Grade 6
Language Arts Novel Unit
Novel Title: Hatchet
Marking Period:
1
Unit Length:
2 weeks
Author:
Prerequisite(s):

Enduring Understanding(s):
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

Literature from the real world can help us to learn
about ourselves.
Reading strategies help students understand and
learn from literature.
Language choices strengthen writing.
Using the writing process helps us to clearly express
ourselves to others.

Designated Group
Accelerated X
On
Above
Below
Gary Paulsen
The ability to identify literary elements of character and plot as
a means of moving the action in a narrative
The ability to gather information from reading in an organized
fashion as a means of prewriting
Curricular Connections:


Science: digestion
Social Studies: adapting to the environment in order to
survive
Essential/Key Questions:


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How does a single event change the plot and conflict of a
novel?
Which character qualities determine resolution to a
conflict?
How does Paulsen make the character, Brian, come alive?
What can we do before, during and after reading to
describe and explain a fictional character?
Evidence of Learning:
Technology Indicator(s):
Upon graduation, students will be able to use computers and related
technologies:

As tools to increase productivity, promote creativity, and
encourage collaboration.

To communicate, collaborate, and interact effectively with multiple
audiences.
Name of novel:
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Created by: Dot Arida, July 2002
Formative Assessments:
 Journals
 Discussion responses
 Written responses
 Student questions
 Student conferencing
Summative Assessments:
 Prompt: character sketch
 Student products:
characteristics web
 End of the unit framework
assessment: MP 1
Instructional Resources:


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Novel—class set
Interactive Reader 6
o “Woodsong” p. 57
Daybook 6
o “Dancing Carl” p. 207
Making Big Words
Cunningham
o Lesson 1: adventures
o Lesson 3: airplanes
Write Source 2000 (2nd
edition, 1993)
o Character sketch
sample, item 165
NATT(ms) MTA Satellite Program, 2002 Anne Arundel County Public Schools
1
Novel Planning Sheet
Selection pages - 1-12 Chapter 1
Read Aloud/Journal Topic
Teacher Directed Reading
Teacher Directed Writing
Word Development
Technology
Outcome: Students will
Outcome: Students will visualize to
Outcome: Students will present
Outcome: Students
Outcome: Students
increase their ability
and desire to read when
they listen to the
teacher read aloud.
aid understanding.
author information to
classmates using publishing
method of choice.
will use awareness of
phonemes to make
words.
will gather
information using an
internet resource.
Procedure:
Procedure:
Procedure:
Procedure:
Procedure:
After students have
researched Gary
Paulsen the teacher
will read aloud an
excerpt from
Woodsong.
Visualizing: Discuss with students:
what is visualizing? How does
visualizing help readers to better
understand what they are
reading?
After researching Paulsen on
group assigned website, the
group will participate in a
gallery walk.
Topics such as the following
should be written on the top
of chart paper:
 Facts about Gary
Paulsen’s early life
 Information about
Gary Paulsen’s writing
style
 Facts about Paulsen’s
current life
 Experiences that
affected Paulsen’s
writing
 Surprising facts
Student groups will rotate
through Gallery pages and
add information from their
research.
Conduct a making
words lesson with
students using
Cunningham’s Making
Big Words book.
In groups, students
will research Gary
Paulsen using
websites assigned
by the teacher.
Students are to
gather information
about Paulsen.
They should look
for interesting
facts that other
sites may not have
shared.
Read through the first few pages
After reading, discuss of chapter one modeling a think
whether or not this
aloud when you notice words or
story illustrates what phrases that lend to visualizing.
was found in the
Paulsen research.
Students read through the rest
Students should
of chapter 1 using sticky notes to
determine that this
highlight areas where they were
fits Paulsen’s style
able to visualize.
because it is a story
written about an
Using presenter and TR1, have
event that really
students list sensory details as
happened to him.
they were found in the first
chapter. A class recorder can be
used to list details or students
may take turns.
Name of novel:
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Created by: Dot Arida, July 2002
Lesson 3: airplanes
Lesson 1: adventures
Website list (TR 2)
NOTE TO
TEACHER:
This is a suggested
list. Preview each
site before student
use.
NATT(ms) MTA Satellite Program, 2002 Anne Arundel County Public Schools
2
Novel Planning Sheet
Selection pages - 119-127 Chapter 13
Read Aloud/Journal Topic
Outcome: Students will
increase their ability and
desire to read when they
listen to the teacher read
aloud.
Procedure:
Complete during directed
writing.
After discussing final
activity for this novel
(character sketch) but
before creating the web,
the teacher will read aloud
the sample character
sketch from Write Source
2000 (edition 2.)
After reading, a discussion
should be held on what
makes a character sketch
interesting to read. Would
a description of the old
man in this story be as
interesting to read?
Students should note that
a character sketch is not
just a paragraph telling
about the person.
Name of novel:
Teacher Directed Reading
Teacher Directed Writing
Word Development
Technology
Outcome: Students will reread to clarify
main event in chapter.
Student will use content cues to infer
meaning.
Outcome: Students will generate an
organizer for ideas gathered from
the novel.
Outcome: Students will
distinguish and explain
the “shades of meaning”
for related words.
Outcome: Students will
use technology as a tool
to increase
productivity.
Procedure:
Before-Activate prior knowledge by
Procedure:
Brainstorm information that would
be important in writing a
description of a character.
List ideas.
Tell students that after reading
this novel, we will write a character
description or sketch of Brian. (Do
not go over the prompt.)
Read aloud the sample sketch.
Ask students if our initial list
covers all that we would want to
include in the sketch. What are we
missing?
Design a character sketch web as
class using Inspiration.
Add to the web using information
about Brian that we have already
discovered in Chapters 1 – 12.
Procedure:
Introduce students to
the term “shades of
meaning.” Look back to
the character
description from Write
Source and locate the
very descriptive words.
In chapter13, Brian was
sad. Does the word sad
convey the true feeling
that Brian had during
this chapter? How can
we make the word sad
more vivid?
Using a thesaurus and a
dictionary, locate
synonyms for sad. Using
definitions for these
words, rank these words
from sad to most sad.
Allow students to
discover that word
choice changes meaning.
Procedure:
Using the Inspiration
program and a
classroom presenter,
design a web to record
information about Brian.
Show students the ease
of using the program
with the rapid-fire key.
After completing the
web, add information
about Brian gathered
from Chapters 1-12.
discussing the character Brian.
Teacher models rereading for
clarification using a passage from the
first page of chapter 13.
Purpose for reading- Identify a place in
the text where rereading for clarification
is important.
During-Students will independently read
chapter 13 marking passages.
After-Return to the purpose for reading
question. Ask students to identify the
most important event in the chapter.
(Teacher note: Most students will not
identify that Brian tried to take his own
life. If no one mentions the event, ask
students how Brian changed in the
chapter. What caused this change?
Reread pages 122-123 until “He was new.”
Discuss how we were able to miss this
very important event. )
Talk about reading rate and rereading for
clarification. Think aloud: “When I read,
“saw the blood, hated what he had done to
himself…” I thought “Wait a minute, what
did he do to himself?” This made me
reread.
A sample web (TR 3) is
provided for teacher
reference
Reflect: When have students used this
strategy before? When can they see
themselves using it?
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Created by: Dot Arida, July 2002
NATT(ms) MTA Satellite Program, 2002 Anne Arundel County Public Schools
3
Selection pages - 147-160 Chapter 16
Read Aloud/Journal Topic
Novel Planning Sheet
Teacher Directed Writing
Word Development
Technology
Outcome: Students will
increase their ability and
desire to read when they
listen to the teacher read
aloud.
Outcome: Students will predict ideas and
events by recalling character’s prior
experiences.
Outcome: Students will generate an
organizer for ideas gathered from
the novel.
Outcome: Students will
distinguish and explain
the “shades of meaning”
for related words.
Outcome: Students will
use technology as a tool
to increase productivity.
Procedure:
Teacher will read aloud
an excerpt from Dancing
Carl.
After reading, students
should determine if the
story fits Gary Paulsen’s
style as we now know it.
Procedure:
Predicting:
Before-Teacher models a think aloud
reading to pages 147- 150 paragraph 1
“It was nearly the last act of his life.”
WHAT is going to happen?
Elicit some student predictions. Ask
students how they made these
predictions. Discuss that when we
make a prediction, we need to use all
information that we know so far.
Purpose for reading-Students will
read to check predictions.
During-Students will read silently to
page 154. Discuss the accuracy of
their predictions. Continue to make
predictions about the story. Ask
students to make predictions about
the mystery sound. Students will
continue to read independently to
locate clues to verify predictions.
Students finish chapter.
After-Students respond to journal
prompt. TR 4 (PowerPoint)
Procedure:
After generating their own
webs in the lab, students add to
their own webs using details
about Brian from the past
chapters. Students may choose
to add some of the details that
were gathered as a class.
Procedure:
Continue to practice
shades of meaning
with students.
Complete a class
example together
using the word “mad.”
The moose in the
chapter was mad.
Procedure:
In the computer lab,
students will design
their own organizers
for gathering
information about
Brian that they may
want to include in
their character
sketches.
**This read aloud will
serve as one of the many
book talks for other
Paulsen novels.
Name of novel:
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Teacher Directed Reading
Created by: Dot Arida, July 2002
Upon completion, students may
print their own webs to use for
gathering information while
they are reading.
In the classroom, students may
add information to their own
webs using the classroom
computer as time permits.
In groups, have
students come up with
the most “loud” word
that they can to
describe the tornado
in the chapter. When
groups share their new
words and definitions,
rank these words from
loud to loudest.
The class-generated
web may be displayed
using the presenter
to assist students
with brainstorming
ideas to include in
their own webs.
NATT(ms) MTA Satellite Program, 2002 Anne Arundel County Public Schools
4
Selection pages - 184-191 Chapter 19
Novel Planning Sheet
Read Aloud/Journal Topic
Outcome: Students will
increase their ability
and desire to read when
they listen to the
teacher read aloud.
Teacher Directed Reading
Outcome: Students will identify
elements of plot.
Student will determine how single
events may alter the plot.
Teacher Directed Writing
Outcome: Students will generate
an organizer for ideas gathered
from the novel.
Word Development
Outcome: Students will
distinguish and explain
the “shades of
meaning” for related
words.
Technology
Outcome: Students will
use technology as a
tool to increase
productivity.
Procedure:
Introduce students to
the follow up novels to
Hatchet. Paulsen has
written three other
novels about Brian.
The River is about
Brian revisiting the
wilderness as part of a
survival project.
Brian’s Winter answers
the question: What if
Brian had not been
rescued before winter?
Brian’s Return allows
readers see what
happened to Brian once
he returned home.
Teacher will read an
excerpt from The River
as an introduction to
another novel.
Procedure:
Plot:
Students read chapter 19.
Complete the plot diagram (TR 5)
together for the novel so far.
Ask students to determine what
shapes plot? Events shape plot. How
could one event change a plot?
For example, what if the pilot had
lived? How would the story have
changed? Orally work through the
plot diagram for the new scenario.
Give the students a new scenario:
what if Brian had the survival pack all
along?
Students complete a new plot diagram
for this new scenario. Allow some
students to share their new plots.
Procedure:
After today’s shades of meaning
lesson, students go back to
their Inspiration webs in the
lab. After adding information
to the web, students should look
for words they used in their
webs that are not specific
enough. Using the same
procedure for the shades of
meaning lessons, students
should change at least two
descriptors on their webs.
Procedure:
Shades of meaning in
teams:
Words for “dirty”
Brian was dirty at the
end of the novel.
Procedure:
In the lab, students
will add to and edit
their Inspiration
webs.
Name of novel:
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Created by: Dot Arida, July 2002
If time, “happy”
Brian was happy when
he found the treasure
in the survival pack.
***At the conclusion
of the novel, students
will draft, edit and
publish a character
sketch of Brian in the
lab.
***After today’s lesson,
students will begin drafting
their character sketches in the
lab. The prompt (TR 6), edit
(TR 7) and rubric (TR 8) are
included for teacher reference.
The prompt and rubric should
be introduced on the same day.
NATT(ms) MTA Satellite Program, 2002 Anne Arundel County Public Schools
5
Novel Plot Summary
Parts of the Plot
Summary
Exposition
Brian is a thirteen-year-old boy who is traveling in a small plane to Canada to spend the summer with his
father. Brian’s parents are newly divorced and Brian knows the secret of his mother’s affair. After the
pilot has a heart attack, Brian is left alone to crash-land the plane in a lake. This leaves Brian stranded,
without any tools or provisions, in the Canadian wilderness.
Rising Action
Brian is stranded in the wilderness. He must learn to survive without tools or food. His knowledge of his
mother’s secret wears on his mind and causes him great sadness. Brian encounters many challenges and
makes many mistakes in the wild. Animals cause a great deal of trouble for Brian; some even attack him.
Climax
A tornado rips through the area, threatening Brian’s whole existence. It uncovers the remains of the
crashed plane in the lake. Brian knows that the survival pack is inside the plane and makes a plan to
retrieve it.
Falling Action
After finding the pack, Brian inventories his new treasures and begins to prepare a meal. As he prepares
to feast, a pilot comes to rescue Brian after receiving a transmission from an emergency transmitter
Brian had unknowingly set off.
Brian returns home with much fanfare and researches the things that he encountered in the wild. He
eventually does get to visit his father but he chooses not to reveal his mother’s secret.
Resolution
Name of novel:
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Created by: Dot Arida, July 2002
NATT(ms) MTA Satellite Program, 2002 Anne Arundel County Public Schools
6