Hatchet

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What does the word “survival” mean to you? Does survival simply mean staying alive, or does it mean something more? In Hatchet, the main character is forced to attempt to survive in the wilderness. What other situations come to mind that might be considered “survival situations”?

Teaching Suggestion: After allowing time for students to brainstorm ideas and share responses, connect ideas generated in class to the author’s life experiences as inspiration for writing Hatchet.

• This brief article, “Gary Paulsen, Author of Hatchet, on Diligence, Surviving in the Wilderness, and Practice Making Perfect,” offers a quick investigation into similarities between the author’s experiences and Brian’s.

ACTIVITY

Close your eyes and picture yourself in a forest beside a lake. Engage with your five senses and make observations.

• What do you see?
•  What can you hear? What are some sounds that you normally hear throughout that day that you don’t hear in the forest?
• What can you smell?
• What might you taste? What food sources are available?
• What are some things that you might touch or feel on your skin? If you get up and move around, what new textures might you encounter?