Grade 6 Novel Study
Brian survives his
injuries from the wreck, the onslaught of the hordes of mosquitoes, the sunburn
and the initial thirst and hunger, as he waits to be rescued. Within a
few days, he finds shelter and his only food - some bitter berries that he
gorges upon. These berries he later comes to call "gutcherries"
because they cause him severe stomach pain. The boy grows in the ways of
the woods as he finds raspberries, ignoring the bear that also comes to
feast. He cannot ignore the porcupine, though, that stumbles into his
shelter, perhaps looking for the store of berries that Brian has. He is
injured once again, and after pulling the porcupine quills out of his leg, has
a dream.
In this dream,
Brian's father points to the fire that he is cooking on. When Brian
awakes, he remembers the sparks that flew when he threw the precious hatchet
against the rock wall. Thinking about this leads to the re-discovery of
fire, and Brian's adjustment to the wilderness as he subsequently discovers
turtle eggs and later, how to fish with bow and arrow. When he misses the
attention of the pilot of a passing plane, however, he becomes deeply depressed
and attempts suicide. Out of this despair comes a new confidence in
himself and his power to survive, whether or not he is rescued.
Encounters with a
skunk, a moose, and tornado only deepen this confidence, and Brian decides to
visit the sunken plane, hoping to recover the survival pack stowed in the
fuselage. The survival pack yields precious dehydrated food and a
transmitter that Brian discards after he assumes it is useless. The
"broken" transmitter results in his rescue and his return to his
mother.
The epilogue catalogs
the changes in Brian due to his ordeal. It also recounts his adjustment
to life as it had been, before his fifty-four days in the wilderness.
Assignments:
October 6, 2023
-Read Chapters 1 and 2
October 11, 2023
-Read Chapters 3 and 4
-Heart Connection Worksheet (Research)
-Quiz Time Worksheet
Due: Thursday, October 12, 2023
November 28, 2023
-Read Chapters 5 and 6
November 28, 2023
-Read Chapters 7 and 8
November 30, 2023
-Title Page
0 comments:
Post a Comment