Middle Grades: Hatchet Novel Study
In this six-week course, students will read the novel Hatchet and engage with others in discussion and activities about the novel. This journey will be a fun-filled reading experience for all!
What's included
12 live meetings
12 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will be expected to have assigned chapters read prior to attending class.Assessment
Student will take a halfway assessment as well as one at the end of the book. These scores are available per your request.Class Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
This class will be a fun and engaging novel study for middle grades, on the book Hatchet. Students will be expected to do all reading outside of class, as well as have some answers down for the guided reading questions. Being prepared in this way will make our class discussions more productive and engaging. Each week we will cover a different set of chapters. The first meeting of the week we will spend a lot of time conversing about what we read, how we feel about it, and any other thoughts or questions. We will listen to each other's opinions and perspectives and think about how they relate to our feelings about what we read. We will also write in our reading journal during this class, as well as discuss any unknown words. In the second class of each week, we will partake in different activities that allow us to dive deeper into the chapters. These engaging activities will vary each week, but will be done using multiple platforms such as games, slides, paper and markers, interactive whiteboards, etc. At times there will be optional "homework" assignments that students can do, if they feel they want to continue working with our chapters from that week. We will cover many different topics throughout the six weeks! We will work on summarizing, vocabulary, context clues, foreshadowing, sequence of events, character development, conflict, predictions, and many other literary elements. Some of the themes from the novel that we will be discussing are: survival and resilience, nature, self-discovery, transformation, perseverance, isolation, problem solving, the power of nature and maturing. Disclaimer: The topic of divorce is discussed in this book! There will be an assessment given halfway through the book and again at the end of the book, to assess student's retention and comprehension. These scores will be available for you, if you request them. If your child would like to join this course after it's started, that is perfectly fine! Just please be sure they have read the chapters and are caught up before attending their first class. Each student will need a copy of the book, Hatchet. You can buy the book, borrow it from the library, or download a digital version. Digital versions can be purchased from places like Amazon or borrowed for free from your local library using the Libby or Hoopla apps.
Learning Goals
Students will be able to determine the theme of a story using details in a text.Students will be able to determine the meaning of words or phrases from a text.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)12 Lessons
over 6 WeeksLesson 1:
Chapters 1-3
Students will have chapter reading completed before class. We will spend most of this class discussing what we read and going over the guided reading questions students received prior to class. We will talk about any unknown words and define them using context clues from the story. Students will write a journal entry in our Reading Journal, reflecting on how they would handle the situation if they were in Brian's position. We will begin a character development chart for the main character. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Chapters 1-3 - Activities
In this class we will focus on completing activities that are centered around our chapters of the week. We will also discuss characterization, setting and how it effects the story, sequence of events and how Paulsen usings sensory imagery. We will write a survival plan, brainstorming things Brian might need to survive after the crash (food, water, shelter, etc.). 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Chapters 4-6
Students will have chapter reading completed before class. We will spend most of this class discussing what we read and going over the guided reading questions students received prior to class. We will talk about any unknown words and define them using context clues from the story. We will focus on analyzing Brian's evolving mindset and his survival tactics. In our Reading Journals, we will make a chart of Brian's physical and emotional responses so far and how we can relate to those. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Chapters 4-6 - Activities
In this class we will focus on completing activities that are centered around our chapters of the week. We will discuss Brian's survival strategies, particularly with shelter, and design our own wilderness shelters and create a list of materials and why they would be good for a shelter. 60 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This book does talk about the topic of divorce. The main character's parents are getting a divorce, and this life changing event is what prompts him to get on a plane, which is the basis of the book. There are also a few pages where the main character attempts to cut himself, after a rescue plane goes by and doesn't see him to save him. The way this will be explained is that he's trying to cause physical pain to take away from the emotional pain.
Pre-Requisites
The book level for the novel we will be reading, Hatchet, is 5.7, which means it's at a fifth grade reading level. Please be sure your child is able to read the novel on their own before joining the class.
Supply List
Students will need a copy of the book, Hatchet. They will also need paper and coloring utensils every once in a while, if they have them. If they don't have them, that's ok.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Ohio Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
I'm a certified teacher in Social Studies and Language Arts for middle grades and high school. I also have taken extra classes to get my reading endorsement, which allows me to teach reading for grades K-12. Reviews
Live Group Course
$36
weekly or $216 for 12 classes2x per week, 6 weeks
60 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-13
2-12 learners per class
