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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage shows the moment Brian sees the bear for the very first time in the woods. Paulsen makes Brian describe the bear slowly, as if Brian's mind is trying to catch up with what his eyes are seeing. Copying this passage lets scouts feel how scary and exciting it was for Brian to meet a real wild animal up close.
It was black, with a cinnamon-colored nose, not twenty feet from him and big. No, huge. It was all black fur and huge. He had seen one in the zoo in the city once, a black bear, but it had been from I...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, retell chapter seven. Begin with Brian waking up sick in the night and calling for his mother, and end with Brian falling asleep holding his hatchet after meeting the bear. Use Brian's name when you tell the story, and be sure to include the sweet raspberries and the rain.
Discussion Questions
- What in the story tells you that Brian is very, very sick in the night? What does Brian do because his stomach hurts so badly?
- How can you tell Brian feels lonely and sad when he looks at his face in the lake water? What does Brian do right after he sees his reflection?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
A very large, furry wild animal with big paws and sharp claws.
Item 2
Much, much bigger than usual — larger than you would expect.
Item 3
Living in nature and not kept by people, like a bear in the woods.
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Critical Thinking
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