Description
Teaching Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is one of the most rewarding novel-study experiences for upper-elementary and middle-school English Language Arts classrooms. This coming-of-age story follows Brian Robeson, a thirteen-year-old boy stranded in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash. Through Brian’s journey, students explore themes of wilderness survival, resilience, self-reliance, and personal growth.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is appropriate for grades 5 through 7. The main message of the book Hatchet centers on survival, hope, and the power of a positive mental attitude. Brian must learn to survive on his own, facing dangers from nature (a moose almost killed Brian in one memorable scene) and his own inner struggles. The big secret in the book Hatchet involves Brian’s knowledge about his family and his mother, which weighs on him throughout the story.
Whether you are reading Hatchet for the first book in a novel study unit or adding it to your classroom library, this Hatchet novel study resource gives you everything you need to teach the novel from beginning to end.
Get your learners thinking! Our PRINT AND DIGITAL Hatchet novel study Unit Plan has the activities and quizzes you need to teach a 7-week novel study of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. It covers prereading questions, characters, vocabulary, projects, writing, and more. You’ll love the “print-and-go” activities in slideshow and .pdf, AND the same fun activities converted and optimized for digital learning (424+ pages, slides, & forms for all your print and digital teaching needs).
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ And don’t forget the easy-grade Google Forms!
Your learners will have fun with the rigor and creativity of our engaging activities built from best teaching practices. We want to make your lesson plan journey easy, so you can focus on your expertise. This hatchet teaching guide includes a curriculum map pacing guide that offers our day-by-day suggestion for how to plan out your weeks of fun activities.
Our pedagogy section explains the instructive idea behind the activity, gives ideas for implementation, and aligns the lesson plan to the standards. We’ve filmed some training videos on (1) how to assemble a Novel Analysis Packet that is unique to the academic needs of your learners and (2) how to effectively use our Quickwrite writing prompts.
TEXT: HATCHET by Gary Paulsen
LEVEL: 5th – 7th
TOTAL: 424+ slides/pages/forms in lesson plan unit
→ Based off the 2006 Simon & Schuster Edition [ISBN: 978-1416936473].
→ Our activities easily integrate w/ Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Canvas, Schoology, Edmodo, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Sakai, Showbie, Remind, & more.
→ Pacing Guide and Answer Keys included
What Other Teachers Are Saying About This Novel Study Resource
♥ This is such a comprehensive novel study! My 6th graders are so engaged in the story, activities, and the topics presented in the Quick Writes, they don’t realize the rigorous learning they’re doing! Thank you for high-quality products, as always!
♥ This is a great product. The quick-writes alone are priceless; they kept students engaged and connected to the text. The activities target important literary concepts creatively, and they brought out the best in my fifth graders.
♥ Once again I am blown away. It may be a little unfair that most of my novel studies are by you guys. I really like that you have given an answer key to your plot and character conflict activities. This has allowed me to make stations and the kids manipulate the cards to figure out where they would go. You would think that the kids would get it spot on but many still have trouble. This just makes the stations idea run smoother.
♥ Well put-together resource. I told another teacher to purchase this resource. It is a must.
♥ Love love love this resource!! I love Hatchet and all the accompanying activities to do during a novel study. This was a super comprehensive resource and packs a LOT into it.
♥ This is an excellent source for this book!!!! I am very excited to start reading this story with my students and I don’t have to worry about creating anything for it. You have thought of everything! Thank you for all that you have done for this book!!!!
♥ I love how this is organized. It’s perfect for my independent lit circle!
♥ So excited to start this unit. I was a little nervous to spend so much on a unit but I am so happy that I did. Everything looks amazing! Worth every penny!!
Hatchet Novel Study Contents
- → Suggested timeline of how a teacher could plan out the unit book study plan
- → Detailed explanations of the goals of each activity and how to conduct the activities
- → Meets Common Core Standards (CCSS novel unit). Easy TEKS conversion.
- → Easy to differentiate the lesson plan for different learning levels: Honors, 2nd language learners, and SPED
Before Reading
Prereading Bias Intro Activity
This pre reading activity gets students thinking about the themes in Hatchet before they begin the novel.Students answer thematic questions that spark discussion and help them connect to Brian’s story from the beginning.
- 1 page + 11-slide and 4-digital slide activity
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,2
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1
During Reading
Crash Map Activity
After the plane crash, Brian is stranded in the Canadian wilderness. In this activity, students try to solve where Brian crashed using clues from the novel Hatchet.
- 3-page + 14-digital slide activity
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2
Crash Tally Activity
Students track a tally of how many days Brian has been stranded in the wilderness. This activity helps build comprehension and keeps readers engaged chapter by chapter.
- 1-page analyzer + 1-digital slide activity
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2
Plot Chart Analyzer Diagram Arc Activity
Students use this graphic organizer to analyze the 6 parts of the plot in Hatchet. The answer key is included.
- 1-page + 12-digital slide analyzer & suggested answer key
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2
Conflict Graphic Analyzer – 6 Types of Conflict Activity
This graphic organizer helps students analyze the 6 types of conflict in stories. Man vs. Nature is a central theme in Hatchet, and this activity provides students with a framework for exploring it alongside other conflicts.
- 2-page + 12-digital slide analyzer & suggested answer key
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2
Characters Activity
Students analyze the main characters in Hatchet using quotations from the novel. Brian’s character development from a dependent young boy to a self-sufficient survivor is a major focus.
- 4-page + 14-digital slide analyzer
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3
Sensory Language Analyzer Activity
Gary Paulsen uses vivid sensory language throughout Hatchet. Students analyze how he brings the wilderness to life through words.
- 1-page + 1-digital slide analyzer
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4
Symbols Activity
The hatchet symbolizes survival and Brian’s connection to his previous life. Students explore how Gary Paulsen uses this symbol throughout the novel.
- 1-page + 1-digital slide analyzer
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4
Figurative Language Instructional Notes
We set out to make the most helpful, most compelling, most graphically attractive teaching resource for you to introduce your learners to all the various figurative language. This 70+ slide slideshow will help you introduce as many figures of speech as you need to teach your level of learners.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7
Figurative Language Activity
Students analyze and complete 51 figures of speech specific to the novel Hatchet. Covers Similes, Metaphors, Idioms, Hyperboles, Analogies, Personification, Onomatopoeia, Puns, and Irony.
- 6-page + 6-digital slides bundle
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4
Journal Questions – Quickwrite Writing Prompts
These journal writing prompts go beyond basic comprehension questions. They push students to deeper thinking and discussion about Brian’s survival, his connections to nature, and the novel’s themes.
- 28-question slideshow + 29-digital slides
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,2
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1
14 Comprehension Questions Pop Quizzes
Each quiz covers 1–2 chapters of Hatchet with 5 comprehension questions per quiz. Students who read the chapters recently will ace the quiz. Students who didn’t read recently will not show comprehension.
We’ve added a Google Forms quiz version that compiles grades into a spreadsheet with learners’ names and class periods. This makes grading easier for you (no auto-grade because of the short-answer format). Answer key and video link included.
- 28-pages + 30-slides + 44-slides of digital quizzes
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2,10
Vocabulary List and Quiz Assessment
Build your students’ vocabulary with 150 words from the novel Hatchet. This resource includes five 30-question lists and quizzes with answer keys. Use it for individual practice or small groups.
- 20-page + 20-digital slide bundle includes list of words, quiz, and answer keys
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4
After Reading
Essay Writing and Speech
After reading Hatchet, students choose from 3 response-to-literature essay options. They can also deliver their essay as a speech. Includes essay topics and speech grading rubrics.
- 6-page + 11-digital slide bundle
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,2,3
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1,9
- CCSS.ELA-SpeakingListening.SL.1,4,6
Movie vs. Novel Comparison Activity
Students compare and contrast the Hatchet movie and novel. This post-reading activity builds critical thinking and helps students demonstrate understanding of the story.
- 2-page + 2-digital slide activity
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7
Enjoy! And remember, “so much of all this, so much of all living was patience and thinking.”
