Brian learns several lessons throughout his time in the wilderness, many of which are related to survival. They're both useful and interesting for students to understand and if they're particularly interested, perhaps even research! Have students create a single page, or a series of pages, of a survival booklet based on what they've read in the story.
This activity can be extended to a class activity if students create one or two pages. You can assign them specific lessons or have them select their favorite. Once they've finished, the pages can be printed out and combined into a class survival booklet!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a survival booklet or a page of a booklet that highlights and illustrates the survival lessons Brian learns throughout his time in the wilderness.
Engage students in a whole-class conversation about the survival skills Brian uses in Hatchet. This helps students connect personally with the story and deepens understanding of real-world applications.
Write thought-provoking questions like, "Which skill do you think was most important for Brian's survival? Why?" or "How might you feel if you were in Brian's situation?" These encourage critical thinking and personal connections.
Explain that everyone should contribute at least one idea or question. This creates a supportive environment where all voices are valued and students feel comfortable sharing.
Show pictures of survival tools, nature scenes, or items mentioned in the book. Visuals make the discussion more engaging and help students imagine the story setting.
At the end, invite students to share what they learned or found surprising. This reinforces main ideas and encourages reflection on survival skills and personal growth.
The Hatchet survival booklet activity is a classroom assignment where students create a page or booklet highlighting key survival lessons learned by Brian in Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Students can illustrate and explain these lessons, helping them connect literature to real-life survival skills.
Guide students to identify important survival lessons from the story, use textables to describe each lesson, and add scenes or illustrations showing how Brian survived. Encourage them to select their favorite lesson or assign specific ones, then combine their pages into a class booklet for sharing.
Examples of survival lessons from Hatchet include finding safe drinking water, building shelter, starting a fire, foraging for food, and staying calm in emergencies. Each lesson shows how Brian adapts and survives in the wilderness.
Yes, the Hatchet survival booklet activity works well for both individuals and groups. Students can create their own pages or collaborate to make a class survival booklet, fostering teamwork and creativity.
This activity is ideal for grades 4–5, matching students' reading and comprehension skills with the themes and lessons found in Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.