Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY 1: “Survival Diaries”

Although the novel is not written from a first-person point of view, the reader often gets to see what Brian is thinking and feeling in a personal way, almost as if he is sharing his experiences firsthand.

In both fiction and nonfiction) the use the use of a diary format with the writer’s or character’s first-hand accounts can be powerful. Read a few of these excerpts from a real-life diary written by a girl named Anne Frank who lived in hiding in Amsterdam during the Holocaust. Notice how Anne’s use of dialogue, descriptions, and exact details allows the reader to get to know her in a personal way and see what her life is like.

Write your own diary as if you are surviving on your own in the wilderness, just like Brian. Each day, you will receive a description of your situation and some questions to consider. Do your best to incorporate responses to the questions in each entry. Use your imagination to expand your entries to add more details about what is happening and how you respond to different situations.