Assignment 1: Write about your survival book (Hatchet) as if you were a person reporting on the book just after the survival incident occured. (James chose a newspaper article format.)
Plane Down, Presumed Fatal
Last night a one-engine plane carrying Brian Robinson and a forty-year old pilot went off its flight path and crashed in the Canadian wilderness. Searchers have been working all night but to no avail. His parents are horror- struck and so are officials. Brian, who lives in New York with his mother, was on his way to visit his father in northern Canada.
The first reports came in yesterday afternoon. “I heard a crazy call from the crashing plane and he said something about a dead pilot and not knowing how to fly,” said a nearby pilot. Even if Brian survived the crash, he will be hit with hunger, cold, and wild animals. Yet still his parents are convinced he is alive and well and are eager to find him.
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| This is like somewhere Brian may have crashed. |
Assignment 2: Write about your survival book (Hatchet) as if you were a person reporting on the book after the person was rescued from the situation. (James again chose a newspaper article format.)
Amazing Survival!
Last night, after a pilot heard an emergency radio, he landed on an L-shaped lake in the Canadian wilderness where 13-year-old Brian Robinson had survived a plane crash. Brian had been surviving alone on this lake for 3 months with only a hatchet, a windbreaker, and the clothes he was wearing. We have his personal story here.
I was on my way to visit my dad who lives in northern Canada, when the pilot had a heart attack. When the pilot jerked he hit the rudder petal which made the plane jerk to the right. Then after about an hour the plane claimed that it was low on fuel. So, I tried to land the plane by the lake. Instead I crashed into the lake and nearly killed myself. After my “landing” I was hurt badly enough that I went straight to sleep. Upon waking I was so thirsty that I drank straight out of the lake which made me barf. The next thing that I did was, naturally, find food. I followed some birds to a gut cherry [choke cherry] bush.
After eating my fill, I set to work on a shelter. I found a cave on a high rock ledge with a natural path up to it. I would have hit the ledge if I had crashed 10 feet to the right. There was a wide opening to the cave with a hole in the roof (perfect for the smoke of the fire I did not have) and a nice flat place to sleep! So, I went to work with my hatchet to make a little wall to cover most of the opening.
I had many times when self-pity and despair kind of overtook me. So, to keep myself busy I worked very hard. For example, I made a fire with a hatchet, made a bow and arrows to hunt rabbits, birds, and fish, and made an improved shelter.
All of these things were destroyed when a tornado hit, leaving only the hatchet, the wind breaker, and me. I thought that this was a bad thing but this was really what led to my rescue. This was because the tornado moved the tail of the plane up out of the water. That tail had a survival pack in it. With the tail of the plane out of the water I was able to get to the survival pack. So, I made a raft and got the survival pack, which included a sleeping bag, a cooking set, a water-proof container with matches and 2 lighters, a sheath knife with a compass in the handle, a first aid kit with scissors, a hat, fishing kit, a rifle, an emergency radio, two bars of soap, and dozens and dozens of food packets. I had just put a beef and potato diner on when the emergency radio called in a pilot who saved me. So here I am.
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| Brian's Fire |
Assignment 3. Reflect on a time when you were afraid. What scares you as you prepare to go to survival camp?
Fear and Why We Need It
When I was 7 my dad fell out of a tree and had a concussion. He had been trying to tie up a rope swing while we were camping. I thought he was dead. I went and hid behind a woodpile after I saw him fall. Then, when the ambulance came I figured out that they would not call an ambulance if he was dead. I am afraid of losing loved ones. My fears for survival camp are that I will not survive.
Surprisingly, fear is a good thing! Fear keeps us in check and it helps us know when not to do something. Fear is like a guide keeping us from danger. Fear keeps us close to God. Fear of God is even better! Fear of God keeps us from rebelling because we are afraid of His power. It helps us to trust Him. Fear may not be a bad thing after all.
Assignment 4. Write about your chosen survival book from the perspective of an animal witnessing the human in that situation.
Strange New Creature
By W. Olf
Last week, as we all know, a strange being came into our presence here in the Canadian Wilderness. Here, as your local newspaper, we have all of the details of his doings. Most of these aren’t very interesting, such as building shelters or collecting berries.
We have collected comments from all of the animals that have seen some of his extremely interesting doings.
“Well, I was just flying through the air, minding my own business, when this strange metal bird came out of nowhere, crashed through the trees, lost its wings, and plunged into the lake,” said Mr. Hawk.
Mr. Stink Y. Skunk commented, “I was crawling around on the Ledge when I noticed some nice turtle eggs just sitting there. As I began to eat them, he [the stranger] popped up and started yelling at me. Naturally, because it is my instinct, I sprayed him. He backed off while I finished the remainder of the eggs.”
And, the most interesting of all comes from Mr. Porc U. Pine. “Well, I just came around the same cave as Mr. Stink Y. Skunk. Because it was my duty, as a policeman, I walked into the cave and looked around. Because of my rattling, I woke the creature and he got scared and started shaking. Then, he threw an immensely sharp stick that nearly cut off my head spikes. Because I was frustrated at nearly losing my head spikes, I gave him some of this,” he said, rattling his spikes at me. “
In addition to these reports, he has been walking around with a stick and a string, launching the sticks at poor, unfortunate fish, birds, and rabbits. On page A3, we have listed all of the unlucky animals that have perished for his eating.
For anyone who does not feel safe living in their burrow or cave, they may contact Mr. Grizzly.
Assignment 5. Poetry. James composed about a dozen poems in various styles that the students were learning. I have included a few here, though I can't reproduce the fonts that he painstakingly selected to match the mood of each poem.
Survival camp is brown
It tastes like bad food
It sounds like crackling fires
It smells like unwashed people
It looks like woods
It makes me feel independent
Running through the woods
We need to get to the lodge
For a small drizzle
Camp
Warm, wet
Sleeping, surviving, smoking
Happy to be there
Fun
Orange
Orange is my poncho
Orange is the glowing char cloth
Orange is the sparks that fly
Orange is the dying flame
Orange smells like smoke
Orange tastes like burnt hot dogs
Orange sounds like burning logs
Orange looks warm and inviting
Orange feels warm
Orange makes me happy
Orange is our fire
Fantastic. Love the orange poem.
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