A Hatchet Novel Study with STEM Activities

Project-Based Learning for a Unique Hatchet Novel Study

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, is a classic survival story that resonates with tweens and teens alike. It lends itself well as a middle school read aloud or book club choice, and offers ample project-based learning activities so that your students can experience Brian's adventures right alongside him.

I have read and reread this book multiple times, each time exploring ways to make this book really come alive for kids. While there are many possibilities for STEM challenges, I have narrowed it down to three building challenges that can be done either full scale or small scale. If you can get out in nature to do this it will make even more of an impact and give the kids a real feel for what it might be like to solve problems with items found in nature. Watch the video or read on!

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I also wanted to make sure to add in some math and science activities that could have helped Brian in his isolation. **Spoiler Alert** If you have not yet read this book, you may want to stop here. I will be referring to several happenings in the book, so be forewarned. 

How Far Off Course Could Brian Have Gotten?

When we aren't yet too far into the book, and Brian has successfully survived the first leg of his adventure (crash landing), he at first thinks a search and rescue team will find him before long. At one point, though, he realizes that he could be quite far off course of his original flight path. How far off course? This is the first exercise in the Hatchet STEM resource I created to accompany this book. 

The page shown above is one of three options so that kids can work at the level that is appropriate for them. 

Brian quickly realizes he needs a shelter, so the first STEM challenge is to create a lean-to shelter. 

Design a Shelter for Brian STEM Challenge for Hatchet

This one is amazing to do outside if possible! It can be quite challenging to create one that will hold up to weather and animals.

In addition to shelter, the other main important survival issue is food. Can you design and create a bow?

Design a Bow for Brian Hatchet STEM Activity

The bow ties in nicely to two science experiments, springs and refraction (when Brian tries to catch the fish but they are at a different location than they appear). 

Science Activities for the book Hatchet

For these, I created a simple Hooke's Law experiment that you can do with springs or rubber bands to measure the deflection of a spring and calculate the spring constant, and then a refraction experiment to explore how light bends through water.

Measure the Deflection of a Spring for Hooke's Law

For the Hooke's Law experiment, measure the deflection of a spring depending on the weight applied. You can do this as I've shown above, hanging a spring off a craft stick supported be two cardboard tubes. 

Explore Refraction of Light Science  Activity

For the refraction, use a laser pointer to shine a light on graph paper or a coordinate plane, record the results, then place a glass of water in the line of the laser light and see where the light lands.

The final STEM challenge ties in to the end of the book when the plane's tail becomes visible and Brian seeks out the survival pack in the plane. 

Design a Raft STEM Activity for Brian in the Read Aloud Hatchet

Design and create a raft:

In addition to the challenges, there are engineering vocabulary cards and background information to go with the challenges. Another great challenge to do after this one is to create an FM receiver/radio. It could be fun to create a transmitter too, but likely not a good idea based on local laws in your area. You can find a few simple FM radio kits, such as this Snap Circuits one (which I favor, because you can build and rebuild it over and over):

or this one from WeMake if you are doing this as a homeschool project or group science fair project:



I hope you can use some of these activity ideas while studying Hatchet. If you would like the supporting resources that I have created, please click on the image below to head to my Teachers pay Teachers shop, where you can purchase them:

Not interested in the paid version? No problem! Pin this post so you can come back later to remember all the challenges I've shared above:

 

Pair Stare Games for Sight Words, Mathematics, and Visual Discrimination

Pair Stare Games: Fun with Sight Words  (and more!)

A game where kids and adults are on a level playing field: meet Pair Stare! Pair stare is not only a game where kids can practice their sight words (and other skills), but they can use visual discrimination skills to find where the pair is on two cards. Choose any two cards and find the one and only match on both of those cards. Watch a quick video to see a few ways to play:

Why is this game so much fun? No matter how often you play, the game is always slightly different. You can try playing with the cards below. Pick two cards and then look at them until you find the match. It's harder than it seems! Sometimes you think there must not be a match...but I promise you there is. A few things that can help you out:

• the word will always be the same color and font
• the word will NOT always be the same size
• if you can't find the word, try searching by color or by number of letters in the word. Try it out below! Pick ANY two cards below and then find the match.

After you have found the match, record it and move on to a new set of cards.

There are decks for varying degrees of sight word difficulty, each with a slightly different color scheme or font, and all coded lightly at the bottom corner of each card. That means that you can use the same game but alternate decks as your students become more confident in their site words.

Pair Stare Isn't Just for New Readers

In addition to the fraction and math games (addition and subtraction), I have created a slightly different pair stare vocabulary game for upper elementary and even middle school students. The word isn't the same on both cards, but rather you need to find a synonym. Luckily all the matching synonyms are still color-coded. Can you find any below? Find sizzling/sweltering, walk/meander, or miniscule/small!

Good news. You can try out a basic set for free here:

or you can find all my pair stare games at Teachers pay Teachers.


Pin this idea for later:

There is now an editable version of this game! Grab the editable spelling and vocabulary word game here. Add any spelling list, vocabulary list, or themed list to create your own deck of cards:
 

word vault

This is something I've been meaning to post about for awhile, but I just haven't been at the computer long enough to sit down and write about it! I am so excited to repeat this project with my own children. I created a word vault (though I don't think we called it that) when I was in second grade. I still have it in a closet somewhere! You can use a very simple index card box or index file holder, and the alphabetical dividing cards are optional. Since we homeschool, I went ahead and purchased a locking index card box knowing that the ability to lock it up would make it even more exciting for my seven year old!

This is a great way to keep your spelling and vocabulary words. For my seven year old, I have him write the word on the unlined side of an index card, and then use the word in a sentence (or write the definition) on the lined side. After the card is filled out, it goes in the box in alphabetical order! At the end of the school year it will be filled up with lots of cards! Since he had just recently built the LEGO Tower Bridge and we have been learning about bridges, he chose a few fitting words as the first words to add, such as bascule, force, tension, and compression. He also then asked if decompression was a word and what it meant and if he could add that, too.  =)

Bascule!

Compression!

Locking it up!

Something great about this is that it is very inviting to open up the vault again and review the words. They become vocabulary flash cards, and are wonderful for review. I know that every student in my second grade class had one of these but you could have a class word vault instead! There is a lot of room for differentiation. Here are a few ideas:

• Add word roots (Latin, Greek, etc.) and words with the same root.
• Write the word in more than one language.
• Print the word and write it in cursive (we should be starting cursive soon so I think we'll do this).
• Draw a picture of what the word means.
• Take out all the word cards and mix them up. Set the stopwatch to see how fast you can alphabetize them!

I told H that once he writes his word, and learns what it means, he can lock it up and it's his forever. I sure do hope that is true!

*First image graphics by: Jessica Stanford, Fun for Learning, and Sweet Berry Patch.

Nature Bingo Printable Activity - Take a Hike with your Kids

Play Nature Bingo on a Nature Walk! 

At one lovely visit to Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut, they had a game of Nature Bingo available that the kids found really enjoyable. All you need is images and/or words of things in nature that you would find in your neighborhood. I made the following cards based on things we might see in our neighborhood, but feel free to make your own if you have different nature items near you. This is a great activity for Earth Day to really connect with nature.

How to Use these Nature Bingo Cards

• Print out and laminate the cards, then (optional)
• Hole punch two holes to thread yarn so you can wear the card around your neck.
• Use washable markers / dry erase to mark off what you see.

I attached Velcro stickers to the Nature Bingo cards and washable markers so you don't have to hold your marker either. Use these cards over and over again, whether you are camping, exploring a new hiking trail, or going for a walk in your neighborhood.  Feel free to click on the images to enlarge and print them or download the entire set at my Teachers pay Teachers store! I may add a 5x5 true BINGO card in the future, but 4x4 seems to be the right size for preK through lower elementary.

Update: there is also a free downloadable set available at the Mass Audubon site!

*Full image credits are included in the full download, available at Teachers pay Teachers.