The Hitchhiker

by
Roald Dahl

Mazal Freundlich
 The Hitchhiker
Pre-reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU8prtJUwHk

Show the student the snl clip, through the satire discuss what it mean to be a successful
professional. What qualities one must have and what benefits the skill must provide and
does a professional need to serve society or only himself.

Basic Understanding:

1. Describe the car that the narrator is driving.

2. Who are the three characters in the story?
3. Where does the story take place?
4. Why does the narrator stop for the hitchhiker?
A. Because he recognizes him.
B. He pities him because he can't imagine what it is like to hitchhike.
C. Because he knows what it is like to hitchhike.
D. Because he is bored.
5. What does the Hitchhiker look like?
6. What is the narrator's profession?
7. How does the hitchhiker know that the narrator is good at his profession?
8. According to the hitchhiker, what is the "secret of life?"
9. Where is the hitchhiker going and why?
10. Why do the narrator and the hitchhiker get stopped by the police?
11. Describe the policeman's appearance.
12. Why is the narrator alarmed when stopped by the police?
13. What does the hitchhiker say to calm the narrator after being stopped by the
police?
 14. Describe how the hitchhiker demonstrates to the narrator his skill?

15. Vocabulary:
1) Solicitor
2) Conjuror
3) Pick-pocket
4) Trade
5) Routine
6) Cop
7) Companion
8) Bricklayer
9) Unemployed
10) Criminal
11) Peculiar
12) Despise
13) Executioner
14) Amateur
15) Crafty
16) Jeweler
17) Superior
18) Pal
19) Silversmith
20) Appreciate
HOTS
Refer the students to the Eric Cohen book in order to find the correct definition of
the following HOTs.
Inferring - To conclude information from evidence and reasoning rather than
from explicit statements.
Comparing and Contrasting – To compare and contrast means to find the
similarities and the differences between two or more places or things that are
in question. So as to compare and contrast two things you need to establish a
basis of comparison. You also need to make a thorough presentation of
information

Distinguishing Different Perspectives – To identify the different

perspectives within the text and/or among the readers of the text.

1. How does the policeman's perception of the hitchhiker differ from the
narrator's perception of the hitchhiker?
2. Who does the narrator avoid stealing from and why?
3. Explain how the narrator's choice to pick up a hitchhiker got him into
trouble and how it got him out of trouble.
4. Compare and contrast the hitchhiker's and the narrator's different
professions. What HOTs did you use to answer the question and how did
you use it?
5. What causes the hitchhiker to think that he is superior to others? What
HOTs did you use to answer the question and how did you use it?

Bridging:

1. "Children are ... highly critical. And they lose interest so quickly. You have to
keep things ticking along. And if you think a child is getting bored, you must
think up something that jolts it back. Something that tickles. You have to know
what children like." – Roald Dahl
2. "I am a disciplined writer" he once said, "By the time I am nearing the end of
a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least
one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good
writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.” – Roald Dahl
Choose one of the author's quotes above and explain how it can connect to
the story.

Literary Terms

A. Stereotype – Presenting a person as is they present a social

group to which they belong, by using physical appearances,
accent, clothing, foods ect. The emphasis on belonging to a
group makes the stereotyped person less individualized.
B. Dialogue – The conversations that take place between
characters in a literary work of narrative or drama or more
rarely, in poetry.
C. Point of View – The focus from which the story or drama is
told. The story can be told 1) by one of the character who
experience the event, 2) by an all-knowing narrator who knows
the 'whole' story, or 3) by a character telling someone else's
story

Give an example from the text for each literary term.

Post Reading:

A. Write an alternative ending to the story.

B. Write the ending from the policeman's perspective.

Reflection:

A. Did you enjoy reading the story? Why or why not?

B. How did the thinking skills of Inferring and Making Connections
influence your understanding f the story?
C. Which character in the story made the greatest impression on
you? Explain why.
 The Hitchhiker – Answer Sheet

Basic Understanding:

1. The car the narrator is driving is a BMW/ an expensive car/ a fancy car/ a fast car.
2. The Narrator, the hitchhiker and the policeman.
3. In London/ In England/ on the road to London.
4. C.
5. Small, Rat- looking, Shabby, neglected, pointy ears.
6. The narrator is a writer.
7. The hitchhiker infers that the narrator is a good writer because he is driving a nice
car, which means that he earns a lot of money.
8. According to the hitchhiker, the "secret of life" is to master a difficult skill.
9. To the horse races in London because it is an easy place to pickpocket.
10. Because they are speeding.
11. Big, meaty, fat, with a belly, red face, wide cheeks.
12. Because he is afraid to go to prison.
13. The hitchhiker claims that people are not sent to prison because they are guilty of
speeding.
14. The hitchhiker steals the narrator's belt and shoelace without the narrator noticing.
15. Vocabulary:
1) Solicitor - the chief law officer of a city, town, or government department ( ‫עורך‬
‫) דין‬
2) Conjurer - a person who conjures spirits or practices magic; magician (‫)קוסם‬
3) Pick- pocket - a person who steals from other people's pockets. ( (‫כייס‬
4) Trade - a skilled job, typically one requiring manual skills and special training. ((
‫מקצוע‬
5) Routine - a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program. (‫)שגרה‬
6) Cop - a police officer. ((‫שוטר‬
7) Companion - a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time or with
whom one travels (‫)מארח חברה‬.
 8) Bricklayer - a person whose job is to build walls, houses, and other structures
with bricks. (‫)בנאי‬
9) Unemployed - (of a person) without a paid job but available to work. (‫)מובטל‬
10) Criminal - a person who has committed a crime. (‫)פושע‬
11) Pecuiliar - strange or odd; unusual. (‫)משונה‬
12) Despise – to feel contempt or hatred. (‫)מתעב‬
13) Executioner - an official who carries out a sentence of death on a legally
condemned person. (‫)מוציא להורג‬
14) Amateur – nonprofessional. (‫ לא מקצועי‬,‫)חובב‬
15) Crafty - clever at achieving one's aims by indirect or deceitful methods. ((‫ערמומי‬
16) Jeweler - a person or company that makes or sells jewels or jewelry. (‫)תכשיטן‬
17) Superior - higher in rank, status, or quality. (‫)עליון‬
18) Pal – a friend. (‫)חבר‬
19) Silversmith - a person who makes silver articles. (‫)צורף‬
20) Appreciate - recognize the full worth of. (‫)מעריך‬

HOTs

1. The policeman perceives the hitchhiker as a suspect and his attitude towards him is
suspicious. The point of view of the policeman is based solely on the hitchhiker's
outer appearance. On the other hand, unlike the policeman, the narrator's attitude
toward the hitchhiker is friendly and he trust the hitchhiker to tell him the truth
even after he discovers that the hitchhiker is thief. (Distinguishing Different
Perspectives).
2. We can infer that the hitchhiker does not steal from people he considers friends or
have done him a favor because for those reasons he does not steal from the
narrator. The hitchhiker also mentions that he looks down on pickpockets because
that steal from "blind old ladies", "losers" and "poor people" so it can be assumed
that he does not steal from helpless and easy targets. (Inferring).
3. The hitchhiker convinced the narrator to speed, which caused him to get stopped by
the police. The consequence for speeding is a ticket and maybe other forms of
punishment. Because the hitchhiker considers the narrator a friend because he gave
him ride, the hitchhiker steals the policeman's book of names so that he will not be
 able to find the narrator. The outcomes of the narrator picking up the hitchhiker
cancel each other. (Explaining Cause and Effect).
4. The hitchhiker is a "fingersmith" – a skilled thief and the narrator is a writer. They
are both very good at what they do and are able to earn a lot of money. However,
the narrator is honest and does his work legally in contrast with the thief who is
dishonest and a criminal. I used Comparing and Contrasting in order to highlight the
similarities and differences in each character's professional characters.
5. The hitchhiker thinks he is superior to others because he is very professional and he
can trick others but cannot be tricked by others. He thinks that car-makers are liars
and that pick-pockets are vulgar and he thinks he is job is 100 times more difficult
than a piano player or a conjurer. I used Inferring in order to take different quotes
from the text and deduce a character trait.

Bridging

1. The new information tells Roald Dahl knows that children are critical the writer must
know what children like. In order to interest children the writer must write an
interesting story that moves along. This quotation connects the story "The
Hitchhiker" because of its quick and eventful plot. For example, the story moves
quickly along through all the parts of the plot without giving the reader room to be
bored

2. The new information tells us that Roald Dahl believed in discipline and perfecting his
work. The quotation connects the story "The Hitchhiker" because the hitchhiker's
secret is that one has to become very good at a difficult skill. For example, in the
story the hitchhiker says "The secret of life is to become very very good at somethin'
that's very very 'ard to do […] you and me both". The hitchhiker considers both
himself as a fingersmith and the writer, Roald Dahl, to have found the secret and
excelling at their skills. In conclusion, we can see through the hitchhiker's words,
Roald Dahl's own belief in excelling.

.Literary Terms:
3. Stereotype – The policeman is presented as a stereotypical cop. He is fat, with a
belly, insensitive and prejudice.
4. Dialogue – Throughout almost the entire story there is an ongoing dialogue between
the narrator and the hitchhiker.
5. Plot – The plot of the story is structured with the classic plot elements:
Introduction – The narrator in driving in his car.
Rising of action – the narrator picks up a hitchhiker, climax – they speed and are
stopped by the police.
The Unfolding is when the hitchhiker informs the narrator of his profession and the
The Resolution is the hitchhiker stealing the cop's book and the narrator thanks him.
6. Point of View - The point of view in the story is from the unnamed narrator. He is a
writer and a he picks up the hitchhiker. The reader sees the entire story from his
point of view, including the description of the hitchhiker and the cop.
7. Narrator – the narrator is the voice that tells the story. In this case the narrator is a
character in the story he is telling.
 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

(4x5)
1. Why does the narrator stop for the hitchhiker?
E. Because he recognizes him.
F. He pities him because he can't imagine what it is like to hitchhike.
G. Because he knows what it is like to hitchhike.
H. Because he is bored.
2. How does the hitchhiker know that the narrator is good at his profession?
3. Why do the narrator and the hitchhiker get stopped by the police?
4. What does the hitchhiker say to calm the narrator after being stopped by the
police?

(2x10)

6. Who does the narrator avoid stealing from and why?

7. Explain how the narrator's choice to pick up a hitchhiker got him into
trouble and how it got him out of trouble.

(2x20)

1. How does the policeman's perception of the hitchhiker differ from the
narrator's perception of the hitchhiker? What HOTs did you use to answer
the question and how did you use it?
 2. What causes the hitchhiker to think that he is superior to others? What
HOTs did you use to answer the question and how did you use it?

(1x20)

3. "Children are ... highly critical. And they lose interest so quickly. You have to
keep things ticking along. And if you think a child is getting bored, you must
think up something that jolts it back. Something that tickles. You have to know
what children like." – Roald Dahl
4. "I am a disciplined writer" he once said, "By the time I am nearing the end of
a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least
one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good
writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.” – Roald Dahl

Choose one of the author's quotes above and explain how it can connect to
the story.
 State of Israel
Ministry of Education
English Inspectorate

Unit Planner

Date: Teacher’s Name: Mazal Freundlich

Grade taught: Piece #: Name of School: ‫תיכון אור צור הדסה‬
10 11 12

Level: 4 5 Genre: Name of Literary Text: The Hitchhiker – Roald Dahl

poem/story/play/novel

Targeted HOTS to be Spiraled Targeted Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

for Analysis and Interpretation to be taught
explicitly

1.Inferring
2.Comparing and Contrasting
3.Distinguishing Different Perspective

Relevant Literary Terms to be Taught

Stereotype
Dialogue
Point Of View

Targeted Benchmarks in the Domain of Appreciation of Literature and Culture

Recognize the use of literary techniques in a variety of genres

Interpret literary texts
Are aware of the author’s background and the cultural, historical and/or social themes in literary texts or
other cultural products
Are aware of how cultural practices are reflected in various literary and cultural products
 List of attached
worksheets (when Activity/ies Key Component Date Lesson #
used)
Show the student the snl clip, through the satire discuss what it
Pre-reading
mean to be a successful professional.. What qualities one must 1
have and what benefits the skill must provide and does a

professional need to serve society or only himself.

H.W. Introducing the new vocabulary and let the students translate the New vocabulary.
Translating the rest of
words they know.
story
2-3
the words using Reading the story and discussing the relevancy of the pre-reading
dictionary. clip to the story.

The students will read the story to each other, working in pairs. Basic understanding.
Working on LOTS questions. 4-5
Introducing the first HOTS, defining it, and giving examples. The HOTS
students will answer the HOTS question. 6
Introducing the other HOTS, defining it, and giving examples. The HOTS
students will answer the HOTS questions. 7-8
Taking 2 HOTS and working on extended HOTS. Extended HOTS
9
Reviewing the way to answer the bridging question and Bridging
answering the question. 10
Class work on post reading and reflection. Post reading -
Reflection 11

Test. Summative
assessment
12-13
Unit Planner (continued)