7th Grade Reading: Hatchet Background Information

Next week, we will begin reading the novel Hatchet, written by Gary Paulsen. Here is a short description of the book.

"Brian Robeson is only 13 years old when he is stranded alone in the Canadian wilderness after the plane in which he is flying crashes. All he has with him are the clothes on his back, a hatchet that his mother gave him, and a secret that has been tormenting him ever since his parents got divorced. Now he must figure out how to survive on his own using only the tools that he has and his own inner strength and courage. Will he ever be found? More importantly, will he be able to survive alone?"

Before we begin reading, we will learn some background information on 5 topics related to the book.

Gary Paulsen (the author)
The Canadian Wilderness (where the main character Brian is stranded)
Small Planes (like the one Brian is flying in when he crashes)
Wilderness Survival (what Brian has to do after his plane crashes)
Divorce (Brian's parents are divorced)

Each group will choose one of these topics and spend the rest of today researching their topic. Then, during the next class period, you will create a Powerpoint presentation to teach your classmates about your topic. Your Powerpoint will need to be at least 7 slides long.

Below I have listed some websites for you to visit, but you may visit other websites as well. I have also listed some questions that you may include in your presentation, but you will also want to think about what other information related to your topic is important for your classmates to know.