RL.1: Orally and in writing, students will differentiate between quoting directly from a text and paraphrasing the author’s purpose as they use several citations to support what a text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
RL.2: Orally and in writing, students will determine a theme or central idea of a literary text and describe how the theme is conveyed through particular details (characters, setting, events).
RL.3: Using a graphic organizer, students will identify the elements of the plot: rising action(s).
RL.6: Students explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
W.1: In two paragraphs, students will identify and introduce a claim and support the claim with relevant evidence.
Standards:
RL.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details.
RL.3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
RL.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
W.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
Teacher Background Knowledge: Read Chapters 4-6 over the course of the week. Students should have opportunity to read silently/independently, in literature circles, and/or whole group.
After each chapter, students will complete a reflective journal write.
Students will continue charting examples of figurative language which they will add to during/after each chapter. (L.4a, L.5a)
Students will have the opportunity to work in small groups this week. Review group work expectations, goals and roles. (SL.1b)
Students will also continue adding to the Story Map and Plot Map graphic organizers as well as chart Brian’s experiences of survival. (RL.2, RL.3)
Opportunities for argumentative writing should be embedded as often as possible.
Plan ahead this week! In addition to the novel, the class will be reading and have tasks on a poem.
There is an opportunity for an extension activity after Chapter 6.
Discuss Flashbacks. Sometimes Brian’s thoughts go back to an earlier time, when he was with his mother. What effect do these “breaks” have on the story?
Begin filling out the story map to identify elements of the story discovered until this point. For example, the information for the characters, the setting, the point of view, the conflict and the plot should be available to complete.
Plot Map (Appendix A) (RL.3)
Fill in the information for the Exposition (Exposition- Brain crashes in the Canadian wilderness)
Quick Write
Are Brian’s reactions to the pilot’s death and the crash realistic? Does Brian seem like a real thirteen-year-old? Explain your answer using at least one direct quote from the chapter, and paraphrasing at least one other example from the text.
Point of View
Students will begin looking at the ways the author develops Brian’s point of view. Using his mother’s affair, how does the author describe Brian’s feelings regarding his mother? How has the author illustrated their different points of view? (example: How do we know that Brian’s mom is not concerned with her affair? The author has her sitting in a car in public with the man where anyone could see). Use the following guiding questions:
Who is telling the story?
How are THEY viewing the story?
How do you know?
How does the way THEY see it affect how you perceive it?
How does point of view affect the perspective?
If you changed the perspective, how would the action change?
How would the story be different?
How does it affect how you see the story or how the story unfolds?
Making a Claim
Brian is torn between deciding if he has good luck or bad luck. Students need to make a claim supporting one side (Brain has good luck OR Brian has bad luck). Students need to find evidence that supports one side or the other pulling evidence from the text and from the information about survival. This can be done as a written task, chart paper, one-pager, etc. The purpose is to allow students to practice making claims and finding evidence to support the claim.
Brian thinks about flight plans and being rescued. What happened between the time the pilot died and the plane crash that might make it more difficult for searchers to find Brian?
Why does Brian think of Mr. Perpich? Do you think Mr. Perpich’s advice is good? Why or why not?
How does Brian continue to use his prior knowledge to help him assess his situation?
Why does Brian list himself among his assets?
What are the two things Brian feels are his first priority to find? Why? How will this help or hinder his efforts to stay alive?
Figurative Language (find and chart) (L.4a, L.5a)
Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
T-Chart Create a T-Chart for literary themes. (perseverance, survival, maturity). On the left side write the literary theme and on the right side write the explicit examples from the text that support the theme. The theme of survival should be obvious for students but focusing on the other literary themes that are examined in the novel is important to point out.
Small Group Task
List all of the assets Brian has when the plane crashes. Rate the items from most valuable to him to least valuable to him. Provide explanations/reasoning. Present to class.
Tasks: Chapter 6
Read Chapter 6 (Key Vocabulary: pulverize, pouch)
Discussion Questions (SL.1c)
Describe the shelter that Brian decides to build. What other kinds of shelters could he make? What kind would you make?
How does Brian use his prior knowledge to help find food?
Why does Brian begin thinking about his mother and the Secret again? Considering his circumstances, what does that say about the Secret? How is his life, even in his current situation, affected by the secret?
Thinking back to the lessons on Ecosystems and how living things survive, are you surprised that Brian followed the birds to the berries? How are the birds and Brian alike?
Predict how Brian will solve the problem of how to start a fire?
Figurative Language (find and chart) (L.4a, L.5a)
Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Quick Write
Brian reflects on his life before and after the crash, thinking: “If you keep walking back from good luck… you’ll come to bad luck.” In one or two short paragraphs, cite incidents from the story that support Brian’s observation. Consider the following before you begin: What good luck does Brian experience? What bad luck has he had?
Do you agree with the type of shelter Brian created? Will it be an adequate shelter? Why or why not? Use citations directly from the book to support your ideas.
Small Group Work
Brian is alone throughout most of this story. He must make critical decisions based on information he already has in his memory. The narrator tells the reader about Brian’s thoughts, so that the reader can understand how Brian retrieves this information from his memories and how he processes this information to survive. In the following excerpt, Brian searches his memory for information about water and realizes that he must look for clear water to drink.
In the movies they always showed the hero finding a clear spring with pure sweet water to drink but in the movies they didn’t have plane wrecks and swollen foreheads and aching bodies and thirst that tore at the hero until he couldn’t think.
In a small group: find three other examples of the author’s use of memories in chapters 4-6. For each excerpt, decide what useful information Brian gains from the memory.
Task: Read “Water Picture” by May Swenson (Appendix D or at http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/water-picture/) (L.4a, L.5a)
Discuss and explain the different uses of figurative language in the poem.
What is the scene being described? How does the author use the description of nature to create imagery?
Optional Extension Activity
End of Chapter 6: After researching the effects of positive thinking, write an editorial in which you support the “power of positive thinking.” Use Brian’s experience and your own experiences with positive thinking to explain how it can help people. At the conclusion of your editorial, encourage people to adopt positive thoughts and to see what happens.
WEEK 6
Learning Targets:
RL.1: Orally and in writing, students will differentiate between quoting directly from a text and paraphrasing the author’s purpose as they use several citations to support what a text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
RL.2: Orally and in writing, students will determine a theme or central idea of a literary text and describe how the theme is conveyed through particular details (characters, setting, events)
RL.3: Using a graphic organizer, students will identify the elements of the plot: rising action(s).
Standards:
RL.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details
RL.3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Teacher Background Knowledge: Read Chapters 7-9 over the course of the week. Students should have opportunity to read silently/independently, in literature circles, and/or whole group.
After each chapter, students will complete a reflective journal write.
Students will continue charting examples of figurative language which they will add to during/after each chapter. (L.4a, L.5a)
Students will also continue adding to the Story Map and Plot Map graphic organizers as well as chart Brian’s experiences of survival. (RL.2, RL.3)
Opportunities for argumentative writing should be embedded as often as possible.
Plan ahead this week! In addition to the novel, the class will be reading and have tasks on a short story. Remember, the short story A Boy Called Slow is a read-aloud. This text is used to support direct instruction on how a theme is developed over the course of a text and how an author uses details to support the theme(s).
Students have a CFA this week. Decide how you will assess the students. Written assessment? Verbal?
Continue providing opportunities for students to make claims and support those claims with relevant evidence. Consider turning discussion questions into quick writes. Also consider other questions that lead students to making a choice about the text such as ‘Should Brian tell his dad about the “Secret”?’
Begin charting ways in which the hatchet has helped in Brian’s survival. The hatchet is extremely symbolic in many ways and students will need to be supported in concluding (by the end if the unit) the hatchet not only symbolizes survival and life for Brian but in many ways has significance because it was given to him by his mother. As the theme of maturity and growing up develops to show the disconnection between parent and child that happens during adolescence, the significance that the hatchet came from Brian’s mother is great. Through his anger at his mother and the disconnect he feels, she continues to take care of him through his use of the hatchet for his survival.
Why is Brian frightened by his reflection in the water? How does seeing his reflection in the water make Brian feel?
Why does Brian feel self-pity? Think of a time when you felt sorry for yourself. Did it help you to feel sorry for yourself? Why or why not? Will self-pity help Brian through this situation?
Why does Brian call the shelter home?
What problem does Brian run into while he is berry-picking? Why doesn’t he run right away? What would you do? How are Brian and the bear the same?
Figurative Language (find and chart) (L.4a, L.5a)
After reading chapter 7 in Hatchet, how are the poem “Water Picture” and the water scene in Hatchet similar in the use of water imagery? How do both authors use imagery and figurative language in their writing to convey meaning to the reader?
A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac (teacher read-aloud to support RL 1, 2 and 3; enhance understanding of theme development)
Discussion Questions (SL.1c)
Why did the parents name their son Slow?
What characteristics did Slow want to achieve? (bravery, courage)
What characteristics did he have? (determination, perseverance)
While reading the short story, chart the actions of Slow in response to his situation. Use these examples to determine the theme for the story.
Compare and Contrast the similar theme elements of the biography A Boy Called Slow to the themes that have already been identified in Hatchet.
CFA
RL.2: When Slow is longing to have a new name, Returns Again says, “The best way to gain the respect of your people is to be both brave and wise.” This is a central theme of A Boy Called Slow. Find two examples from the story about how Slow gains respect through his courage (bravery) and wisdom.
RL.3: What are the 2 most important events from A Boy Called Slow that led to the final resolution when Slow gets his new name? Explain.
