The Call of the Wild
Performance Assessment
You must complete a performance assessment after reading the novel.
1. Draw a diagram of and explain panning for gold in the Klondike region in the late 19th century.
2. Research sled dogs. Write a 2-2 ½ page paper or create a power point presentation (at least 18 slides) explaining the
types of dogs used, their characteristics, etc.
3. Research the Yukon area. Create a travel brochure enticing people to go there in the late 19th century.
4. Create a timeline of the main events of the story. Creatively illustrate it.
5. Research women in the Klondike during this period. What were their roles? Who were some famous ones?
6. Write a 25 line poem (ballad?) telling Buck’s story.
7. Create your own “song of the pack” based on what you know about Buck’s new wolf brothers at the end of the story.
8. Make a diorama of the dog sled team after Buck becomes the leader. A diorama is 3-D. You may use any materials
you like. If you go to Thinkquest.org, you will find a sample diorama:
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0211900/call/diorama.htm You should also research what types of sleds were used by
mail carriers in this time period. Remember Buck is the leader of a nine dog team.
9. Write a poem (25 lines) detailing what it feels like to be “dead tired.”
10. Create a map of the West Coast from the Yukon Territory to San Diego. Indicate at least 25 places mentioned in the
book including: Lake Laberge, Whitehouse Rapids, Across Marsh, Tagish, Bennett, Dawson, Talkeetna River, Dyea
Canyon, Sheep Camp, the Scales, and Chilkot Divide.
11. Illustrate the sled team described in Chapter 2 paying close attention to the order of the dogs in relationship to the
sled and each other.
12. Create a running journal of Buck’s character and degree of “wildness” throughout the novel. Document each
situation that changes him and tell how he changes or adapts.
13. Research Jack London’s life and compare it to that of Gary Paulsen. How are their lives similar? Different? How is
Gary Paulsen influenced by Jack London’s work? Show your work in a power point presentation (at least 18 slides).
14. Compare and contrast all of Buck’s masters. What did he learn from each? Which lesson or lessons were most
important to his survival? His happiness?
15. Write an alternative ending to the novel telling what would have happened if John Thornton had not died.
16. Create a book cover for each chapter of The Call of the Wild. Your illustrations may be final draft pencil sketches, or
you may complete the illustrations in color. They need to be done on white drawing paper no larger than 8 ½ in. x 11in.
The illustrations must reflect the title of each chapter.