Literature Circle for Middle Grades: Hatchet

This section of Literature Circles for Middle Grades will help students learn how to discuss and journal about major literary elements and devices in Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

Topics covered will include how to talk about:
*characters
*plot
*setting
*making personal-text, text-to-text and text-world connections 
*author's point of view
*drawing inferences
*looking at language, diction, how a book is set up
*making predictions
*conflict
*resolution

Students will also learn how to use a journal while reading to take notes and write impressions from the text. During class, students will be encouraged to reflect back to their journal and read or summarize parts of it to further the discussion. 

By the end of the class, students will have learned about how to become more confident in discussing literature with diminishing teacher prompts. 

This class can stand alone as a great introduction to Literature Circles and how to journal and speak about literature. Students may continue on in the Literature Circle series of classes to practice skills learned in this class and become more confident in their Literature Circle skills. 

Students will need:
*the book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
*a paper or electronic journal of their choosing 
*to read outside of class and come to class with at least one idea to talk about each week
*the ability to read or listen to books in the middle-grade range (approximately ages 9-14)

Class 1: Read approximately 1/4 of the book
*Introduction to Literature Circles
*Talk about what makes for good journal entries and discussion topics
*Begin by going over basic literary elements in the story (beginning chapter(s))
*Expand on how to take basic parts like characters, setting, and sequencing plot and delve deeper into inferences, connections, predictions, analysis and author/cultural/time period influences and motivations

Class 2:
*Discuss half of the book
*Students share at least one journal thought
*Teacher prompted "critical thinking" about those chapters including foreshadowing, tone, mood, author's intentions

Class 3:
*Discuss the first three-fourths of the book
*Students try to share at least 2-3 journal ideas for discussion topics
*Teacher-guided discussion about connections (text-text, text-world, text-self) and predictions

Class 4:
*Discuss final chapters of the book
*Students primarily lead discussion
*Teacher will make sure that author, cultural and time period influences, and themes are discussed
*Wrap up book