Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Reading Literature Core Text: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Informational Core Text: California Science, Harcourt, 6th Grade, Unit 5
Supporting Texts:
 “Gorillas in Crisis” by Kathleen Donovan-Snavely
 “The View From Saturday” by E.L. Konigsburg (6th grade HM anthology)

“Battling Everest” by Michael Burgan (6th grade HM anthology)
 “Desert Places” by Robert Frost
 “Water Picture” by May Swenson
 A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac (biography)
Reading Literature Standards:
Reading Informational Text Standards:
RL 1: Cite textual evidence to support
RI 1: Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL 2: Determine a theme or central idea
RI 2: Determine a central idea of a text
of a text and how it is conveyed through
and how it is conveyed through particular
particular details; provide a summary of
details; provide a summary of the text
the text distinct from personal opinions or
distinct from personal opinions or
judgments.
judgments.
RL 3: Describe how a particular story’s or RI 3: Analyze in detail how a key
drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes individual, event or idea is introduced,
as well as how the characters respond or
illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
change as the plot moves toward a
resolution.
Grade: 6th
Materials:
 chart or butcher paper
 spiral notebooks/composition books/stapled paper to make booklets
 markers for charting
 post-it notes (to mark evidence in the text)
 manila folder (optional-to collect work during the unit)
Writing Standards:
W 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear
reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and
evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant
evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating
an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the
relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from the argument presented.
Essential Questions
RL 1 and RI 1
 In citing, what is the difference between quoting and paraphrasing?
 What is an inference?
 How do I make an accurate inference based on evidence in the text?
RL 2
 How can I indentify the central idea(s) of a text?
RL 3
 How is literature explained through plot?
 How is comprehension influenced by plot?
 How do the characters in the story and the plot work together?
RI 2
 How does the author’s use of details enhance the central idea(s) in informational text?
RI 3
 How are authors’ ideas developed by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of informational text?
 How does the structure of informational text contribute to the development of ideas?
1
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Supporting
Standards:
RL 4,5,6,7,9
RI 4,5,6,7,8,9
W 3,4,5,6,8
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
W1
 What makes a strong argument?
 How do I determine the evidence that supports my point of view in a persuasive essay?
 How do I organize my writing to best express my point of view?
 Why do writers include counterarguments for their persuasive essays?
 Why should I revise my persuasive essays?
Summative Unit Assessments (RL 1,2,3 and W 1):


Writing Prompt (rubric appendix C)
When Brian, the main character in Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, finds himself stranded in the wilderness, he must find the strength and the tools he needs to adapt
and survive. Write a multi-paragraph essay telling the most important things Brian does to adapt to his wilderness home. State and introduce a claim, organize a
body of two or three paragraphs to support the claim with clear and relevant evidence and provide a conclusion.
Independently Read: “The View From Saturday” by E.L. Konigsburg (HM 6th grade anthology)
Complete a Story Map (appendix A) for the story.
Complete a Plot Map (appendix A) for the story.
2
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Week 1:
Learning Targets:
RI 1: Orally and in writing, students will use several citations to support what
an informational text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
RI 2: Using a graphic organizer, students will evaluate particular details in a
text and use them to determine the central idea of informational text.
W 1: In a paragraph, students will identify a claim and support the position
using several supporting details.
Standards:
RI 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
RI 2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular
details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
W 1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
The Harcourt Brace Science textbook will be used to cover the reading informational text standards within the first three weeks of this unit. The Science text
will only be used for those RI 1,2 & 3 standards during the reading block of time. The experiments and other items within the Science text, unit 5 can be
completed during the science block of time. Unit 5 in Science was chosen because it fits within the theme of Survival with Surviving the Elements the focus of
the unit. As you go along in the unit connect the theme to survival for humans when possible in preparation for the main literary text beginning in Week 4.
Tasks: Before beginning the lesson in the Science text, introduce the universal theme of this unit: survival.
Pre-Reading Activities
 Concept Development
 Divide students into groups of 5–7 and give each a large sheet of paper and markers. Ask the participants to brainstorm everything they can think of about
survival. Give them plenty of time and don’t worry about silences.
 After sufficient time to think and write, ask the students to look at their lists and see if there are ways they can group their comments.
 Next, have them label each group of comments with a generalization.
 Have each group of students share results, allowing them time to explain their reasoning.
 As a class, find some common generalizations that can be used for the entire class.
 Theme Scavenger Hunt
 Building an awareness of the theme is a prerequisite to studying it. Have students bring in pictures, models, quotes, stories, anecdotes, things that make them
think of survival. Post them on a bulletin board. Discuss the why.
 Survival Information Websites
 http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/survival/
(This site talks about survival in British Columbia)
 http://www.pbs.org/americanfieldguide/ (This site offers more information on survival, videos, ecosystems)
 Informational Text Structure
 Using the Science textbook, point out and discuss the structure of the text (headings, pictures with captions, diagrams) to discuss their function in understanding
the text. How is the text organized? Why? How is the organization and non-print information useful in comprehension?
Tasks:
Read Unit 5, Lesson 1: What is an Ecosystem? (Harcourt Science: Lesson 1, student text pages 316 to 327)
Discussion Question
 After lesson 1, discuss the Essential Question: What is an ecosystem? Students must cite evidence from the text to support their answers, referring to their graphic
organizer.
3
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Activities
 Create a main idea/details chart for each heading: Ecosystems; Active Ecosystems; A Place to Live; Diversity. Use direct citation, from the text, in the details to
support the main idea (Reference Teacher Guide, Main Idea/Details chart in Appendix A, Sample 1 in Appendix B)
 Use the four graphic organizers to determine the central idea(s) of lesson 1. (There are two Central Ideas for Lesson 1: (1) In an Ecosystem, populations of
organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve. (2) The number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and
on abiotic factors. Find Sample 2 in Appendix B)
 Using a Venn Diagram graphic organizer, students can answer, orally or in writing, the main idea and detail question posed on page 325: How are a population and
a community related in an ecosystem?
 Biological Control of Pests (Harcourt Science: student text pages 330-331)
 Complete a Central Question Chart (originally from readwritethink.org; can be found in Appendix A)
 Central Question: What is the best type of pest control? Record the two positions: Position A: Biological pest control is the best type of pest control. Position B:
Chemical pesticides are the best type of pest control.
 Once the two positions are listed, ask each student to decide which position he or xcshe thinks best answers the central question and to be prepared to explain
why. Let students know that they can change their positions after the discussion.
 Identifying reasons. Have students explore each position by identifying supporting reasons for it. Ask student why he or she believes it’s correct. As they cite
reasons, encourage them to use examples from the text, from their own background knowledge, and from what they feel makes sense. Record all reasons on the
chart using the symbols beneath it.
 Evaluating reasons. Students should decide whether the reasons are completely true, completely false, or are true or false depending on certain factors. Put each
reason before the group for discussion and let students decide amongst themselves the truth and acceptability of each reason. Ask questions such as these: What
makes this reason true? What makes it false? Are there times that it could be true, but other times when it could be false? What examples can you give from the
text to support a reason as acceptable? Does it make sense? Why or why not? Should we accept this as a supporting reason for the position? Record their
decisions about the reasons in the truth column of the chart using the symbols underneath the chart.
 Drawing conclusions. After all reasons have been evaluated, ask if anyone changed his or her mind? For those who are sticking with their original positions, do
they feel more strongly about them now? Give students the option to say they have not made up their minds (for the ability to withhold judgment is central to
critical thinking).
 Writing: Students will write one paragraph- the first sentence will introduce a claim (position A or Position B) followed by specific supporting details that
support the claim.
CFA (RI 1 and RI 2)
 Using the graphic organizers and the central ideas for lesson 1, students will choose one central idea and write a paragraph identifying the central idea and the
corresponding supporting details.
Theme Review
 Revisit the theme of survival with a class discussion on the following question: What is the relationship between climate and survival? Justify your response with
explicit examples from the text.
4
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Week 2:
Learning Targets:
RI 1: Orally and in writing, students will use several citations to support what
an informational text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
RI 2: Using a graphic organizer, students will evaluate particular details in a
text and use them to determine the central idea of informational text.
RI 3: Orally and in writing, students will analyze how the key idea is
introduced and elaborated in informational text.
W 1: In two paragraphs, students will identify and introduce a claim and
support the claim with relevant evidence.
Grade: 6th
Standards:
RI 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
RI 2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular
details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RI 3: Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated,
and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
W 1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and
reasons
Tasks:
Read Unit 5, Lesson 2: How do Organisms Get Energy? (Harcourt Science: lesson 2 student text pages 332 to 334)
Discussion Questions
 What are the steps in photosynthesis? In what part of a food chain are producers?
 What is needed before energy can be produced in an ecosystem?
 Why are there fewer organisms at the higher levels of the energy pyramid?
 Revisit the theme of survival with a class discussion of this question: Why is sunlight necessary to survival? Use specific examples to support your answer.
Activities
 Create a main idea/details chart for each heading: Producers and Consumers; Getting Energy; Food Webs; The Energy Pyramid. Use direct citation, from the text, in
the details to support the main idea. (Main Idea/Details chart in appendix A)
 Use the four graphic organizers to determine the central idea(s) of lesson 2. (There are three Central Ideas for Lesson 2: (1) Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight
is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis and then from organisms through food webs. (2) Matter is transferred over time from one
organism to others in the food web and between organisms and the physical environment. (3) Populations of organisms can be categorized by the functions they
serve in an ecosystem.)
Read Unit 5, Lesson 3: How Do Natural Cycles Affect Ecosystems? (Harcourt Science: lesson 3 student text pages 348 to 360)
Discussion Questions
 What are the steps in the water cycle?
 What does an organism do after it gets energy from food?
 What must happen to nitrogen before plants can absorb it? What happens after rain washes nitrogen from fertilizer into a body of water?
 Revisit the theme of survival with a class discussion of this question: How is a food web related to survival? Be specific.
Activities
 While reading the lesson, students answer the question: How do natural cycles affect ecosystems? Use the Fishbone Map Template found in Appendix A or at site
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson277/template.pdf
5
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th

“Gorillas in Crisis” by Kathleen Donovan-Snavely (Complete Lesson can be found and followed at website: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroomresources/lesson-plans/scaling-back-essentials-scaffolding-277.html )
 Students read the article (Appendix D or on website: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson277/gorillas.pdf )
 Students complete a Fishbone Map Template while reading. (Template found in appendix A or on website:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson277/template.pdf )
 See the site for a complete list of teaching procedures using the short text “Gorillas in Crisis”.

“How Humans Affect Cycles” (Harcourt Science: student text pages 358-359)
 Read text
 Students will use the following prompts to develop a claim:
• Although some people believe _____, it may actually be argued that _____.
• Some people feel that _____. In reality, however, _____.
• Despite _____, I want to argue that _____.
• While it may be true that _____, the real point to consider is that _____.
• Even though most people don’t see _____, I want to suggest _____.
 Students will hypothesize a claim based on “Human Affect Cycles” (Argumentative Essay Organizer, Appendix A). Students will brainstorm reasons for and
against the claim. Using the reasons for reference, students will state a claim (either for or against). Then, students will cite the text examining at strong and
weak reasons that support their claim.
CFA (RI 3 and W 1a, 1b)
 RI 3: Students will reread “Gorillas in Crisis” by Kathleen Donovan-Snavely to analyze, in writing, how the key idea is introduced and elaborated on (through
examples or anecdotes). Students will then evaluate, in writing, how these things contribute to the overall purpose of the piece. Students may use their completed
fishbone graphic organizer to complete this assignment.
 W 1a, 1b : Using the graphic organizer completed after reading “How Humans Affect Cycles” (Appendix A), develop two paragraphs: an introduction stating a
claim and a supportive paragraph with citations directly from the text.
6
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Week 3:
Learning Targets:
RI 1: Orally and in writing, students will use several citations to support what
an informational text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
RI 2: Using a graphic organizer, students will evaluate particular details in a
text and use them to determine the central idea of informational text.
W 1: Students will write a formal, argumentative, multiple paragraph piece to
support a claim. Students will support their argument with clear and relevant
reasons and evidence.
Grade: 6th
Standards:
RI 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
RI 2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular
details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
W 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible
sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s)
and reasons.
Tasks:
Read Lesson 4: What Roles Do Organisms Play in Biomes? (Harcourt Science lesson 4 student text pages 362 to 374)
Activities
 Students use a T-Chart to compare and contrast ways that biomes are alike and different as they read through the lesson.
 Using the T-Chart, students answer the questions (orally or in writing):
 How do climates at lower latitudes compare with climates at higher latitudes?
 What do the mammals of the Australian rain forest have in common with the mammals of the South American rain forest?
 Quick Write
 Students write a paragraph, turning the focus skill question: Why is there less diversity in a temperate deciduous forest than in a tropical rain forest? into a
claim. Students will organize the reasons and evidence clearly. Students should support this claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence, demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text. (use Argumentative Essay Organizer in appendix A)
 Students use “Draw Conclusions” page 374 (A certain type of leaf has a thick, waxy coating. To which biome might this leaf be adapted?) Write a paragraph.
Include an introduction, state the claim, organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
 Small Group Work
 Have students discuss and answer the following questions in a small group. Students will chart answers with illustrations and orally present to class.
 How is survival affected by latitude?
 What is the relationship between diversity in the rainforest and climate?
 How does diversity assist with survival in the rainforest?
 How would the elimination of decomposers affect the survival of a temperate deciduous forest?
CFA
 End of Week 3 (RI 1, 2 and W 1)
 Writing Prompt (Rubric Appendix C) A company wants to build a new shopping center. To do so, it must drain a swamp and cut down several hectares of a
forest. The company promises to replant trees as part of a new park when the shopping center is finished. Write a letter to the president of the company
explaining how these plans will affect the swamp and forest ecosystems. Introduce a claim to argue about whether the new park will be enough to offset the
damage to the two ecosystems. Organize your argument in favor of or against the shopping center using supportive and relevant evidence.
7
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Week 4:
Standards:
RL 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
Learning Targets:
RL 1: Orally and in writing, students will differentiate between quoting
as inferences drawn from the text.
directly from a text and paraphrasing the author’s purpose as they use several
RL 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
citations to support what a text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or
RL 2: Orally and in writing, students will determine a theme or central idea of
judgments.
a literary text and describe how the theme is conveyed through particular
RL 3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes
details (characters, setting, events)
as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
RL 3: Using a graphic organizer, students will identify the elements of the plot: W 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
the exposition
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources
W 1: In two paragraphs, students will identify and introduce a claim and
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
support the claim with relevant evidence.
Read Chapters 1-4 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 (Appendix D). Students will also begin charting examples of figurative language which they will add to
during/after each chapter as well as chart Brian’s experiences of survival. Opportunities for argumentative writing should be embedded as often as possible (Reference
Planning Guide, Argumentative Writing Process).
Literary Theme(s): survival, courage, perseverance, relationships- personal and with nature, interdependence, rites of passage, growing up (maturity)
Tasks:
Pre-reading
 “Battling Everest” by Michael Burgan in 6th grade HM anthology.
 Explain that the text is a Narrative Nonfiction. Discuss the features of the text that assist with comprehension (photographs with captions, subtitles). Make
predictions based on previewing the textual features.
 Read the text and discuss the survival techniques
Theme Review
 Revisit the skills necessary to survival as done during the first week in the unit. Discuss the different survival skills that may be needed if one is lost in the woods
compared to one that makes the choice to survive in nature like in “Battling Everest”.
 Discuss these generalizations about survival (Reference Planning Guide, week 4):
 People draw on inner strength to help them survive.
 When we draw on our own inner strength we make a conscious decision to act out of courage rather than fear in order to survive .
 Survival means overcoming change in spite of the odds.
 When they face challenges, people need to be resourceful in order to survive.
 *You can ask students if they agree or disagree with the generalizations. Why? Give evidence from _____________ to support your thoughts.
Author Review
 Getting to know the author: http://www.randomhousekids.com/authors-illustrators/detail/2
 Review the website and discuss the life and work of author, Gary Paulsen. A video is also available to watch to learn about his life as a writer.
8
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Chapter 1 (Key Vocabulary: Cessna, drone, slewed, rudder, audible)
Discussion Question
 What does Brian think about during the flight? Why are these thoughts painful?
 Predict the possible meanings for the ‘Secret’. Discuss the significance of the author writing a common noun “secret” as a proper noun “Secret”.
 Brian is hesitant to fly to plane but decided to take over the controls anyway. What does this say about Brian’s character/personality?
 Do you think Brian will be able to continue flying the plane? What makes you think so?
Activities
 Figurative Language (Reference Planning Guide, week 4)
 How does the author use descriptive language in the first paragraph?
 Create a two or three column chart or a graphic organizer of your choice to keep track of multiple examples of figurative language in the novel.
 Reflective Journal Write (Reference Appendix D)
Chapter 2 (Key Vocabulary: turbulence, altimeter, transmitter, transmission)
Discussion Questions
 How does Brian use his prior knowledge to help him fly the plane?
 Why does Brian decide to look for a lake? Explain is reasoning.
 Why does Brian decide to keep flying until he runs out of fuel? Explain his feelings about this decision.
 How did you react to Brian’s thoughts and actions? Do you think that he is sensible or unreasonable? Explain your answer using evidence in the text.
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart examples)
 How does the author use imagery beginning with the paragraph “Brian had to get the headset from the pilot…..” and continuing for the next 3 paragraphs? Do
you feel as if you are in the airplane with Brian? Which words does the author use that can be felt using the five senses?
 Foreshadowing: Discuss the use of foreshadowing in the novel. Foreshadowing is a technique used by authors to hint at what is to come. How do these two
quotes foreshadow what is about to happen? “All flying is easy. Just takes learning. Like everything else. Like everything else.” (page 5) and “He was alone. In
the roaring plane with no pilot. He was alone.” (page 12) Use Foreshadowing Chart (Appendix A)
 After Chapter 2, have students chart other examples from the story that demonstrate the author’s use of foreshadowing to build suspense. In a three column
chart, identify the example of foreshadowing, quote directly from the text to support the example, then explain what could it possibly mean. Possible examples:
Brian’s mother gives him a hatchet; The pilot teaches Brian how to fly a plane; Pilot’s pain in his shoulder and forearm; Brian’s mother has a secret.
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Chapter 3 (Key Vocabulary: altitude, muck, spiraling, cowling)
Discussion Questions
 Brian decided that he was going to die once his plane crashed into the lake. He began swallowing water. What overtook Brian in the water and made him begin
swimming to the surface? Discuss what that represents in terms of survival and instinct behavior.
9
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Quick Write
 After Chapter 3, have students decide if they believe Brian made the right decision to fly the plane and to crash in the lake. Why or why not? It is important to
use direct citation from the story to support their reasoning. After answering the response journal, form two groups: one that supports the decision, one that does
not support the decisions. Allow each group to make a case, with textual evidence, for the argument they support.
 In Hatchet, the limited omniscient narration conveys the thoughts and feelings of Brian alone. Because the narrative is limited to Brian’s view, it does not
describe the thoughts and feelings of any other characters. What do you think Brian’s parents might be thinking and feeling at this point in the story? Would the
story be better if we knew what they were thinking and feeling? Why or why not?
Chapter 4 (Key Vocabulary: horde, viciously, hummocks)
Discussion Questions
 What is the Secret and how does it make Brian feel?
 Describe the scenery that Brian sees and explain how he feels as he looks around.
 Brian is torn between deciding if he has good luck or bad luck. Describe reasons he may have either one.
 When Brian wakes up, what will he do? What evidence from the story makes you think so?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 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?
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Chart Brian’s Survival
 Revisit the theme of survival and begin a chart with examples as reading progresses
 Story Map (Appendix A)
 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)
 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.
CFA
RL 1: Fill in the Word Choice Chart (Appendix A) to show how Paulsen’s word choice make the reader feel about Brian’s experience as he flies the plane, crash lands
in the lake, and come to on the banks of the lake. Cite examples from Hatchet to support your answer.
10
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Week 5:
Standards:
RL 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
Learning Targets:
RL 1: Orally and in writing, students will differentiate between quoting
as inferences drawn from the text.
directly from a text and paraphrasing the author’s purpose as they use several
RL 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
citations to support what a text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
particular details.
RL 2: Orally and in writing, students will determine a theme or central idea of
RL 3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes
a literary text and describe how the theme is conveyed through particular
as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
details (characters, setting, events).
W 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
RL 3: Using a graphic organizer, students will identify the elements of the plot: a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources
rising action(s).
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W 1: In two paragraphs, students will identify and introduce a claim and
support the claim with relevant evidence.
Read Chapters 5-8 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. Students will also continue adding to the Story Map and Plot Map graphic organizers as well as chart Brian’s experiences of survival. Opportunities for
argumentative writing should be embedded as often as possible (Reference Planning Guide, Argumentative Writing Process).
Tasks:
Chapter 5 (Key Vocabulary: murky, courses, tatters )
Discussion Questions
 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?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 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 Activity
 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.
Chapter 6 (Key Vocabulary: pulverize, pouch)
Discussion Questions
11
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements





Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
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?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Read “Water Picture” by May Swenson (Appendix D or at http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/water-picture/)
 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?
 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.
 Optional Extension Activity (Reference Planning Guide, week 5)
Chapter 7 (Key Vocabulary: jolt, abdomen, waffling, welted)
Discussion Questions
 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?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
12
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th


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?
Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Chapter 8 (Key Vocabulary: imbed, quills, scotched, segment)
Discussion Questions
 What important rule of survival did Brian learn after the attack? Is that a valid rule? Why or why not?
 Why does Brian dream about his father and his friend, Terry? What does that tell you about Brian’s relationship with each and his feelings for each?
 How does Brian get the idea to start fire? Do you think the idea will work? Why or why not?
 How will Brian’s life change if he is able to get fire started? What does fire represent?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Chart Brian’s Survival
 Revisit the theme of survival and begin a chart with examples as reading progresses
 Story Map (Appendix A)
 Continue to fill out the story map to identify elements of the story discovered until this point.
 Plot Map (Appendix A)
 Complete map adding to the rising action
A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac (teacher read-aloud to support RL 1, 2 and 3; enhance understanding of theme development)
Discussion Questions
 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?
13
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Week 6:
Standards:
RL 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
Learning Targets:
RL 1: Orally and in writing, students will differentiate between quoting
as inferences drawn from the text.
directly from a text and paraphrasing the author’s purpose as they use several
RL 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
citations to support what a text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
particular details
RL 2: Orally and in writing, students will determine a theme or central idea of
RL 3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes
a literary text and describe how the theme is conveyed through particular
as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
details (characters, setting, events)
RL 3: Using a graphic organizer, students will identify the elements of the plot:
rising action(s).
Read Chapters 9-13 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. Students will also continue adding to the Story Map and Plot Map graphic organizers as well as chart Brian’s experiences of survival. Opportunities for
argumentative writing should be embedded as often as possible (Reference Planning Guide, Argumentative Writing Process).
Tasks:
Chapter 9 (Key Vocabulary: reposition, exasperation)
Discussion Questions
 How does Brian finally start the fire using the hatchet?
 How does Brian feel about his fire?
 Why does Brian treat his fire as if it is alive? What clues in the story demonstrate that Brian thinks the fire is alive? Can fire be alive?
 What does fire represent for survival?
Activities
 Begin charting the ways in which the hatchet will help Brian survive. Keep a class chart that will allow reference point for alter discussions.
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Chapter 10 (Key Vocabulary: intervals, regulated, dormant, smoke eddied)
Discussion Questions
 Why can’t Brian leave the fire? How does he solve this?
 How does Brian continue to use the hatchet for his survival? (chart it)
 What does Brian mean by city boy? What is the alternative? What does Brian have that allows him to survive in the wild even though he is a city boy?
 How does Brian determine that the animal that came ashore is a turtle? Was that the only option?
 Why does Brian think he is rich after finding the eggs? What does being rich mean to Brian in the wild?
 Will Brian keep hoping he is found? If so, use evidence from the story to support the answer.
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
14
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements

Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Chapter 11 (Key Vocabulary: gnarled, comprised, bluff)
Discussion Questions
 Why does Brian bother to clean up the camp? What does that say about how he feels ‘living’ there? Would you bother to clean?
 In what ways is Brian changing? Physically? Mentally? How are his actions and his thinking different now?
 What does Brian mean that his mind and his body have come together?
 The author repeatedly uses the phrase ‘there were these things to do’. Why does the author use this phrase and hoe does it reflect Brian’s frame of mind?
 How do the animals in the ecosystem once again lead Brian to food?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Add to the T-Chart for literary themes.
Chapter 12 (Key Vocabulary: persistent, lunging, telegraphed)
Discussion Questions
 How has Brian once again used the hatchet to help in his survival? (chart it)
 Why does Brian think that the spear has become more than just a tool? What else does the spear represent to his survival?
 What does Brian mean that he has a ‘hunger to make him hunt’?
 What happens that makes Brian lose hope he will ever be found? What game is Brian playing and how is hope involved?
Activities
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Chapter 13 (Key Vocabulary: shaft, shallows)
Discussion Questions
 After reading the third paragraph, determine the time frame for this event. (Much time as passed between the end of chapter 12 and the beginning of chapter 13.
What clues tell you that an extended time has passed? Point out that this chapter is reflecting back on the time that had passed).
 Compare and contrast Brian’s feelings to the time he saw the bear to the time he saw the wolf. Describe how his feelings changes about these experiences. What
does that say about how Brian has changed?
 Why did Brain not want to live anymore?
 Who is the new Brian and what two things does he know that the old Brian did not know?
 How did Brian use the hatchet to help in his survival? (chart it)
 Brian is mentally listing his mistakes. Why do you think he says that he is making the list to tell his father? What does this demonstrate about Brian’s relationship
with his dad?
 What is tough hope? How has Brian changed in regards to the hopes he has in his life now compared to right after the crash?
 Is there irony in Brian’s celebration to being alive considering all he has been through? How does this support the idea that Brian is no longer the same person?
15
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Activities
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 “Desert Places” by Robert Frost (Appendix D or at website: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/desert-places/)
 Read the poem
 Think about the meaning behind the poem in the word choice and phrases that Robert Frost uses. (snow is cold, night is darkness- how do the words cold and
darkness make a reader feel? How does that feeling influence understanding of the poem?) What is the narrator feeling? (depressed, alone, solitude)
 How are the feelings evoked in the poem similar to Brian’s feelings, especially in the first part of Chapter 13? Explain how is imagery used in the poem?
 Analysis: Explain the similarities and differences in how Gary Paulson and Robert Frost write about survival.
 Chart Brian’s Survival
 Revisit the theme of survival and begin a chart with examples as reading progresses
 Story Map (Appendix A)
 Fill out the story map to identify elements of the story discovered until this point.
 Plot Map (Appendix A)
 Continue to fill out the experiences for the rising action. Instruct students in understanding that the rising action is not just one event. Several experiences that
Brian has gone through will ultimately lead to the climax of the story.
CFA
 RL 1: Brian has faced many problems. Fill in the chart in Problem-Solution chart (Appendix A) to explain the problem. Beside each problem, write how Brian
reacted to the situation or solved the problem.
16
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Week 7
Standards:
RL 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
Learning Targets:
RL 1: Orally and in writing, students will differentiate between quoting
as inferences drawn from the text.
directly from a text and paraphrasing the author’s purpose as they use several
RL 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
citations to support what a text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
particular details
RL 2: Orally and in writing, students will determine a theme or central idea of
RL 3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes
a literary text and describe how the theme is conveyed through particular
as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
details (characters, setting, events)
RL 3: Using a graphic organizer, students will identify the elements of the plot:
rising action(s) and climax.
Read Chapters 14-18 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. Students will also continue adding to the Story Map and Plot Map graphic organizers as well as chart Brian’s experiences of survival. Opportunities for
argumentative writing should be embedded as often as possible (Reference Planning Guide, Argumentative Writing Process).
Tasks:
Chapter 14 (Key Vocabulary: corrosive, sulfurous, mesh)
Discussion Questions
 How have Brian’s thoughts about making a mistake in life changed? What caused these changes?
 What has Brian learned about small mistakes? About hope? About patience? About struggle? About survival?
 Think back to our study of ecosystems: Does food drive all living things in the wilderness? Why or why not? How?
 How did Brian use the hatchet to help in his survival? (chart it)
 Predict what new skills Brian will acquire.
Activities
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Add to the theme T-Chart
Chapter 15 (Key Vocabulary: stabilize, streamline)
Discussion Questions
 What is the significance of a ‘first day’ mean to Brian? Chart his ‘first days’ and describe why each are significant to Brian’s survival.
 Why do the foolbirds bother Brian? Why does he want to catch one?
 How is killing the fish with the spears different than killing a foolbird with his bare hands?
 How does Brian use the hatchet for his survival? (chart it)
Activities
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Small Group Work
 Find three passages in Chapters 10 – 15 illustrating Person vs. Self and three passages illustrating Person vs. Nature or Fate. State the conflict Brian must face.
17
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
In one or two sentences, explain how Brian resolves this conflict and the extent to which he is successful. Chart on the Story Map.
Chapter 16 (Key Vocabulary: intact, retrieved, momentarily)
Discussion Questions
 Continue charting Brian’s first days and identify the significance to his survival.
 How is Brian’s experience with the moose different from what he experienced with the bear and the wolf?
 How does Brian suddenly lose everything? What is his reaction? How would you feel if you suddenly lost everything? What would you do?
 What significant symbol does the hatchet represent for Brian after the tornado? How does having the hatchet comfort Brian?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Chapter 17 (Key Vocabulary: stymie, incessant, virtually, pronounced)
Discussion Questions
 Why is rebuilding from the disaster different for Brian this time?
 Where does he start in the rebuilding process? How does he prioritize the order in which to rebuild?
 What does Brian think will make him rich? Why? What does rich mean to him now?
 Brian decided to fish and eat food first before finding a way out to the tail of the plane. What does that say about Brian’s priorities? About what he has learned about
survival?
 Why does Brian build a raft? How has his experience in building the shelter helped in his ability to build the raft?
 How did Brian use the hatchet to help him survive? (chart it)
 Why does Brian think of his mother? How have his feelings about his mother changed from the time he was on the plane to now? What are the reasons for those
changes?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
Chapter 18 (Key Vocabulary: frenzied, stabilizer, triggers, fuselage, surging)
Discussion Questions
 How did Brian use the hatchet to help him survive? (chart it)
 Why is the loss of the hatchet so devastating to Brian? What would happen to Brian’s ability to survive if he lost the hatchet for good?
 The author spends more than two chapters describing Brian’s trip out to the plane and back. What effect does this description have on the reader?
Activities
 Figurative Language (find and chart)
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Chart Brian’s Survival
18
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements



Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
 Revisit the theme of survival and begin a chart with examples as reading progresses
Story Map (Appendix A)
 Fill out the story map to identify elements of the story discovered until this point.
Plot Map
 Add to Plot Map
Add to the theme T-Chart
CFA
RL 1: Why might Brian have mixed feelings about some of the items in the survival pack? Use specific examples from the text to support your inference.
19
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Week 8:
Standards:
RL 1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
Learning Targets:
RL 1: Orally and in writing, students will differentiate between quoting
as inferences drawn from the text.
directly from a text and paraphrasing the author’s purpose as they use several
RL 2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
citations to support what a text says explicitly as well as make inferences.
particular details
RL 2: Orally and in writing, students will determine a theme or central idea of
RL 3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes
a literary text and describe how the theme is conveyed through particular
as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
details (characters, setting, events)
W 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
RL 3: Using a graphic organizer, students will sequence episodes of a story or
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources
drama and identify the elements of a plot (exposition, rising action, climax,
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
falling action, resolution).
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and
W1: With the use of a graphic organizer, students will write a formal,
reasons.
argumentative, multiple paragraph piece to support a claim. Students will
d.
Establish and maintain a formal style.
support their argument with clear and relevant reasons and evidence. Students
e.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument
will introduce a claim in the introductory paragraph. In the body of the paper,
presented.
students will support claims with credible and relevant evidence and reasons.
Students will use transition words and phrases to support the relationships
between claims and reasons/evidence. Students will write a concluding
paragraph.
Read Chapter 19 and Epilogue over the course of the week. Students should have opportunity to read silently/independently, in literature circles, and/or whole group.
After chapter 19 and the epilogue, students will complete a reflective journal write. Students will finish charting examples of figurative language which they will add to
during/after each chapter. Students will also finalize the Story Map and Plot Map graphic organizers as well as chart Brian’s experiences of survival.
Tasks:
Chapter Nineteen (Key Vocabulary: butane, emergency transmitter, encased)
Discussion Questions
 How does Brian feel about the contents of the survival pack? Use clues from the story to support your answer. Are there some items he is more excited about than
others? If Brian had found the survival pack right after the crash, how would that have changed Brian’s experience? Would it have altered the person Brian has
become?
 Is there anything in the survival pack that Brian needs for survival? Why or why not?
 How does Brian feel about the gun? Why does he feel this way? Why are those feelings significant to the change in Brian’s personality and the way he now thinks
about survival?

How does Brian feel about finding the transmitter? Why does he react the he does? Why is his reaction significant to the mentality of survival that Brian now has?
 How did Brian and his rescuer react to each other? What is similar in their reactions? Different?
 Why did Brian react the way he did? What does that say about Brian’s beliefs and feelings about the situation he is in?
Activities
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
20
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Epilogue:
Discussion Questions
 What changes does Brian notice when he returns to society?
 What types of dreams does Brian have after returning home? Why do you think he doesn’t have nightmares?
 If the rescue pilot had not saved Brian when he did, what could have happened to Brian?
 Why didn’t Brian tell his father the secret? Should he have told his father? Why or why not?
 Why did the media give Brian and his story so much attention?
 What does the hatchet represent to Brian? What significance did the hatchet have because it came from his mother? (The hatchet was an extension of his mother that
although Brian was experiencing life changes and he was growing up, his mother in the form of the hatchet, was still there for him. Does this happen when we
mature and grow? Do we let go of our parents a little bit to become more individual? What does Brian’s attachment to the hatchet demonstrate about his feelings for
his mother even though he is upset with her?)
Activities
 Reflective Journal Write (Appendix D)
 Quick Write
 Create a magazine cover. Pretend it is right after Brian is saved. Include a headline, article titles and pictures of what the ‘camp’ Brian created looked like.
 Make a list of interview questions that you would ask Brian and interview another student.
 Chart Brian’s Survival
 Revisit the theme of survival and begin a chart with examples as reading progresses
 Story Map (Appendix A)
 Complete the story map to identify elements of the story.
 Plot Map (Appendix A)
 Complete the plot map.
 Optional Extension Activity (Reference Planning Guide, week 8)
End of Unit Summative Assessments

Writing Prompt (RL 1, W 1; rubric Appendix C)
 When Brian, the main character in Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, finds himself stranded in the wilderness, he must find the strength and the tools he needs to adapt
and survive. Write a multi-paragraph essay telling the most important things Brian does to adapt to his wilderness home. State and introduce a claim, organize a
body of two or three paragraphs to support the claim with clear and relevant evidence and provide a conclusion.

Independently Read: “The View From Saturday” (RL 2, 3)
 Complete a Story Map (Appendix A) for the story.
 Complete an Episodes guide (Appendix A) for the story.
21
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Appendix A
Graphic Organizers
22
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Main Idea and Supporting Details
23
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Central Question Chart
Position A
Reasons
Position B
Truth?
Support?
Reasons
Truth?
Support?
Truth column: T=True, F=False, D=Depends
Support column: TXT=Text support; BK=Background knowledge support; LOG=Logical support
24
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
25
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Argumentative Essay Organizer
Argumentative Essay: Issue, Evidence and Examples
Claim: ____________________________________________________________________________
Reasons for the Claim
Reasons Against the Claim
Testing the Quality of My Reasons
Claim:________________________________________________________________________________
Strong Reasons (probably will convince my audience)
Weak Reasons (probably won’t convince my audience)
26
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Foreshadowing Chart
Foreshadowing is when the author gives the reader a hint of something that is going to happen to build suspense. It
may occur in dialogue or narration.
Example of Foreshadowing
Quote the Text to Support your
Example
Explanation (This shows…)
27
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Story Map
Title:
Characters
Setting
Plot
Themes
Author:
Point of View
Conflict
Person v Person
Person v Self
Person v Technology
28
Person v Nature/Fate
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Plot Map
Climax
Rising Action
Falling action
Exposition
Resolution
Triggering Action
29
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Word Choice Chart
Passages from Text
Meaning
30
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Problem-Solution Chart
Problem
Explanation of the Problem
Reaction or Solution
The berries
The bear
The porcupine
31
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Appendix B
Samples
32
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Sample 1
An ecosystem is an area where
organisms interact with one
another and with non-living parts
of the environment.
Biotic (living): Parts of the
ecosystem that shape the
environment and interact with
one another. Examples: trees,
shrubs, flowers, deer, insects,
skinks, birds, etc.
Abiotic (non-living): The part of
the ecosystem that determines
what lives in it. Examples: soil,
rocks, air quality
33
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Sample 2
In an ecosystem, populations
of organisms can be
categorized by the functions
they serve.
Biotic Factors
Supporting
Details
Components in
an active
ecosystem
Supporting
Details
34
Organisms'
Habitats and
Niche
Supporting
Details
Diversity
Supporting
Details
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
SAMPLE ONLY
(POSSIBLE ANSWERS)
Climax
Brian loses the hatchet
while trying to retrieve
supplies from the plane.
A tornado hits and
destroys everything Brian
has built.
Brian is attacked by the
moose.
Rising Action
Falling Action
Brian activates the
transmitter; a pilot lands
and finds Brian.
Brian accepts his fate and
creates a life for himself
by the lake.
Brian uses the hatchet to
make fire.
Brian encounters the bear.
Exposition
Resolution
Triggering Action
Brian, whose parents
are divorced, is flying
to see his father in the
Canadian oilfields.
Brian is rescued but is
never quite the same
person.
Brian crashes in the
Canadian wilderness.
35
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Appendix C
Rubrics
36
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Focus/
Opinion
CCSS*:
 W – 1a
 W – 1b
 W-4
Organization
CCSS:
 W – 1a
 W – 1c
 W – 1d
 W–4
Support/
Evidence
CCSS:
 RIT – 1
 W – 1b
 W – 9b
Language
CCSS:
 L–1
 L–2
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
4
(Above Grade Level)
 Responds skillfully to all parts of the
prompt
 States an argument/claim that
demonstrates an insightful
understanding of topic/text
3
(At Grade Level)
 Responds to all parts of the
prompt
 States an argument/claim that
demonstrates an understanding
of topic/text
2
(Approaching Grade Level)
 Responds to most parts of the
prompt
 States an argument/claim that
demonstrates limited
understanding of topic/text
1
(Below Grade Level)
 Responds to some or no parts
of the prompt
 Does not state a claim
and/or demonstrates little to
no understanding of topic
 Organizes ideas and information into
purposeful, coherent paragraphs that
include an elaborated introduction
with clear thesis, structured body,
and insightful conclusion
 Uses a variety of linking words,
phrases, and clauses skillfully to
connect reasons to argument/ claim
 Organizes ideas and
information into logical
introductory, body, and
concluding paragraphs
 Uses linking words, phrases,
and clauses appropriately to
connect reasons to argument/
claim
 Organizes ideas and information
in an attempted paragraph
structure that includes a sense of
introduction, body and
conclusion
 Uses some linking words,
phrases, or clauses to connect
reasons to argument/ claim but
simplistically
 Does not organize ideas and
information coherently due to
lack of paragraph structure
and/or a missing introduction,
body, or conclusion
 Uses no linking words,
phrases, or clauses
 Supports argument skillfully with
substantial and relevant evidence
 Supports argument with
sufficient and relevant
evidence
 Provides clear
explanation/analysis of how
evidence supports claim(s)
 Supports argument with limited
and/or superficial evidence
 Does not support argument
with evidence and/or
evidence is irrelevant or
inaccurate
 Provides no or inaccurate
explanation/analysis of how
evidence supports claim(s)
 Uses correct and varied
sentence structures
 Demonstrates grade level
appropriate conventions; errors
are minor and do not obscure
meaning
 Uses academic and domainspecific vocabulary
appropriate for the audience
and purpose
 Uses some repetitive yet correct
sentence structure
 Demonstrates some grade level
appropriate conventions, but
errors obscure meaning
 Uses limited academic and/or
domain-specific vocabulary for
the audience and purpose

Provides insightful
explanation/analysis of how
evidence supports claim(s)
 Uses purposeful and varied sentence
structures
 Demonstrates creativity and
flexibility when using conventions
(grammar, punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling) enhance
meaning
 Uses precise and sophisticated
academic and domain-specific
vocabulary appropriate for the
audience and purpose
37

Provides some
explanation/analysis of how
evidence supports claim(s)
 Does not demonstrate
sentence mastery
 Demonstrates limited
understanding of grade level
appropriate conventions, and
errors interfere with the
meaning
 Uses no academic or
domain-specific vocabulary
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Appendix D
Resources
38
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Gorillas in Crisis
By Kathleen Donovan-Snavely
What will you have for supper tonight? Hotdogs? Pizza? Gorilla? It may surprise you to know
that these “gentle creatures of the jungle” regularly appear as the featured entrée at many a meal
served near the African rainforest. That isn’t the only problem that haunts gorillas lately. The
combined threats posed by hunters, loggers, and disease are eliminating large numbers of gorillas
in central and West Africa. The future of gorillas in the wild is at risk.
1.
Gorilla meat is a dietary staple for nearly 12 million people who live near the rainforests of
central and West Africa. Some Africans prefer bush meat, such as gorilla, because it provides an
economical source of daily protein. Poor families without the means to purchase food at the
market travel a short distance to the rainforest to get bush meat. Their only expense is the cost of
ammunition and the fee to rent a gun. Some of these same families raise chickens and goats, but
do not eat them. Instead, they sell the animals for the cash they need for buying supplies.
Africa’s population is increasing rapidly, along with its demand for bush meat. If nothing
changes, primatologists fear that gorillas may become extinct in the next thirty years.
2.
Moving away from one’s childhood home sometimes leaves us longing for familiar places and
traditions. Naturally, the African families who move away from their original rainforest homes
struggle with these feelings of sadness and displacement. Now living in villages and cities, they
eat bush meat to feel closer to the past and to their old way of life. For them, gorilla feeds the
body and the soul as well. This custom brings little comfort to endangered gorillas, whose
females produce only one offspring every five to seven years. It is easy to see why gorillas are
being killed faster than they can reproduce.
3.
While Africans plunder the gorilla population, they are not the only ones. Over the years, their
European neighbors have developed a taste for exotic bush meat as a status symbol. Trophy
hunters value gorillas for their collectable heads and hands. Finally, some hunters persist in the
decades-long practice of trapping young gorillas to sell to zoos and private citizens across the
world. When mature members of the gorilla troop try to defend an infant, hunters shoot to
preserve their prize. Entire troops of gorillas have perished this way. The international gorilla
trade continues even though it is illegal, since the laws are nearly impossible to enforce. Gorilla
populations continue to decline.
4.
You have heard the slogan, “Save the rainforest,” with good reason. Conservationists know that
if the forest is cut down, the habitat needed to sustain countless tropical plants and animals will
no longer exist. Already the loggers who harvest tropical trees have eliminated some of the bush
where gorillas live, causing crowding that leads to the spread of disease. Furthermore, logging
has depleted the vegetation on which gorillas depend for their daily food. Up to 70 pounds of
plants and leaves are required daily for a mature gorilla’s diet. Finally, the logging roads that
facilitate removal of harvested trees also enable poachers efficiently to remove freshly killed
39
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
gorillas from the bush to the market for sale. Loggers are endangering the rainforest, along with
its inhabitants.
5.
Most recently, a disease called Ebola fever has joined forces with hunters and loggers to further
threaten the existence of gorillas. Biologists suspect that the virus was first spread across species
with the help of tropical insects. Whatever its origins, we do know that the virus is now carried
from gorillas to humans in a deadly cycle. Hunters contract the headache and fever when they
kill and eat infected bush meat. As the disease runs its course, internal bleeding leads to death.
Meanwhile, an unsuspecting hunter who seems only a bit “under the weather” may return to the
bush, effectively sickening an entire troop of gorillas. Ninety percent of all gorillas that get Ebola
fever die. Healthy gorillas that come into contact with diseased bodies in the bush get the disease
as well. Scientists are currently researching treatments for Ebola. Since human and gorilla DNA
are so similar, it is possible that a vaccine for humans will eventually help gorillas as well.
Meanwhile, Ebola continues to thrive.
People once thought that gorillas were fierce, threatening animals. Today, scientists know that
gorillas live peacefully in family groups. Their only enemies in the bush are people. Watch these
“gentle giants of the jungle” now, while you can. Unless we work together to make sure that
gorillas survive, they may disappear forever.
40
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
Reflective Journal Write
Time frame: (10 minutes)
Using first a person point of view (the student becomes Brian), students are to write a reflection finishing the
following questions:
1. In one sentence, write what happened in this chapter.
2. What I experienced….
3. What I felt….
4. Information about my surroundings….
5. Wildlife and/or nature I encountered….
6. Things I’ve learned….
7. Problems I’ve solved….
8. The most important things I will remember….
9. How I’ve changed….
41
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
“Water Picture”
In the pond in the park
all things are doubled:
Long buildings hang and
wriggle gently. Chimneys
are bent legs bouncing
on clouds below. A flag
wags like a fishhook
down there in the sky.
The arched stone bridge
is an eye, with underlid
in the water. In its lens
dip crinkled heads with hats
that don't fall off. Dogs go by,
barking on their backs.
A baby, taken to feed the
ducks, dangles upside-down,
a pink balloon for a buoy.
Treetops deploy a haze of
cherry bloom for roots,
where birds coast belly-up
in the glass bowl of a hill;
from its bottom a bunch
of peanut-munching children
is suspended by their
sneakers, waveringly.
A swan, with twin necks
forming the figure 3,
steers between two dimpled
towers doubled. Fondly
hissing, she kisses herself,
and all the scene is troubled:
water-windows splinter,
tree-limbs tangle, the bridge
folds like a fan.
May Swenson
Retrieved from: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/water-picture/
42
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13
Language Arts Unit: Surviving the Elements
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Grade: 6th
“Desert Places”
Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.
The woods around it have it - it is theirs.
All animals are smothered in their lairs.
I am too absent-spirited to count;
The loneliness includes me unawares.
And lonely as it is, that loneliness
Will be more lonely ere it will be less A blanker whiteness of benighted snow
With no expression, nothing to express.
They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars - on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.
Robert Frost
Retrieved from: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/desert-places/
43
adapted from CCGPS 3/7/13