Harcourt StoryTown--2009 Grade 6
Theme 3 /Lesson 14
Title: Brian’s Winter
Suggested Time: 5 days (45 minutes per day)
Common Core ELA Standards
RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.3, RL.6.4, RL.6.5, RL.6.10, W.6.2, W.6.10, W.6.4, L.6.1-6, SL.6.1
Teacher Instructions
Refer to the Introduction for further details.
Before Teaching
1. Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers, about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task.
Big Ideas and Key Understandings
Brian figures out that survival sometimes depends on an unlikely alliance.
Synopsis
This realistic fiction text is about a young boy who is surviving in the wilderness after a plane crash. Winter is approaching, and he is gathering resources necessary to survive. Brian develops a friendship with a skunk that has come to rely on him for food. The skunk ends up saving his life when a bear attacks Brian during the night.
2. Read entire main selection text, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings.
3. Re-read the main selection text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Vocabulary.
During Teaching
- Students read the entire main selection text independently.
- Teacher reads the main selection text aloud with students following along.
(Depending on how complex the text is and the amount of support needed by students, the teacher may choose to reverse the order of steps 1 and 2.)
3. Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discuss the questions and returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i.e.: whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work, etc.)
Text Dependent Questions
Text Dependent Questions / Answers1. Despite his hardships, what did Brian find that he considered lucky and throughout the story, how was this helpful or lucky for him? Pg. 368-371 / Brian found a deer carcass; He was able to store it for food for himself and also feed it to the skunk to keep it from spraying him.
2. In the beginning of the story what did Brian realize he may now be facing and in what practical, or resourceful, ways did he prepare? / Brian realized he is now facing a harsh winter; He weatherproofed his shelter, makes a bow and arrow, and practices his aim.
3. Brian spent time on the last paragraph of page 370 “waiting to be nailed”. What does this mean? / “Waiting to be nailed” means that Brian was waiting to be hit by the spray of the skunk.
4. In the second and third paragraph on page 371, when Brian crawls back into the tent he is aggravated. What did he say and what did he think might happen next? / Brian says “Great, he thought …. If I quit feeding him he’ll spray me. Just great.” Brian hopes that the skunk is gone in the morning.
5. In the last paragraph of pg 371, Brian “took stock of the situation”. How did Brian feel about his situation? Cite evidence to explain how Brian feels about his situation. / Brian feels more prepared and confident about his situation. The text states that his shelter is done, he’s going to be warm, he had 9 arrows, and he can make more arrows if needed.
6. The author states the word winter “stopped” Brian on page 372 in the first paragraph. Why did the word winter stop him? Cite evidence to support how the word winter stopped him. / The word winter stopped him because he realizes that he is not prepared. He knew nothing about how cold winter would be. He was not prepared; he didn’t know how to plan for winter.
7. What detail is given as a reason for why the skunk comes waddling back? (372) / The meat was done.
8. What evidence can you find to show that Brian’s attitude towards the skunk is changing? (372) / Once the skunk returns, Brian does not seem hostile to it. He’s talking to it, not acting as cautiously towards it, and becomes curious and follows the skunk to see where it’s going.
9. In the last paragraph of pg 372, Brian says, “Wonderful- I’ve got a roommate with a terminal hygiene problem…” What does he mean by this statement? / The skunk has moved into the back wall of his shelter, and Brian realizes that it is a potentially very smelly situation.
10. Although the author stated that the relationship between Brian and the skunk “wasn’t exactly friendship” they developed an acquaintance. How is the acquaintance described? (374) / A routine was established. Brian smiles when he sees the skunk. He named the skunk Betty and looked forward to seeing it.
11. The author tells the reader that Brian creates the bow and arrow in order to defend himself and for protection. What words does the author use to let the reader know that the purpose of the bow has changed for Brian?(376) / The bow changes from a form of protection to a way to get food. He liked having the deer to eat, he has a friend depending on him for food, and he knows winter is approaching and he will need food to survive. While he was making tips, he knew he would be hunting bigger game. The last sentence of the 2nd paragraph, the author stated that somewhere along the way the knowledge that he would use it to hunt was just there.
12. Reread the last four paragraphs on pg 376. What is the mood or tone? What words or phrases tell the reader the mood or tone? / The mood is suspense and a sense of danger. The words or phrases that help identify this are, “he awakened suddenly”; “something had changed to snap him awake”; “as if caught in an earthquake”; enormous form of a bear”; “no time to react”
13. On page 378 paragraph 3, what inference can be made about Brian’s feelings based on his reaction to the bear? What words from the passage help you identify this? Why doesn’t he defend himself? / The story says that the bear is “huge and full of threat” and that he can feel the bear’s breath and see his teeth. This leads me to think he is terrified. He doesn’t defend himself because he is resigned to the fact that he is going to die.
14. How does the author describe the arrival of Betty and her actions on page 379. / She didn’t like bears very much and she sprayed the bear in his face.
15. At the end of the story, how does the author describe Brian’s reaction and feelings toward the skunk? / He didn’t mind the smell; in fact, he had grown fond of it. He said he would have to give her extra food. It was like having a nuclear pet device. He went to sleep smiling.
16. At the end of the story, Brian is more optimistic about his situation. What evidence supports that he is optimistic? / Even though his camp is a mess, Brian focused on the positive things. The narrator states that his shelter was a mess, the wall tipped over, his hip hurt, and the smell of skunk is everywhere, but it wasn’t raining, the bag was warm, and he was fond of the skunk smell. These things show that Brian is feeling optimistic about the situation.
KEY WORDS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTANDING
BIG IDEAS OF TEXT
Words addressed with a question or task / WORDS WORTH KNOWING
Words to be part of systematic vocabulary instruction, not essential for understanding the big ideas of the text
TEACHER PROVIDES DEFINITION
not enough contextual clues provided in the text / Page 369 – Carcass
Page 371 – Took stock
Page 372 – Terminal hygiene
Page 375 – Hummock
Page 379 – Sulfurous / Page 370 – Notches
Page 372 – Winced
Page 374 – Stout, Depression
Page 375 – It hummed, The Strength of the wood seemed to sing in the cord, Exertion, Shaft
STUDENTS FIGURE OUT THE MEANING
sufficient context clues are provided in the text / Page 369 - Controls, Retrieved
Page 370 – Cocky, Waiting to be nailed
Page 374 – Burrow
Page 377 – Cuff
Page 378 – Dislocated
Page 379 – Rank / Page 371 – Gingerly, trench, kindled
Page 374 – Acquaintance, Stymied
Page 375 – Retrieve
Page 376 – Pull of the bow
Vocabulary
Culminating Task
· Re-Read, Think, Discuss, Write
Summarize the plot of Brian’s Winter. Include in your summary the challenges that Brian faces throughout the story. Use this along with other details from the text to discuss the importance of surviving through the formation of unlikely alliances as the theme of the story.
Answer: Brian’s Winter is the story of a young boy who is stranded in the wilderness. He finds a deer carcass, develops a relationship with a skunk, creates a bow and arrow, and is attacked by a bear. He survives the bear attack due to the mutually beneficial alliance that has been formed with Betty, the skunk. It is apparent by the end of the story that in order to survive in a deadly situation, Brian must use any and all available resources at his disposal, no matter how strange it may seem. Survival is important in terms of food, shelter, and companionship.
Additional Tasks
· Point of View plays a big role in the way this story is told. By changing the point of view the reader can either gain or lose insight into the events/characters of a story. Re-write Brian’s encounter with the bear in 1st person point of view. Write an additional paragraph that discusses what effect changing the point of view has on the reader.
Answer: Answers will vary for this but should relate the account of Brian being attacked. This includes being hit, knocked to the back of the tent, the descriptions of the bear, his inability to react. The entire answer should be told in 1st person point of view, using words such as I, me and my. The additional paragraph written should express that the reader is able to get a more detailed and personal account of the bear attack by having Brian’s feelings and thoughts being shared.
· Survival is the themes of Brian’s Winter. In what ways does nature help and hinder Brian’s survival. Find details from the text to support your answer.
Answer: Nature helps Brian by providing the supplies to create a bow, arrow, shelter, food, and ultimately protection in the form of Betty. Nature hinders Brian’s survival in the form of the approaching Winter and the bear.
Note to Teacher
· Brian’s Winter Lexile level for this exert is 1070.
· This story can be read in its entirety, or chunked over a two day period where students read a portion of the story and analyze text after reading on each day. We would recommend stopping the first day on page 372.
· This excerpt would work well for those classes that have already read the novel Hatchet.
· Throughout the story the word venison is used interchangeably with deer meat. It is important for students to understand this word in order to comprehend the story.
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