Brian s Winter

By Gary Paulsen

characters

setting

conflict plot events resolution

stymied winced

terminal

retrieve acquaintance gingerly rank

cocky

Introduction Pg. 369 Read the introduction together.

Questions Pg. 370 What personal qualities of Brian s do his actions reveal? Working carefully all day on his bow and arrow shows that Brain is patient and practical.

Pg. 370 Why does Brian freeze? He doesn t want to get sprayed by the skunk. Any sudden movement could cause the skunk to feel threatened and spray him. Why doesn t the skunk spray him? When Brian gives it food, the skunk has what it wants and is satisfied that Brian is not a threat. What are Brian s concerns about his situation? Brian is concerned about surviving in the cold. Winter is coming and he needs to plan carefully for food, shelter, and defense I order to survive.

Pg. 371 Explain that animals behave in certain ways in response to a stimulus from the environment. The skunk lifts its tail as warning when another animal approaches. It sprays a foul liquid when it feels threatened by the animal situation. The liquid is called musk, and it comes from glands that are near the base of the skunk s tail. A skunk can spray with accuracy as far as 12 feet (4meters). This behavior is built in to help the animal survive.

Pg. 372 What does the coming of winter do to Brian s conflict? Problems will increase because of the extreme cold. Why do you think the skunk came back? It smells the meat and remembers that Brian had fed it the night before. How does Brian s response to the skunk differ from the first time he saw it? The skunk carries food away.

Pg. 374 What is happening between the skunk and Brian? What does this relationship suggest? They are growing accustomed to each other. Each gets something it wants: the skunk gets food and Brian gets company. What traits does Brian show as he gets a string for his bow? He shows that he is observant, clear headed, and resourceful.

Pg. 375 Early humans were hunter-gatherers. By developing tools, such as spears or bows and arrows, they became more efficient hunters and were better able to survive. In a similar way, Brian improves his chance for survival by creating a bow and arrows for hunting and defending himself. Brian used the cord from his sleeping bag to string the bow, which shows that Brian is very resourceful.

Pg. 376 Why does Brian make a bow and arrows? He needs to protect himself from large predators. He can also use them to hunt for food, which will help him survive. What skills are required to hunt with a bow and arrow? Ho do you know? It requires strength to pull the bow and control and practice to make the arrow hit a target. Brian struggles painfully to pull the bow. He practices many hours to gain enough skill to hunt. What do you think the bear will do? What do you think Brian will do? The bear will eat Brian s food. Brian will try to get his bow and arrows to shoot the bear. What causes the bear to hit Brian? It wants the meat he has stored, and Brian is lying between the bear and the meat.

Pg. 377 SUSPENSE The author uses vivid details and withholds information to create suspense and anxiety. These words suggest danger---he awakened suddenly-no time to react What causes suspense for the reader?

Pg. 378 How does Brian feel at this point? He feels paralyzed and helpless. He doesn t think anything will protect him from the bear. What overall idea is suggested by the skunk defeating the bear? Brian s decision to feed Betty was a good one because the skunk has proved to be a powerful to Brian. Why is Brian surprised by the way Betty acts after the bear leaves? Betty wants to eat and Brian is still recovering form the bear attack. He can t believe the Betty is thinking about food.

Pg. 379 Why did the author write this story? To teach readers survival skills To entertain readers with a story of survival in the wild To inform readers about the habits of bears and skunks To describe winter in the Canadian wilderness.

Characters Brian, Betty the skunk

Setting Winter in the Canadian wilderness

Conflict-Brian faces the winter alone in the wilderness. A skunk enters his camp area. Plot events- Brian avoids being sprayed by a skunk by giving it meat. It comes back expecting food, and he feeds it again. Betty appears every morning and Brian fees her. A bear attack Brain to get his food.

Resolution Betty sprays the bear and it flees, showing that Brian and Betty can help each other to survive.