Hatchet

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Pre-Reading Warm-Up

Imagine you are going to spend 100 days surviving in the wilderness. You are allowed to choose ten items (other than your clothing) to carry with you. What ten items would you choose, and why?

Teaching Suggestion: Divide students into groups of three or four and have them reach a consensus of 10 items as a group. Walk them through reminders of basic human needs like warmth, shelter, food, and water as well as the steps necessary to obtain those things. You could also provide a list of items from which they can choose. Tell students that they must be able to carry the items (for example, they can’t choose to bring a grocery store, because it can’t be carried), and that there will be no possibility of accessing the Internet or cellular service.

• Alone, a History Channel TV show, follows contestants as they attempt to survive in isolation in the Canadian wilderness. Contestants are allowed to bring 10 items of their choosing. You may wish to explore the Alone website and view the types of items contestants bring, or even watch a segment of the show as a class to help students envision a survival situation.