Hatchet

Active Reading
Hatchet Chapters 1–5

Vocabulary

amphibious [am fib e¯ əs] adj. able to function on both land and water
audible [o də bəl] adj. able to be heard
hummocks [hum əks] n. small, rounded hills
turbulence [tur byə ləns] n. irregular air motion, especially as felt by airplane passengers 
wince [wints] v. to shrink back; to flinch

Active Reading
Brian uses his skills of observation to take stock of his surroundings. Record what Brian finds as he checks out his possessions. Predict how he might use each possession to help him survive.

*62 cents - useless
*Hatchet he can use it to get limbs of trees to make a shelter
- useful
Responding
1. Why is Brian visiting his father in Canada? How does Brian feel about his mother?

- His parents were just divorced and his dad has visiting rights in the summer.
2. What is Brian’s plan for landing the plane? What conclusions can you draw about Brian from the actions he takes before the crash?

Land it in a lake, he stayed calm and thought about what he was going to do before he did it.
3. What lesson does Brian recall from Mr. Perpich, his English teacher? How does that lesson help Brian as he sits beside the lake?
 Mr. Perpich said he should quit messing around and focus because he is the only thing he has.
4. Sometimes Brian’s thoughts go back to an earlier time, when he was with his mother. What effect do these “breaks” have on the story?
It makes you want to keep reading because it is only little bits of information at a time.
5. Are Brian’s reactions to the pilot’s death and the crash realistic? Does Brian seem like a real thirteen-year-old? Explain your answer.
 I don't think his reactions were typical reactions, especially because his parents had only been divorced for a month and a half and that was on his mind the whole ride there.