Hatchet Lesson Plan

Why does Brian specify “not my father. My dad.”? What is the difference between the two?

Students should recognize that dad is a much more familiar term than father. Father is formal and distant. Brian's mom uses the term father because she is separating herself from him, but Brian doesn't want to do that. If any students have divorced parents, they may understand the feeling. The situation is also complicated by the Secret; although we don't fully know yet what it is, it clearly involves his mother and is something he has considered telling his father. That may make Brian feel closer with his dad than with his mom.

The pilot says flying is easy, like everything else,...