Budgeting Resources

Basic Essay Outline

1.       Introduction= TAG (Title, Author, Genre)

A.      Topic Sentence= What we are going to focus on

Survival in the wilderness is challenging.  Or   Being stranded in the wilderness can be scary.  Or The difference between life and death in a survival situation can be not losing hope.

B.      Hatchet

Hatchet, a novel written by Gary Paulsen, is about a thirteen-year-old boy named Brian who is stranded in the Canadian wilderness.

C.       Cast Away

Cast Away is a film about a man named Chuck who is stranded on a tropical island.

D.      Thesis

a.       Both Brian and Chuck use survival techniques to face their challenges.

2.       Similarities= Two things that are the same that Chuck and Brian do

A.      Topic Sentence= What we are going to focus on

B.      Hatchet similarity (2 sentences)

a.       Quote (author, page number, “ “)

b.       Explanation (tell me why the quote is important)

C.      Cast Away similarity (2 sentences)

a.       Paraphrase (in your own words, name of film)

b.       Explanation (tell me why you included this)

D.      Conclusion= wrap it up. Finish the comparison

3.       Differences= Two things that are different that Chuck and Brian do

A.      Topic Sentence= What we are going to focus on

B.      Hatchet similarity (2 sentences)

a. Quote (author, page number, “ “)

b. Explanation (tell me why the quote is important)

C.      Cast Away similarity (2 sentences)

                                                             a.      Paraphrase (in your own words, name of film)

                                                             b.      Explanation (tell me why you included this)

D.      Conclusion= wrap it up. Finish the comparison

4.       Conclusion= Final thoughts

A.      Restate your thesis: Brian and Chuck both use survival techniques to face their challenges.

B.      Any final thoughts, comments, comparisons (2 sentences)

3/3/17 The Past and The Present

We learned about the word "flashback" while reading Hatchet. Brian is constantly thinking about his life before he was lost in the woods. He is reflecting on who he was and who he was becoming.

The past is constantly plaguing Brian throughout the book, through his daydreaming, his sleeping dreams, and his flashbacks. Please respond to both questions below (5 sentences each) on your blog.

How does Gary Paulsen mix the past into the present as Brian fights to survive?

How does your past mix into your present? Are you different? The same?

2/21/17 A Letter To Brian

We have moved through 11 chapters of Hatchet. Since the plane crash, Brian has changed a lot. We know this because our narrator is third person omniscient.

Today, I would like you to write a letter based on the things we do not know. In this case, I would like you to write from the point of view of Brian's dad. Topics you should cover are:

- The Divorce

- How he has felt now that Brian is missing.

-What he would like to say to Brian.

You should write this as a letter format. Have it fit the outline below.

Dear Brian,

7 Sentences

Love/ Sincerely/ Yours Truly,

Your Dad/Father

2/6/17 Surviving High School

School can be very overwhelming as you get older. Spending time with family, making and keeping friends, joining clubs, keeping up with school work; all of these things and more go into your thoughts every day. It might feel like you need more arms, energy, and time to keep up with it all.

Let's take some time to reflect on this concept. Please write 6 sentences total answering the questions below. Include two images or a video that you think best represents what you are feeling right now in your high school career.

What methods do you use to manage your time and survive the week?

Do you enjoy high school? Why or why not?

Do you think you will miss it when it's over?

Hatchet and the Secret

Surviving traumatic moments in your life can create defining moments. Brian's life is defined through his parents divorce and his ability to survive in the wilderness. Please create a blog post answer each question below with full sentences.


Have you ever had a defining moment in your life (a moment that changed who you are)? Was it good? Bad? What did you learn from it? (5 sentences)


What do you think are the most important things to know about surviving the big moments in life? (5 sentences) 

Hatchet 1/10/17

Welcome back!

We are going to start reading a novel by Gary Paulsen called Hatchet. By the end of the novel, you will have learned about literary analysis and survival skills. So today, I would like for you to write five sentence post about the questions below.

If you were stranded in the Canadian wilderness, do you think you would be able to survive for a month? Year? Please tell me why you would survive or not.