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Chapter 19

Hatchet

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

The rifle changed him, the minute he picked it up, and he wasn't sure he liked the change very much. He set it aside, leaning it carefully against the wall.

Read the passage aloud. What does the second sentence show Brian doing about the change?

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in order: the contents of the pack, the rifle, the lighter, the transmitter, the feast, and the plane.

1. Brian thinks of the pack's contents as "presents." Why might he think of them that way?Tone

2. Brian feels the rifle "somehow removed him from everything around him." What do you think he means?Character

3. Brian puts the rifle aside and says he "could deal with that feeling later." Was it wise to wait?Moral reasoning

4. Brian meets the plane at the moment his "mind full of home" smells the cooking beef. Why might Paulsen time it that way?Author's choice

5. When the pilot arrives, Brian asks if he would like something to eat. What might that tell us about who Brian is now?Theme

Make a Connection Tell about a time something that made a task easier also made you feel you were missing something.

Vocabulary

Crossword
12
345
6
78
9
Across
  • Across 1. A gun with a long barrel.
  • Across 3. With attention to avoid harm.
  • Across 6. To move slowly along water or ground.
  • Across 7. Dirt that has built up.
  • Across 9. Being filled with wonder.
Down
  • Down 2. Not noticing at all.
  • Down 4. Searching by moving things around.
  • Down 5. Tangled into a thick mass.
  • Down 8. A sudden danger that needs quick help.
The words in the chapter
  • rifle The rifle changed him
  • carefully leaning it carefully against the wall
  • oblivious oblivious even to the mosquitoes
  • rummaging Rummaging through the food packets
  • marveling marveling at how easy it was
  • grime Thick with grime and smoke dirt
  • matted matted with fish and fool-bird grease
  • taxi settling with a spray to taxi and stop
  • emergency Emergency Transmitter.

Critical thinking

1. Brian finds food in the pack and says he will have a feast first. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what he is deciding.

2. Brian carries water to the fire in a pot. Using two pieces of evidence, explain why such a small thing amazes him.

3. The pilot says Brian's search was given up long ago. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how Brian reacts.