Hatchet

One of my favorite read alouds is Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I usually read the novel aloud while my students follow along (I have a class set). We're currently in the middle of the book and we do several reading response activities throughout the book, but a quick one I wanted to share was the following: students create a "to do" list for Brian (main character). This list can include things that are directly stated in the text or inferred from the text. I got this notepad at the Dollar Tree, but they could use regular lined paper to make their list. They made their lists individually and then shared with their group members. All of their choices had to be justified/explained to their group members. (While circulating I heard such rich discussion and debates!) For example, I overheard one student sharing he had "make a fire" on his to do list and another told him he didn't need to make a fire, he just needed to "feed" it and referred back to the page where Brian already has fire. The plus symbols are items they added after discussing/sharing with their group. The notepad came with a "to shop" for column as well, so for fun, I let the students brainstorm items Brian would get if he had one minute in the store to get whatever he wanted/needed. Below are two student samples.

 

 

This activity could be used with any novel. It's a quick activity that gets the kids thinking! What activities do you do for read alouds? I like to respond to all comments so please make sure you've disabled the no-reply blogger option so I can email you back! I appreciate your comments!