Hatchet
Chapter tasks
Red Group
Chapter 1
1.
What did Brian first find exciting about sitting in the co-pilots seat? (p.1)
2.
a) What was Brian thinking about after the initial excitement had gone?
b) How do you think he was feeling?
3.
What importance did it have later on that the pilot had allowed Brian to take the controls for a
while?
4.
What was the first sign that the pilot was possibly in some sort of trouble?
5.
How did Brian know that the pilot was having a heart attack?
Chapter 2
1.
After the pilot’s death, list the things that Brian did in order to save his own life.
(Your list should have at least 5 things in it)
2.
Do you think that Brian was behaving rationally or irrationally? ( you will need to look the word up
in your dictionary if you do not know what it means) Provide a quote to support your answer.
Chapter 3
1.
Select six words or phrases that show how Brian was feeling when the plane crashed into the
water?
2.
How was Brian feeling when he regained consciousness? Outline what and where his aches and
pains were.
3.
Based on Brian’s behaviour so far, name three words that describe Brian’s personality. Fro one of
these words, provide a quote to support your opinion.
Chapter 4
1.
What is ‘the secret”?
2.
What was the first great discomfort that Brian encountered? (p.29)
3.
What evidence on page 31, that shows how close Brian came to being killed or seriously injured
in the plane crash?
4.
Why do you think Brian was so tired?
Chapter 5
1.
What were the problems that Brian encountered in chapter 5?
2.
What was Brian’s first attempt at “being positive”, “thinking positive”
3.
What does Brian remember Perpich said was the most valuable assets? (p.40)
4.
What quotation on page 43 best describes Brian’s situation? Make sure that you copy down the
quote word for word and put quotation marks and the beginning and end of the quote.
5.
Why did Brian wish his friend Terry was with him? (p.44)
Chapter 6
1.
Imagine your bedroom at home. How is Brian’s new lean-to home different from your bedroom?
2.
In what way does Brian blame his mother for the predicament that he is in?
3.
What prompted Brian to try and look for berries? (p.47-48)
4.
Why does Brian say “ Simple. Keep it simple”? (p.49)
Chapter 7
1.
Why did Brian start to think of the Secret again? (p.53)
2.
Why was Brian almost overcome with self pity? (p.55)
3.
What phrases tell us of Brian’s terror, when he turned and saw the bear? (p.58-59)
4.
How does the hatchet help Brian feel secure (p.60)
Chapter 8
1.
In your own words, retell Brian’s attack at the beginning of Chapter 8.
2.
Why does Brian say “ I can’t do this”?
3.
In Brian’s opinion, what was the most important rule of survival?
4.
How does Brian’s dream help him to find a way to start a fire? (p.65-67)
Chapter9
1.
Make a list of the steps Brian took to make fire.
Chapter 10
1. Why do you think Brian could not at first leave the fire? (p. 75) Provide a quote to support your
answer.
Chapter 11
1. Why does Brian get depressed? What does he do to make himself feel better?
2. Brian looks into the lake and notices that his body is changing. Draw a picture of Brian before he
became stranded in the Canadian woods and then draw another picture showing how he has
changed.
3. How would you go about catching a fish, if you were in Brian situation?
Chapter 12
1.
Why wouldn’t the fish spear work? Use a quote from the book to support your answer.
2.
How did Brian feel when the plane did not come back? Use a quote to support your answer.
Chapter 13
1.
Why did Brian smile when he thought back over his mistakes?
2.
How did Brian feel about catching his first fish? Use a quote to support your answer.
Chapter 14
1.
“Nothing in nature is lazy” What does this thought prompt Brian to realise and then do?
2.
Why is the word ‘mistakes’ repeated so many times in this chapter? Why are mistakes so
important to Brian?
Chapter 15
1. Why do the words “First Meat” begin with capital letters? (p.109)
2. What did Brian think of the taste of the “First Meat”? Use a quote to support your answer.
Chapter 16
1.
Why did Brian think the moose’s attack was insane? (p.120-121)
2.
After the tornado, Brian looses everything. Why does he think things are different to when he
was initially stranded? (p.125)
Chapter 17 and 18
1.
What were some of the difficulties encountered when Brian tried to retrieve the survival kit?
2.
Which difficulty do you consider the worst? Give reasons for your answers
3.
Why do you think Brian dove back into the plane to retrieve his hatchet?
Chapter 19
1.
Make a list of all the things in the emergency bag and then write how each of these items would
make Brian’s life easier.
2.
Describe Brian’s reaction to his rescue. What does it tell you about him?
3.
Write an alternative, but realistic ending to novel. ( 2 paragraphs)
4.