Vocabulary Section One (Chapters 1-4)
Vocabulary Definition
abated
Vocabulary Definition
intervals
consuming
spasm
hurtling
banked
rudder
grimacing
altimeter
keening
depress
turbulence
initial
coma
slewed
hordes
arc
massive
frustration
muck
Choose two words from the list above and use them to complete the
vocabulary four squares.
Chapter One
The story’s introduction gives us information about the character,
setting and situation.
o The characters are the people involved in a story
Who is the main character?
o The setting is the time and place in which the story takes place
What is the setting of this story?
o The situation includes information about what is happening
What do we know about the situation so far?
To keep us interested in reading a story, authors use a grab. The
grab is designed to pull us into a story and make us want to read
more. One way of doing this is to create suspense. What are some of
the ways Paulsen creates suspense in the first chapter?
Turn to the chapter film strip on the back page. Complete chapter
one.
Chapter Two
Answer the following questions using full sentences
1. Why do you think Brian is unable to say the pilot is dead?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. What will eventually happen if Brian just keeps the plane on a
course pointing straight ahead?
3. Brian decides he must avoid the trees when he lands. Why is
this?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. Brian decides to fly the plane onto a lake. Describe what he will
try and do when he lands the plane.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
5. The author continues to create suspense to keep the reader
interested. How does he do this in chapter two?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Complete the film strip for chapter two
Chapter Three
1. Review this chapter using scanning techniques. In your own
words, describe the events leading up to and including the
plane crash.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Predict what would have happened to Brian if he had been
knocked unconscious during the crash.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. In your own words, describe what sort of person Brian seems
to be. Provide evidence to support your ideas
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. Write down anything you are uncertain about, or a question you
would like to ask about the story.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Complete the film strip for chapter 3
Chapter Four
A flashback is when the story jumps back in time to an earlier event or scene.
Chapter four begins with a flashback.
1. What information does the flashback include?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Why do you think the author has chosen to begin the chapter in this way?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Review the description of the setting on pages 36-37. Use this description to draw a detailed
picture of the scene
3. Brian feels that he is both lucky and unlucky after the crash. How is he
both luck and unlucky?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Complete the film strip for chapter four
Vocab section two (Chapters 5-8)
Mix and match-find the correct definition for each of the words
1
2
amphibious
diminish
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
motivated
ruefully
apparent
gestures
pulverized
segment
asset
interlaced
receded
seepage
13 crude
14 jets
15 relative
16 lushly
17 rivulets
18 gingerly
growing luxuriantly
a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or
the head, to express an idea or meaning
relating to, living in, or suited for both land and water
cross or be crossed intricately together; interweave
in a careful or cautious manner
a useful or valuable thing or person
make or become less
a small stream of water or another liquid
clearly visible or understood; obvious
reduce to small pieces
expressing sorrow or regret
the slow escape of a liquid or gas through porous
material or small holes
a thing having a relation to or connection with or
necessary dependence on another thing
each of the parts into which something is or may be
divided
go or move back or further away from a previous
position
in a natural or raw state
provide (someone) with a reason for doing something
rapid stream of liquid or gas forced out of a small
opening
Write your answers in the table below
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
Vocab Section Three (Chapters 9-12)
Use a dictionary and thesaurus to help you solve the crossword
Down
1 To keep on going
3 Inactive
4 To be made up of various components
5 Feeling down or blue
6 Pay attention
7 A name for the buttocks and thighs
8 To feel pleasure and satisfaction
11 Throw your arms and legs about wildly
12 The reason for doing something
Choose three words from the crossword. Use them to write three complete
sentences in the boxes below, then draw an illustration for each of the
sentences.
Sentence
Illustration
Sentence
Illustration
Sentence
Illustration
Vocab Section Four (Chapters 13-16)
Vocabulary Definition
camouflage
Vocabulary Definition
detach
exulted
hummock
infuriating
rectify
sarcasm
impaired
confines
refracts
fashioned
precise
prospect
corrosive
stabilise
unduly
Choose two words from the list and complete
the word squares.
Sometime the vocabulary can provide us with clues about what will
happen next in the story. Based on the vocabulary that we have
looked at for this section, what do you think might happen?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Chapter Five
Chapter Five
1. Why did Brian decide it was okay to drink the lake water?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Why did Brian believe people would be able to find him?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. Brian thinks sarcastically about actors he has seen in the
movies who were trying to survive in the woods. He thinks that
those people made it look fun and easy to survive in the forest,
when it is actually very difficult. What words does Brian use
to let you know that he is being sarcastic?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. What lessons does Brian remember from his English teacher,
Perpich?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
5. What items does Brian have with him?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Items for Survival
In groups, discuss the items that you would most like to have with
you if you if you were stranded in the Canadian wilderness. List them
below. Following are the requirements:
o
o
o
o
All items should be small enough to fit in your pockets
You are limited to a maximum of seven items
You may not include any communications devices in your list
You should remember that you will need tools to help you
survive for a long period of time, rather than temporary items
such as food
In groups, discuss the power of positive thinking.
o Do you think you are a mainly a positive or negative thinker?
Explain.
o Discuss with your group a time when positive thinking has
benefited you.
Make a list of people you know and then divide them into two groups-optimists and pessimists.
Optimists
Pessimists
In groups, discuss what you think makes some people optimists and
some people pessimists.
Complete the film strip for chapter 5
Chapter Six
1. Explain how Brian is led to the berries
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Brian keeps dreaming about his favourite kinds of food. If you
were in Brian’s situation which food would you fantasise about?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. Why does Brian decide to eat before constructing the lean-to?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Characterisation-this term refers to the way in which an author
creates a believable character. In a novel we often find out a lot of
detail about the main character. Turn to page the character map)
and begin to add details. We will continue adding to this as we read
the story.
Add to your film strip for chapter 6
Chapter Seven
Write three open ended questions based on chapter seven. An openended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer.
It cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Once you have
written your questions, swap them with a partner and answer their
questions.
1__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Add to the film strip for chapter 7
Chapter Eight
1. What woke Brian in the middle of the night?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Explain the cause of the musty smell in his shelter that night.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. What important rule of survival did Brian learn?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. Explain how Brian fought off the intruder.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
5. What important discovery does Brian make when he examines the
rock at the end of this chapter?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Add to the film strip for chapter 8
Chapter Nine
1. Why does Brian refer to the fire as a ‘friend’?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
One of the things Brian has learned about is the conditions that are
needed for a fire. List the three things Brian understood he needed
for a fire.
1__________________________________________________
2__________________________________________________
3__________________________________________________
Think about the two ways Brian tried to make a fire and how he
needed all three of the conditions you listed. Describe the two
attempts, explaining what conditions might have been missing
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Why do you think he would be unable to make fire by rubbing sticks
together?
_______________________________
Continue adding to the character map and
film strip
Chapter Ten
1. Why did Brian not want to leave the fire?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. What did he do so that he could tend the fire (keep it going)?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. Name three to four ways that the fire will help Brian.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. Provide evidence that despite his perilous situation Brian remains
optimistic.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Continue adding to the character map and film strip
Draw the tracks of any animals you are familiar with