L.4.5c,L.4.6

TEKS Alignment

4.7E,4.7F,4.3A,4.3B

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Focus Assessment and Rubric

Use this six-question assessment to determine whether or not students understand the key concepts associated with drawing conclusions.

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Comprehension Assessment with Hatchet

This 9 question Common Core aligned assessment can be used to determine students' overall comprehension of Hatchet and their mastery of the Common Core State Standards.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Running Record with Hatchet

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Hatchet. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Management Resources - Spanish

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.

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About the Book

Title: Hatchet

Author: Gary Paulsen

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Self Management, Family, Self Awareness, Adventure, Perseverance, Award Winners

ISBN: 9781442403321

Publisher's Summary:

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is a gripping survival story that has captivated young readers for decades. The novel follows thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, who is traveling alone on a bush plane to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness. When the pilot suffers a sudden heart attack, Brian is forced to crash-land the plane into a remote lake, leaving him completely alone with only the clothes on his back and a hatchet his mother gave him as a parting gift. As he confronts the challenges of surviving in the wild—finding food, building shelter, and protecting himself from the elements and wildlife—Brian also faces emotional struggles stemming from his parents' recent divorce and a secret about his mother.

Through his ingenuity, resilience, and growing connection to the natural world, Brian transforms from a frightened, uncertain boy into a resourceful and courageous survivor. Themes of perseverance, self-discovery, and the importance of maintaining hope run throughout the novel. Paulsen's vivid descriptions and suspenseful storytelling make Hatchet an excellent choice for classroom discussion, offering rich opportunities to explore character development, decision-making, and the impact of adversity on personal growth. The book's realistic portrayal of survival skills and its focus on emotional healing make it a valuable addition to any teacher's reading list, inspiring students to think critically about self-reliance and resilience.

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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Hatchet