WOODSONG an AUTOBIOGRAPHY: PAULSEN'S STORY BEGINS
In this lesson, students will be introduced to Gary Paulsen, the author of Woodsong, his autobiography, through a Barnes & Noble Vodcast. This autobiography is different from most because of Paulsen’s focus on how animals and nature made him the person he is, today. However, in addition to animals, the other influences in his life were the librarian, books, and a police officer. He will discuss his childhood in the interview.
Lessons Paulsen Learned from Animals:
The first four chapters of Woodsong will be read aloud by Paulsen (audio tape). These chapters focus on lessons Paulsen learned from animals. Language arts activities related to Paulsen’s and students influences will completed (See appendix).
Online resouces are available, below.
Chap. 1 – pg. 1: “I understood almost nothing about the woods until it was nearly too late. And that is strange because my ignorance was based on knowledge.”
Chap. 2 – pg. 11: “I was so ignorant, so steeped in not knowing, that I did not even know what I didn’t know. I didn’t know what questions to ask, or how to ask them, and I would not begin to learn until [a dog] taught me.”
Chap. 3 – pg. 21: “And the dogs could teach me.”
Chap. 4 – pg. 36: “ Fear comes in many forms but perhaps the worst scare is the one that isn’t anticipated: the one that isn’t really known about until it’s there. A sudden fear. The unexpected. “
1. paradox - a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
Chap. 1: Page 1 - Perhaps the greatest paradox about understanding "the woods" is that so many who enjoy it, or seem to enjoy it, spend most of their time trying to kill parts of it.
2. amuck - a murderous frenzy or wildness
Chap. 2: Page 9 - They had more or less run amuck and were damming up rivers and flooding highways, filling pastures, even beginning to invade the cities.
3. clarity - the quality or state of being clear
Chap. 3: Page 21 - Things are steeped in a new clarity, a clear focus
4. blundered - blunder - to make a mistake through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness
Chap. 4: Page 34 - At first I thought she has somehow stupidly blundered into the camp and run past the dogs to the fire.
Lessons Learned
How did Paulsen’s experience in the first three chapters affect his view of nature? How did he change? What lessons did he learn? Describe your reaction to one of these incidents.
or…
Paulsen learned many lessons from nature. Choose one that seemed to make the biggest influence on his life. Briefly summarize the event then explain why you chose the event. How would an event such as this affect you?