Woodsong_Gary Paulsen

Feb. 8th A reading group began reading Gary Paulsen's book Woodsong B. and N. 
Chapter 1, the Wolf is the Predator. This chapter was paired with
National Geographic on Wolves

Chapter 4 Bear Encounter
Gary waited for the giant bear to decide if he was worth the trouble. (His Fate) Excerpt from the book. "He turned and came for me. Close. I could smell his breath and see the red around the sides of his eyes. Close on me he stopped raised his back legs  and hung over me, his forelegs and paws hanging down, weaving back and forth gently as he tok his time decided whether or not to tear my head off." Imagine being in Gary's shoes . . . what would you have done?

Gary Paulsen in the Iditarod pg 89-132

Paired Reading
PBS: What to do if you encounter a bear.
Alaska Bear Tales_Kaniuf   Old Groaner Story p. 90 or here
LaVern Beier has survived a helicopter crash and four bear attacks

Vocabulary 

investigated p. 31

lunged p. 31

instinct p. 33

panic p. 35

terrain p. 35

coherent p. 40

 "I am nothing more and nothing less than any other animal in the woods." Do you agree with Paulsen's statement?

Chapter 5

Vocabulary 

forlorn p. 44

coursing p. 44

distress p. 46

episode p.47

• Students will retell important aspects of the story using a comic format. 

• One important part of the story, Gary Paulsen was on top of a frozen waterfall with twenty-foot drop. He hit the ice of stream bed like a dropped meat, bounced once, then slithered the edge of the waterfall and dropped another twenty feet. He looked up and there was his dog Obeah looking over the top of the waterfall, down at him. What the dog did next was a miracle!

Edublog: Write about one of your Alaskan Adventures

Andrew: One time I was out the runway and I saw four shadows behind me, my brother Kirk, and my uncle Tommy there was only three of us. We were ghost hunting and it worked! It was a scary experience though. One year later I go back out there and I take pictures and there was red orbs in every picture I took.

Gabe: When I was a little kid I was on the ponds behind my house during the winter. The ponds where frozen at least 7 inches thick and my older brother made a hole. Then we went to a different pond then came back ten minutes and I thought it was thick to jump on and I fell threw it to my waist.

Bert: There was a time when my cousin and I were outside playing behind our house. When we looked into the woods we both saw a pair of red glowing eyes. Right after we saw the eyes we just decided to move from that playing spot that we were at and find another spot, but when we moved to the new spot we still saw the eyes following us. So, finally we diced that we should go in side because of how scared we were. When we got inside we told his mom what we have seen out there so she decided to go check it, and when she did she saw those red eyes to.

Templates

Paired reading: Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of amazing dogs. In each chapter of the book he shares stories. He dedicates the book to one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life.  The story Cookie will have you in tears.My Life Dog in Years_Gary-Paulsen Amazon

April 10th we finished the book!

In the book Gary describes the trials he faces in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He adds vivid details of his remarkable experience.

Day 1 He wrote, "An older man who is famous stood next to me in the darkness and smiled down and said:
"Would you like a chocolate chip cookie?"  

We are celebrating by having chocolate chip cookies!
The beverage is tea since the author enjoyed drinking tea. 

Students described the how the author Gary Paulsen writes.
J.,"He makes you think a lot about what his doing and how you would feel if you were there."
G., "He actually tells what happens to him and doesn't lie about it." 
B., "He knows how to talk in the third person."
A.,"He makes you feel like your right there with him."

"Share your favorite part" Write the passage and record your personal responses to the text. 

Some examples of  students favorite parts.

A., A deer was outside his tent and got chased and got away.  
It was cool and spiritual and a good experience.

B., The other mushers in the race was leaning over the empty sled with his pistol raised.
That racer was probably really tired and didn't sleep for a couple of days. 

J., The part when Willy and Willy kept falling asleep so he kept yelling, "Willy!" Also when the guy thought someone was looking for Willy.

G., When the person at the bar asked if he wanted a a beer but he doesn't drink. So the person put pop in the sled and they exploded on the bottom of the bag. 
At first thought he was hallucinating but it was real because the dog was licking it.