Looking for a meaningful novel study for upper elementary or middle school students? Out of My Dreams by Sharon M. Draper is an excellent choice for engaging students in conversations about empathy, resilience, disability, independence, perseverance, and the importance of pursuing your dreams.
The third book in Melody’s story, Out of My Dreams, continues the journey that began in Out of My Mind and continued in Out of My Heart. This time, Melody has the opportunity to travel to London, opening the door to new experiences, new challenges, and new opportunities for growth.
For teachers, Out of My Dreams provides much more than an engaging story. It offers rich opportunities for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, literary analysis, writing, critical thinking, social-emotional learning, and meaningful classroom discussion.
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Why Teach Out of My Dreams?
Sharon M. Draper’s Out of My Dreams gives students the opportunity to see the world through Melody’s experiences while encouraging them to think more deeply about how we understand ourselves and others.
The novel is especially valuable for classroom discussions about:
Empathy and understanding
Resilience and perseverance
Disability and accessibility
Inclusion and acceptance
Independence and self-advocacy
Friendship and relationships
Family and support systems
Personal growth
Dreams and goals
Overcoming challenges
These themes make Out of My Dreams an excellent addition to an ELA novel study, reading unit, literature circle, or whole-class novel unit.
1. Build Empathy Through Literature
One of the greatest strengths of Out of My Dreams is its ability to encourage students to consider experiences that may be different from their own.
Melody’s cerebral palsy affects how she communicates and interacts with the world, but her disability does not define her thoughts, personality, dreams, or abilities.
Reading about Melody can help students consider important questions:
How do we make assumptions about other people?
What does it mean to truly understand someone else’s experience?
How can we make our classrooms more inclusive?
Why is it important to look beyond what we see on the surface?
How can our words and actions make other people feel included?
These questions can lead to thoughtful classroom discussions about empathy, kindness, accessibility, and inclusion.
2. Explore Resilience and Perseverance
Melody’s journey provides countless opportunities to discuss resilience and overcoming obstacles.
Rather than presenting challenges as something that simply disappears, the novel allows students to explore how people adapt, advocate for themselves, accept support, and continue working toward their goals.
This makes Out of My Dreams a natural fit for discussions about:
Perseverance
Growth
Self-confidence
Overcoming obstacles
Setting goals
Taking risks
Learning from difficult experiences
Ask students to consider:
What does resilience really look like?
Students can compare Melody’s experiences with challenges they have faced themselves, while recognizing that everyone’s circumstances and obstacles are different.
3. Discuss Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion
Out of My Dreams also creates an authentic opportunity to discuss disability and accessibility in an age-appropriate way.
Students can explore the difference between a person’s abilities and the barriers created by their environment.
Consider questions such as:
What makes a place accessible?
What barriers might someone with a disability encounter?
How can schools and communities become more inclusive?
Why shouldn’t we make assumptions about what someone can or cannot do?
What does true inclusion look like?
These conversations can help students move beyond simply identifying differences and instead think about how communities can remove barriers and create opportunities for everyone.
4. Develop Critical Thinking and Literary Analysis
Out of My Dreams is also a strong choice for teaching core reading comprehension and literary analysis skills.
As students read, they can analyze:
Character development
Setting
Plot
Conflict
Theme
Symbolism
Author’s word choice
Character relationships
Text evidence
Cause and effect
Making inferences
Encourage students to support their thinking with evidence from the text.
For example:
How does Melody change throughout the story?
What experiences contribute to Melody’s growing independence?
How does the setting of London affect Melody’s experiences?
What does the novel suggest about pursuing your dreams?
These types of questions take students beyond simple recall and encourage them to think critically about the author’s message and the development of the story.
5. Use Out of My Dreams for Writing Activities
The novel also provides plenty of inspiration for reading response and creative writing activities.
Students might:
Write about a personal goal or dream.
Describe a time they faced a difficult challenge.
Write a response to an important event in the novel.
Explain how Melody demonstrates resilience.
Analyze an important character.
Write about the importance of accessibility.
Use text evidence to explain a theme.
Write from a character’s perspective.
Create a new scene that fits naturally into the story.
You can also use the novel as a springboard for argumentative and opinion writing, asking students to support their ideas with evidence from the text.
6. Make Cross-Curricular Connections
One of the benefits of choosing a rich novel like Out of My Dreams is that the learning doesn’t have to stop with ELA.
The story provides opportunities for connections to:
Social-Emotional Learning
Discuss empathy, self-awareness, relationships, perseverance, independence, and respecting differences.
Social Studies
Explore London, cultural differences, travel, and how societies approach accessibility and inclusion.
Informational Reading
Have students research topics related to cerebral palsy, accessibility, disability, or London and compare informational texts with what they learn through the novel.
Geography
Use the novel’s London setting as an opportunity to explore maps, landmarks, geography, and cultural traditions.
These connections can turn a novel study into a rich, interdisciplinary learning experience.
Ready-to-Teach Out of My Dreams Novel Study
If you want to teach Out of My Dreams without spending hours creating comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, assessments, and lesson plans, I’ve created a complete Out of My Dreams Novel Study to make your planning easier.
This no-prep novel study for grades 4-6 includes 240+ pages of printable materials along with digital resources for Google Drive™, giving you everything you need to guide students through the novel.
Vocabulary and grammar activities for 62 vocabulary words
Printable vocabulary word wall cards
Answer keys
Parent letter
Informational reading activities about cerebral palsy
Informational reading activities about London
Three reading assessments
Essay questions
Google Forms™ digital assessments
Story Elements activities
Interactive notebook activities
Printable and digital versions
The resource is designed to work for whole-class instruction, small groups, literature circles, independent reading, homeschool, or a paperless classroom.
Save Time on Your Next Novel Unit
A good novel study should allow you to focus on teaching, discussing, and connecting with your students—not spending your evenings creating worksheets.
This Out of My Dreams book unit gives you ready-to-use materials for teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary, literary analysis, writing, and deeper thinking while your students experience Melody’s inspiring journey.
Try a Free Sample
Want to see what’s included before you buy? Download the free sample of the Out of My Dreams novel study and take a look at the activities, lesson materials, and student resources.
Out of My Dreams by Sharon M. Draper is a powerful choice for teachers looking for a novel that combines engaging storytelling with meaningful learning opportunities.
Through Melody’s experiences, students can explore empathy, resilience, independence, accessibility, inclusion, and the courage it takes to pursue a dream.
Whether you’re planning a 4th, 5th, or 6th grade novel study, this book gives you countless opportunities to help students strengthen their reading skills while having important conversations about how we understand and support one another.
If you’re ready to bring Out of My Dreams into your classroom, make your planning easier with this complete, no-prep Out of My Dreams novel study.
You can also buy Out of My Mind, Out of My Heart, and Out of My Dreams bundled together at a discount!
💬 Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching Out of My Dreams this school year? How do you celebrate kindness in your classroom?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
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Looking for a high-interest novel for your upper elementary or middle school ELA classroom? The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis is a classic for a reason.
This beloved fantasy novel takes students into the magical world of Narnia while providing countless opportunities to teach reading comprehension, vocabulary, literary analysis, character development, theme, symbolism, writing, and critical thinking.
If you’re looking for a book that will keep students reading while giving you plenty to discuss and teach, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an excellent choice for a 4th, 5th, or 6th grade novel study.
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Why Teach The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?
There is a lot more to this novel than a magical wardrobe and a talking lion. C. S. Lewis’s story gives students a rich text to explore while introducing them to complex characters, meaningful themes, and classic fantasy storytelling.
1. Students Love the Magic and Adventure
One of the biggest advantages of using The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a classroom novel is its ability to capture students’ attention.
Four siblings discover a mysterious wardrobe that leads to the magical land of Narnia, where they encounter talking animals, mythical creatures, an evil queen, and Aslan, the powerful lion.
The adventure keeps students turning the pages—and that’s exactly what you want when you’re trying to build a classroom culture around reading.
A high-interest novel can make it easier to engage reluctant readers and encourage students to participate in discussions about what they’re reading.
2. The Novel Is Filled With Important Themes
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe provides natural opportunities for meaningful classroom conversations about:
Good vs. evil
Courage
Friendship
Loyalty
Betrayal
Forgiveness
Sacrifice
Redemption
Responsibility
The consequences of our choices
These themes give students opportunities to connect the story to their own experiences and think beyond simply remembering what happened in each chapter.
3. It’s Excellent for Teaching Character Development
The Pevensie children give students plenty to analyze as characters.
Edmund’s choices, in particular, provide an excellent opportunity to discuss character development, motivation, conflict, consequences, and redemption.
Students can examine how characters change throughout the novel and identify the events that influence those changes.
This makes The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe a particularly useful book for teaching character analysis and supporting students as they learn to use evidence from a text to explain their thinking.
4. There’s Plenty of Literary Analysis to Explore
If you’re teaching literary elements, this novel gives you plenty to work with.
Students can identify and analyze:
Setting
Character
Conflict
Plot
Point of view
Foreshadowing
Symbolism
Theme
Imagery
Figurative language
The fantasy setting also allows students to examine how an author creates an imaginary world and makes it feel believable to the reader.
5. It Builds Reading Comprehension and Critical Thinking
A good novel study should do more than ask students to recall what happened.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe gives students opportunities to make predictions, draw inferences, identify important details, analyze characters, determine themes, and support their answers with evidence from the text.
As students move through the story, they can practice thinking critically about why characters make certain choices and how those choices affect the plot.
That’s what makes a novel like this so valuable as the foundation for a complete ELA unit.
6. Narnia Inspires Imagination and Creativity
The world of Narnia is one of the most memorable elements of the book.
Talking animals, mythical creatures, an enchanted wardrobe, a magical land, and an epic battle give students plenty of opportunities to use their imaginations.
You can extend the novel into creative writing activities, artwork, discussion, and projects that allow students to respond to the story in different ways.
For students who love fantasy, this can be a particularly engaging way to build a stronger connection with reading.
Turn The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Into a Complete Novel Study
While reading the novel together can be rewarding, creating all of the comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, writing assignments, assessments, and other lessons yourself can take a lot of time.
This complete ELA novel unit for grades 4–6 provides ready-to-use activities to help students dig deeper into the book while saving you hours of planning.
The novel study includes chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions, vocabulary and grammar activities, writing activities, assessments, literary analysis activities, teacher materials, answer keys, and more.
It’s available in printable and digital formats, so you can use the materials in whatever way works best for your classroom.
Try the free sample to see how you can use this Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe novel study with your students.
When you’re ready for the complete unit:
Teaching More Than One Narnia Book?
If The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is part of a larger Chronicles of Narnia reading unit, you can also save with the Chronicles of Narnia Novel Studies Bundle.
Make The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Your Next Classroom Novel
Whether you’re planning a whole-class novel study, literature circles, small-group reading, or an independent reading unit, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe offers an engaging combination of adventure, memorable characters, important themes, and rich literary elements.
It’s a classic that gives students plenty to enjoy—and gives teachers plenty to teach.
Ready to make your Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe unit easier?
Check out the complete no-prep novel study and spend less time creating materials and more time helping your students fall in love with reading.
Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe this school year?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
C.S. Lewis’s beloved series, “The Chronicles of Narnia,” includes “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” often mistakenly assumed to be the first book, when in fact, it’s the second installment. The true opener is “The Magician’s Nephew,” followed by #3 “The Horse and His Boy,” #4 “Prince Caspian,” #5 “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” #6 “The Silver Chair,” and concluding with “The Last Battle.”
Within Narnia’s enchanting realm, brimming with magic, mythical creatures, and talking animals, each book centers on children and their pivotal roles in shaping Narnia’s history. These children are magically transported from the real world to Narnia, collaborating with the Narnian lion, Aslan, in safeguarding the land from malevolent forces.
C.S. Lewis artfully intertwines his childhood experiences during World War II and theological insights throughout the series. While a subtle Christian undertone runs through the narrative, it’s not overt, rendering the books suitable for Christian and public educational settings. The foundational theme of the eternal struggle between good and evil offers a compelling narrative ripe for analysis and interpretation across diverse audiences.
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Movies, including some high-budget releases by Disney, have been brought to life based on select books from the series. There’s buzz circulating that Netflix plans to develop a streaming series covering the entire Chronicles of Narnia collection.
For decades, enthusiasts of the fantasy genre have been captivated by the Chronicles of Narnia. Often serving as a gateway, these books ignite a passion for the genre, leading readers to explore more mature works like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. J.K. Rowling, renowned for the Harry Potter series, has acknowledged the profound impact the Chronicles had on her as a child, shaping her imaginative world and influencing her writing. Expect your students to join the ranks of countless others who have fallen in love with Narnia’s enchanting realm over the past seven decades.
I provide comprehensive novel studies tailored for each book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, designed for classroom or homeschool use. Each unit offers both printable and Google Drive™ formats, accommodating traditional and paperless classroom settings, including compatibility with Google Classroom. The structure of these units mirrors the format demonstrated in the video for The Magician’s Nephew.
You can purchase these novel studies at the following locations:
Are you teaching The Chronicles of Narnia this school year?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
While having your students physically present offers the best means to gauge their comprehension of a subject and identify the necessity for tailored instruction, circumstances may arise where this isn’t feasible. Increasingly, students equipped with laptops and various devices are transforming traditional “free” snow days into E-Learning days. This shift aims to prevent extending the school year by leveraging technology for remote learning when in-person classes are impractical.
Periodic closures of schools due to natural disasters have been evident in various regions. For instance, in Nebraska, schools grappled with flooding issues both, in the spring and fall, resulting in chaotic interruptions to regular schedules. Additionally, student absences can range from short-term illnesses to prolonged health issues, leading to extended periods away from the classroom.
Furthermore, homeschooling communities often utilize e-learning within their cooperative groups or classes. The diverse array of reasons preventing direct in-person interaction with students underscores the significance of technology. It enables educators to virtually engage with their students during such challenging times, bridging the physical gap through digital platforms.
In my role as a curriculum writer, I prioritize flexibility by integrating numerous choices and options into my educational materials. Having been a teacher myself, I understand the constant influx of various challenges and unforeseen circumstances that a standard textbook isn’t equipped to handle. My educational philosophy revolves around the idea that a student ideally engages with the material using all their senses, transforming learning into solid knowledge. Therefore, all my resources feature a hands-on component—printable and tactile—encouraging collaborative engagement between students and teachers.
Recognizing the limitations of this ideal scenario, I’ve supplemented almost all my products with a Google Drive format, providing educators with alternative options. The Google Drive version encompasses the same content areas but allows for a paperless approach, utilizing Google Drive tools like Slides and Forms.
My portfolio predominantly includes a blend of printable and Google format materials, ranging from novel studies, social studies, to financial literacy resources. Additionally, I offer ELA and Math centers that are interactive on Google Drive while still being available in printable formats. Each download includes complete printable content and instructions on accessing and integrating the Google format files into your Google Drive, facilitating ease of use for educators.
After clicking on the provided link, your file will be visible in your Google Drive account under the name “Copy of File Name.” You can conveniently modify this title to your preference by clicking on the name box. Subsequently, you can assign these files to your students through Google Classroom.
How to use Novel Studies in an E-Learning Format?
In utilizing novel studies, your students will require a copy of the novel to accompany either the printable or Google Drive format provided. With the book in hand, they can seamlessly navigate through the study, engaging with comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, and extended writing tasks on Google Slides, mirroring the functionality available in the printable version. Teachers can track their progress through Google Classroom and I recommend conducting check-ins with small groups via platforms like Google Talk (or Google Hangouts/Google Chat) or Zoom. These sessions allow for discussions about the material read, ensuring comprehension and encouraging deeper exploration of the novel. It’s akin to the class discussions held in person, bridging the gap using technology.
All my novel studies feature assessments that can be completed through Google Forms. The multiple-choice assessments for comprehension and vocabulary are self-grading, significantly reducing grading time for teachers. However, the writing assessments, being more open-ended, cannot be self-graded. Typically consisting of one to two questions per assessment, these tasks can be submitted via Google Classroom for review and grading by the teacher.
How to use Social Studies and Financial Literacy Activities in an E-Learning Format?
My social studies and financial literacy resources are structured similarly to the novel studies in Google format, but they don’t require any specific books or textbooks. These materials feature Webquest links that offer learning content and include slideshow presentations in all social studies resources to facilitate students’ understanding and completion of activities.
Just like with the novel studies, Google Slides serve as the platform for both the presentations and activity completion. Additionally, in certain financial literacy activities such as the Escape Room exercises, Google Forms are integrated to delve deeper into the content alongside the use of Google Slides.
How to use ELA and Math Centers in an E-Learning Format?
The interactive ELA and Math Centers are designed to be completed using Google Slides. Students engage with the components to practice various skills, and teachers can oversee their progress through Google Classroom.
What can I do if my student doesn’t have access to equipment or the internet?
Many of us assume ready access to computers, laptops, and internet connectivity at home, yet some students lack this accessibility. In public schools, it’s our responsibility to ensure equity among our students. If your school lacks one-to-one capability or if a student doesn’t have home internet access, all my materials are provided in printable formats within the same product download. These activities are identical, just presented on paper rather than on a computer. You can distribute these packets to students for home use. To stay connected, consider communicating via phone calls, Facetime, or Skype for those with access via a parent’s cell phone. The content remains the same, only the format differs.
Technology offers various avenues to engage with students. While I advocate for a multisensory approach to learning—incorporating reading, writing, manipulation, and discussion—I recognize that there are instances where this isn’t feasible. In such cases, I hope my materials offer diverse options for utilization during e-learning scenarios.
Explore these free samples offered in my store, featuring both printable and Google Drive™ formats. They provide an opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with the functionalities of these resources.
Sample from my Wonder Novel Study
Sample Social Studies Activity
In this post titled “Tips for Using Google Drive in Your Classroom,” you’ll discover helpful suggestions on customizing Google Drive products to suit your specific requirements more effortlessly.
Looking for an engaging novel that will get your students excited about reading? A Hatchet novel study may be exactly what you need.
Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet has been a classroom favorite for years—and for good reason. This gripping survival story gives students an exciting reason to keep turning the pages while providing teachers with countless opportunities to teach reading comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, character development, writing, and literary analysis.
And sometimes, the best way to get a reluctant reader interested in books is to give them a story they simply can’t put down.
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How Hatchet Hooked a Reluctant Reader
One of my biggest frustrations as a parent was watching my oldest son struggle to find enjoyment in reading.
He could read. He did well in school. But reading for pleasure? That was another story.
When he was assigned Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, something completely changed.
He came home from school talking about the book.
He wanted to know what was going to happen next.
He was disappointed when he had to stop reading for the day.
And, most surprising of all, he actually wanted to keep reading.
Every day, he would come home and tell me about the latest chapter. He wasn’t simply completing a reading assignment—he was genuinely invested in Brian’s story.
That experience reminded me of something important:
The right book can completely change a student’s attitude toward reading.
That’s one reason Hatchet is such a powerful choice for an upper-elementary or middle school novel study.
Why Teach Hatchet in the Classroom?
Hatchet follows Brian Robeson, a young boy who finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash. With nothing but a hatchet, Brian must figure out how to survive.
The survival premise immediately gives students something to think about:
What would you do if you were completely on your own?
As Brian faces one challenge after another, students have opportunities to examine much more than survival.
1. Hatchet Encourages Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
Brian doesn’t have an adult telling him what to do.
He has to observe his surroundings, make decisions, try different strategies, learn from mistakes, and figure out how to solve problems.
That makes Hatchet an excellent book for teaching critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Students can discuss questions such as:
What choices did Brian make?
Which decisions helped him survive?
Which decisions made his situation more difficult?
What could Brian have done differently?
How does Brian respond when his first plan fails?
These types of questions move students beyond simply recalling what happened in the story and encourage them to think deeply about the text.
2. Hatchet Is Perfect for Teaching Perseverance
One of the most valuable themes in Hatchet is perseverance.
Brian experiences fear, loneliness, hunger, frustration, and failure. Yet he continues trying.
When something doesn’t work, he learns from the experience and tries again.
That creates natural opportunities to discuss resilience, determination, perseverance, and overcoming obstacles.
Students can connect Brian’s experiences to challenges in their own lives, making the novel much more meaningful than a simple survival story.
3. Hatchet Builds Reading Comprehension
Because Brian’s survival depends on his ability to observe, remember, and make decisions, Hatchet provides excellent opportunities for reading comprehension instruction.
Students can analyze:
Character
Setting
Plot
Conflict
Cause and effect
Character development
Theme
Problem and solution
Point of view
Text evidence
Chapter-by-chapter Hatchet comprehension questions can help students slow down and think about what they are reading rather than rushing through the novel simply to finish it.
This is especially useful when teaching students how to support their answers with evidence from the text.
4. Hatchet Provides Rich Vocabulary Opportunities
Gary Paulsen’s descriptive writing gives students plenty of opportunities to encounter meaningful vocabulary in context.
A Hatchet novel study can turn those unfamiliar words into an opportunity to build vocabulary rather than allowing students to simply skip over them.
Students can examine words in context, determine meaning, and use new vocabulary in their own writing.
Vocabulary instruction is even more effective when students encounter the words repeatedly while reading the novel.
5. Hatchet Makes Writing More Meaningful
One of the advantages of using a novel for ELA instruction is that students have a shared experience to write about.
Instead of assigning disconnected writing prompts, teachers can ask students to respond to situations, characters, conflicts, and themes they already understand.
Hatchet naturally lends itself to:
Personal response writing
Character analysis
Opinion writing
Text-based responses
Critical-thinking questions
Creative writing
Theme analysis
Problem-and-solution writing
The survival setting also makes it easy to create engaging writing prompts that students actually want to answer.
6. Hatchet Can Hook Reluctant Readers
This may be my favorite reason to teach Hatchet.
A student who doesn’t consider himself or herself a “reader” may be much more willing to pick up a book when the premise immediately grabs their attention.
A plane crash.
A wilderness.
A young boy alone.
A hatchet.
Survival.
That’s a pretty compelling setup.
And once students become invested in Brian’s survival, reading comprehension activities and ELA skills become much less of a chore.
The story becomes the vehicle for learning.
Make Teaching Hatchet Easier with a Complete Novel Study
Of course, finding a great novel is only the beginning.
Teachers still have to figure out:
What am I going to teach with this book?
What comprehension questions should I ask?
What vocabulary should I focus on?
How will I assess whether my students understand the novel?
Instead of spending hours creating worksheets, comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, writing assignments, assessments, and lesson plans, you can have an entire unit ready to use.
What’s Included in the Hatchet Novel Study?
The complete unit includes resources for both teachers and students.
Teacher Resources
The teacher packet includes:
Detailed daily lesson plans
Pacing and standards guide
Vocabulary word wall cards
Answer keys
Parent letter
Student Activities
Students receive:
Vocabulary and grammar activities for 60 vocabulary words
Activities that encourage deeper thinking about the novel
The extended writing activities are only included in the complete novel study, making the full unit an especially valuable option.
Assessments
The assessment packet includes quizzes covering both sections of the novel:
Part 1: Chapters 1–9 Part 2: Chapter 10 through the end of the novel
The assessments include vocabulary, reading comprehension, and essay questions, along with answer keys.
Additional ELA Activities
The unit also includes:
End-of-the-book activities
Story Elements Interactive Notebook activities
Common Core State Standards alignment for Grades 5–8
The unit is designed for approximately a 5th–8th grade reading level and can be adapted for whole-class instruction, small groups, one-on-one instruction, independent study, or homeschool use.
The complete Hatchet Novel Study is available in both printable and Google Drive™ formats, making it flexible enough for traditional classrooms, Google Classroom, distance learning, and homeschool environments. The digital version also includes self-grading Google Drive quizzes in multiple-choice format.
Prefer paper?
A printable-only version is also available.
Try the FREE Hatchet Novel Study Sample
Not sure whether this Hatchet book study will work for your students?
Try it before you buy it!
A free sample is available so you can see exactly what the novel study looks like and try the activities with your students. The sample includes one day of activities from the complete unit.
Ready to Turn Hatchet into an Engaging ELA Unit?
Hatchet is much more than a story about a boy trying to survive in the wilderness.
It’s a book about perseverance, problem-solving, resilience, courage, decision-making, and personal growth.
It gives students something exciting to read while giving teachers a natural way to teach important ELA skills.
And when a book can make a reluctant reader come home excited to tell you what happened in the latest chapter?
That’s a book worth teaching.
Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching Hatchet this school year?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
One of my favorite (and my students’) themes to explore every year was the Chocolate Theme. We would read The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling:
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Throughout the theme unit, we incorporated geography by mapping the different countries where the different ingredients of candy bars originate. We worked on letter writing by writing to different chocolate and candy companies with questions. This activity was particularly exciting because many of the companies would respond back to the students with offerings of trial samples or coupons to get free candy! Students learned the power they had as a consumer who shares feedback!
I always started the unit out with The Chocolate Touch written by Patrick Skene Catling which was first published in 1952. The story of loving chocolate never ages! John Midas loves chocolate and sweets more than anything and a wish turns his wildest dreams into a reality. Like King Midas before him, his touch is magic! This book leads to some great comparison activities with the King Midas story. Like King Midas, John soon learns that having too much of a great thing might not be as wonderful as he thought it would be!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The Chocolate Touch for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Chocolate Touch
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Chocolate Fever written by Richard Kimmel Smith in 1972, is a more humorous and adventurous tale of young Henry Green whose dream of eating nothing but chocolate comes true. Henry soon discovers that his new ability can be dangerous so he escapes and goes on the run!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Chocolate Fever for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Chocolate Fever
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
In my opinion, the best is saved for last, Roald Dahl’s 1964 classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This story has everything; a character to empathize with, several characters to learn from, humor, and imagination, it really has it all. Singing the Oompa Loompa songs together is always a fun time that ends in fits of giggles!
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Tying different areas of the curriculum together, and enjoying three wonderful novels together, the Chocolate Theme is a fun learning experience for all. It was truly one of the most favorite times I had with my students and it was something past students brought up as a favorite of their 4th-grade year with me. I encourage you to give it a try!
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Connect with Fellow Educators!
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