BOOK G U I D E S
The Call of
the Wild
BY JACK
LONDON
Scholastic grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book f or classroom use. No other par t
of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in par t, or stored in a retr ieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
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For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Teaching Resources, 524 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999.
Written by Gary Davis
Cover design by Maria Lilja
Interior design by SOLAS
ISBN 0-439-57248-7
Copyright © 2003, 1990 by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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09 08 07 06 05 04 03
NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY
MEXICO CITY • NEW DELHI • HONG K ONG • BUENOS AIRES
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Contents
Overview Chart
4
Management System
4
Story Overview
5
About the Genre
6
About the Author
7
Lesson 1
8
Lesson 2
12
Lesson 3
16
Lesson 4
20
The Call of the Wild: A Model for Writing
23
Writing Checklist
27
Creative Thinking Reproducible Sheets
28
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
3
Overview Chart
Comprehension Skills
and Strategies
Literary Concepts
Comparing and Contrasting
Conflict
Drawing Conclusions
Plot
Interpreting Character Actions
Setting
Interpreting Character Traits
Theme
Characterization
Making Judgments
Predicting Outcomes
Stating Personal Reactions
Management System
The Call of the Wild and the accompanying guide may be used in the following
manner:
Whole Class: Have the whole class read the book together. The class then responds
to the literature through discussions and activities. For this system, each child has a
copy of the book.
Small Group: Divide the class into reading groups. The groups can be set up by
interest level, topic, or ability. (Remember to have some fluent readers in each group
to share their reading with less-fluent readers.) Each group responds to the
literature through discussions and activities. For this system, each child in the
group has a copy of the book.
Read Aloud: Read the book aloud to the whole class or small group. This will help
less-fluent readers and allow children to hear the language and appreciate the
author’s technique. For this system, only the person reading aloud has a copy of
the book.
4
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Story Overview
The Call of the Wild is the story of Buck, a dog of mixed St. Bernard and Scotch
shepherd ancestry raised to be the “king” of Judge Miller’s place in northern
California. The discovery of gold in Alaska, however, leads to a booming trade in
animals that can be put to work on Yukon dog sleds, and many “Southland” dogs
fall victim to merciless thieves and trainers. Buck’s downfall comes at the hands of
Manuel, one of the gardener’s helpers, who sells the dog in order to finance his
gambling habit.
In the weeks that follow, Buck is introduced to a world that is far more violent and
primordial than anything he has ever known. The love and kindness he knew are
replaced with beatings, hard work, and, above all, a law of “club and fang” that can
lead a team of dogs to even turn on one of its own members.
Buck, however, is strong and smart. Taken to the frozen Northland by Perrault and
Francois, two French-Canadian “mushers,” he quickly learns to pull the sled that
carries them and the Canadian Government mail across the snowy countryside.
Buck is considered one of the best dogs in the entire team, but above him in the
team’s pecking order is Spitz, the team’s leader. Sensing a rival in Buck, Spitz
immediately sets out to assert his authority.
Eventually, however, in a bitter battle to the death, Spitz is defeated, and Buck
assumes leadership of the team. The team performs brilliantly under Buck, setting
records for time and distance. Even after Perrault and Francois are replaced by other
mushers, the team continues to crisscross the frozen wasteland. Finally, though, the
team is worn out. In Skagway, the dogs are sold to two men and a woman, tenderfeet
totally incapable of mastering the hard truths of life in the north. Day after day the
team struggles to pull the ridiculously heavy load until the dogs’ condition becomes
desperate. Finally even Buck rebels, and his master begins to beat him mercilessly.
Into the scene comes John Thornton, an experienced man of the north who rescues
Buck from the tenderfeet and saves his life. Buck slowly regains his strength and
becomes one of the most formidable and devoted dogs ever seen in the territory.
When Thornton and his two partners go prospecting for gold in a deserted part of the
territory, Buck soon finds himself torn between his deep love for Thornton and his
own primitive yearning to return to the wilderness. When Thornton and his partners
are killed by a band of Yeehats, Buck mourns the loss of his master. But he has
become too much a creature of the wilderness to ever again be part of the world of
people. Returning to the forest, he becomes a full-fledged member of a wolf pack, a
creature of the wild as his ancestors had been thousands of years ago.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
5
About the Genre
Realistic Fiction
To most readers dog stories usually come in two basic forms: fantasies involving
lovable, anthropomorphic animals or sentimental tales of an animal’s courage and
steadfast devotion to its human master. Jack London’s The Call of the Wild, however, is
neither of these. Instead, it is a realistic-fiction classic, presenting readers with gripping
adventures in a strange world far removed from their own experience—but ones which
they instantly recognize and accept as “real.” One of the reasons for this, of course, is
that The Call of the Wild gives readers a world stripped down to the most basic
elements—the will to survive and the need to live out one’s own inner destiny.
Like many early-twentieth-century writers, Jack London was fascinated with what
each of us—man, woman, or even dog—might be like in a truly natural state, without
the legal and social restraints imposed by society. Are we basically good? Or are we so
driven by the law of survival of the fittest that we would do anything in order to stay
alive?
In The Call of the Wild, London explores these questions through the eyes of a dog that
has been violently wrenched from peaceful domesticity and put to work in the brutal,
unforgiving, “super realistic” world of the Alaskan gold rush.
Bibliography
Ellis, Mel. Flight of the White Wolf. New York: Scholastic, 1988.
Hayes, Sheila. The Gift Horse. New York: Scholastic, 1988.
Lapp, Eleanor J. Orphaned Pup. New York: Scholastic, 1988.
North, Sterling. The Wolfling. New York: Scholastic, 1980.
Rounds, Glen. The Blind Colt. New York: Scholastic, 1960.
Savitt, Sam. Vicki and the Black Horse. New York: Scholastic, 1964.
Savitz, Harriet May. Swimmer. New York: Scholastic, 1977.
Shura, Mary Francis. Mister Wolf and Me. New York: Scholastic, 1982.
6
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
About the Author
By the time he was 27 years of age, Jack London was one of the best-paid and most
popular writers in the United States. All this was a far cry from his youth. Born in
San Francisco in 1876, London spent his boyhood around the seedy docks and
hangouts of the Oakland, California, waterfront. Before he reached his teens, he was
the owner of a small sloop that he and his friends used to raid oyster beds around
the bay. In his late teens, however, London turned away from what seemed destined
to be a life of crime. Instead, he signed up on a sealing ship. After his return, he
traveled the United States and Canada as a hobo, quickly finished high school, and
spent a brief period at the University of California.
The classroom, however, was not where London wanted to spend his life, and he
decided to go to Alaska as a gold prospector. This marked a major turning point in
his life. In the north he came to know the hard, brutal life—and people—of the gold
fields. Returning to Oakland in 1898, he set out to describe them in several short
stories. His stories were a success, and they were soon followed by novels such as
The Call of the Wild, The Sea-Wolf, The Game, and White Fang—all of which draw
heavily on London’s own experiences as a sailor and prospector.
Deeply concerned with social and economic issues, London was an outspoken
Socialist, and his works often took up the cause of the working class and the
unemployed. At the same time, he was fascinated with what he saw as the savage,
elemental forces lying beneath the surfaces of modern, civilized people.
London’s death, in 1916, at the age of 40, came much too soon. But in his brief
career he managed to produce more than 50 volumes of short stories, novels, plays,
and essays—and to become one of the most widely-read American writers of all time.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
7
The Call of the Wild
Lesson
1
Chapters 1–2 Pages 3–40
Synopsis
Buck, part St. Bernard and part Scotch shepherd, is the king of Judge Miller’s place in
California’s Santa Clara Valley. Possessing strength, natural dignity, and a love of
hunting and the outdoors, he is just the kind of dog that is needed to pull the sleds
that haul everything across the frozen ice of the gold-crazed North. When Manuel, a
gardener’s helper, needs money, he takes advantage of the Judge’s temporary absence
to sell Buck.
Clubbed into submission, Buck is transported north, first by train and then by ship.
On this last journey, he is accompanied by his new masters, two French-Canadian
“mushers” named Perrault and Francois, and a group of dogs that includes Spitz, a
“mean fellow” from Spitzbergen, a good-natured Newfoundland named Curly, and a
gloomy dog named Dave. At the end of this journey Buck experiences his first snow.
He has also learned a critical lesson: a dog is no match for a man with a club.
Buck learns an even more important lesson when Curly is attacked by a husky and then
savagely finished off by a pack of huskies that sensed a fallen dog. Buck, as his masters
note, is quick to learn, and he immediately begins to adapt to the harsh routine.
Before Reading
Tell students that they will be reading an action-packed book called The Call of the Wild.
It is the story of a dog, Buck, that suddenly has to adapt to a life far different from the
one in which he was raised. Although the story is told in a completely realistic way, we
see all of the action through Buck’s eyes, sharing his experiences, feelings, and needs.
Use the activity that is best suited for your class.
Option 1: Explore the idea of seeing things from an animal’s point of view by drawing
on students’ prior knowledge of literature. Have them discuss other books in which
animals are the central characters. If students have difficulty coming up with examples,
you might suggest such books as Charlotte’s Web, which is a fantasy about a group of
farm animals, and the Black Stallion books, which are written in a much more realistic
manner.
Divide the class into small discussion groups, and ask each group to work together to
come up with descriptions of the animals they have read about in books. Have some of
the students in each group write brief physical descriptions of the animals; others,
descriptions of the animals’ personalities; a third group, a short description of what
happens to the animals during the course of the story.
8
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Option 2: For students who are not familiar with books centering on animals and
their experiences, have students discuss any pets they know about firsthand. Begin
by asking students to list and describe the animals. Each student should write what
kind of animal the pet is, what it looks like, and how it acts.
Then ask students to think about how each of these pets might be different from a
similar animal raised and living in the wild. For example, how would a pet dog be
different from a wild wolf? What qualities would they have in common?
Then distribute copies of the book and call students’ attention to the illustration on
the cover. Point out that this story is about the brown dog shown at the front of the
dog team. Explain that the story takes place in the late 1800s, when thousands of
people rushed to Alaska and the Canadian Yukon in search of gold.
Before beginning the story, tell students that as they read, they should also be
thinking about what this dog’s story tells them about themselves. Ask them to think
about how they themselves might feel if they were suddenly forced into a completely
new environment.
During Reading
Tell students that they will now read the opening pages of the first chapter. Explain
that in these pages they will learn about Buck and his early life. Then have students
take turns reading aloud pages 3-6. When they have finished, ask students to
describe Buck and his way of life on Judge Miller’s place. If possible, have students
write their ideas on the chalkboard, filling out a schematic map like the one below:
What he looks like
His home
Buck
People in his life
How he acts
Assign pages 6–40 for reading. Tell students that in these two chapters they will
learn how Buck comes to be taken from the Judge’s place. They will also meet some
characters—dogs and humans—that will play an important part in the coming
chapters of the book. Remind students that, as they read, they should continue to
think about how they might act and feel if they were suddenly taken away from their
homes and thrust into a new and harsher life.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
9
Literary Concepts
Discuss setting: Help students recognize the setting of The Call of the Wild by
writing the following graphic on the board and asking students to fill in details about
the time and location in which the book’s first chapter takes place.
Time:
Setting
Location:
When students have finished, have them organize these details according to several
simple categories that provide clues about what life was like in this particular time
and location. If necessary, help students get started by having them add to the
following categories:
Clothing
Travel
Speech
Food
Continue in the same way for the second chapter, completing the graphic about the
setting and then adding, deleting, or changing detail categories as needed. Point out
that there may be more than one setting in a chapter. Conclude by having students
summarize the setting or settings of each chapter in their own words.
Points to Ponder
1. Why do you think Buck was so trusting when Manuel took him to College Park?
Do you think he would be so trusting ever again? (Interpreting Character Traits/
Making Judgments)
2. What might have happened if Buck had not been so quick to realize that he could
not fight against a man with a club? (Drawing Conclusions)
3. Why do you think Spitz is so eager to “go after” the other dogs? Explain your
answer. (Interpreting Character Traits)
4. What do you think of the way in which Perrault and Francois train their dogs? Do
you think it is effective? Do you think it is humane? (Stating Personal Reactions)
5. How has the northern setting affected Buck? Do you think he is now a different
dog? Why or why not? (Comparing and Contrasting/Setting)
10
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
After Reading
Choose from the following activities:
1. Write about an icy, snowy winter, and tell whether or not you would like it. Use
details and adjectives to show why you would like or dislike this kind of weather.
2. Imagine you are Buck. Write journal entries describing your experiences in these
first two chapters.
3. Pretend you observe Buck’s inhumane treatment. Write an editorial letter or essay
that states your feelings on animal rights.
4. Use encyclopedia articles and informational books to find out about work dogs
around the world. Choose one type of work dog, such as a sled dog or a seeing-eye
dog. Report to the class on what breed of dog it is, what characteristics it has,
what jobs it does, and how it is trained to do its job.
Sign-up Sheet
Name
Activity Number
Date Started
Date Completed
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
11
The Call of the Wild
Lesson
2
Chapter 3 Pages 43–67
Synopsis
The harsh conditions of the Northland gradually transform Buck. He becomes fierce
and callous.
Spitz and Buck almost have it out when Spitz steals Buck’s sleeping “nest”—a hole
in the snow. Their fight is disrupted when a large band of starving huskies descends
on the camp. That emergency is resolved, only to be followed by another when Dolly
suddenly goes mad and must be axed by Francois.
Buck begins to use his size and strength to prevent Spitz from enforcing discipline
among the dogs. As a result, the team starts to fall apart. The inevitable final fight
between Buck and Spitz draws closer.
Things finally come to a head between the two combatants one night when the team
chases after a snowshoe rabbit. In the end, Buck’s superior intelligence helps him
bring down the veteran Spitz. Then, as the pack closes in to finish off its former
leader, Buck stands back, “the dominant primordial beast.”
Before Reading
Remind students that The Call of the Wild takes place in the Northland—Alaska and
Canada’s Yukon—during the great gold rush at the end of the 1800s. Explain that
the author, Jack London, went north in search of gold and that he knew firsthand
what life there was like.
Ask students to think about the first two chapters of the book. Then have them
thumb through the chapters to find specific descriptions showing that London knew
California and the North well and that he was writing about it on the basis of his
own experiences. Write the page numbers on the board and have students read the
passages aloud. Discuss with students how London might have experienced each
particular thing, identifying details that show firsthand knowledge of both California
and the Northland.
Remind students that one of the most striking things in The Call of the Wild is the
difference between the Northland and the world Buck has left behind. First have
them reread page 4. Then have them turn to the opening of Chapter 2 and review the
first three paragraphs of the chapter.
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Have students complete the following chart:
Buck in California
Buck in the Northland
__________________________
______________________________
__________________________
______________________________
__________________________
______________________________
When they have finished, tell students to look for more information about the
Northland as they read the third chapter of the book. Have them keep notes on the
land, climate, and animal life that are described so that they know Buck’s new
environment better.
During Reading
Assign students the third chapter of the book, pages 43–67. Ask them to look for
examples of how Buck is beginning to adapt to his new way of life.
Note: Remind students that, in The Call of the Wild, Jack London is
trying to give a realistic portrait of the Northland and its people. For this
reason he often tries to duplicate the way they speak, including the
accents of French Canadians like Perrault and Francois. Have students
locate examples and make sure they can identify what the two are saying.
Literary Concepts
Discuss plot and conflict: Remind students that the plot is the series of events in a
story. Then ask them to tell what happened in the plot during the first three chapters
of The Call of the Wild. Write their suggestions on the board in the form of a simple
summary.
Remind students that the plots of most stories involve a conflict of some kind and
that the struggle between Buck and Spitz is just one of the many conflicts that take
place in The Call of the Wild. Point out that, during the course of the book, they will
read about conflicts between various characters, between the characters and their
environment, and even between one part of a character’s personality and another.
Explain that we usually learn about these conflicts in the beginning of a story. Then,
as the story goes on, we see how the conflicts develop. Finally, at the end of the
story, which is sometimes called the climax, we see how these conflicts are resolved.
In the first three chapters of The Call of the Wild many of the conflicts we learn about
center on Buck. Ask students to think about these conflicts—the ones between Buck
and other characters, between Buck and the world, and even within Buck himself.
Then create cooperative learning groups of three students each, and have each group
make a copy of the following chart. Have students work together to add information
to complete the chart.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
13
Buck’s Conflicts
With other characters
With the environment
Within Buck himself
With Spitz
Harsh climate
He is changing
If necessary, help students by modeling the following thought process:
Which characters is Buck in conflict with? Well, there’s Spitz, who feels
that Buck is a threat to his position as lead dog. So we’ll write that on
the chart as a conflict between Buck and one of the other characters.
There is also a conflict with the harsh climate. Finally there is the conflict
in Buck himself. He is changing in order to survive.
When the groups have finished, have them share their charts with the whole class,
discussing their ideas. Then ask students how they think some of these conflicts will
be resolved. Write their predictions on the board and have them explain their
thinking.
Points to Ponder
1. In what ways has Buck learned to live according to “the law of club and fang”?
(Interpreting Character Actions)
2. What do you think will happen with the team now that Buck has defeated Spitz?
(Predicting Outcomes)
3. Would you like to have lived in the Northland during the days of the gold rush?
What would you have especially liked or disliked about it? (Stating Personal
Reactions)
4. Imagine that you are Buck. How would you have handled the conflict with Spitz?
Explain your thinking. (Making Judgments/Understanding Conflict)
5. In what ways are Buck and Spitz similar or different? (Comparing and Contrasting/
Interpreting Character Traits)
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
After Reading
Choose from the following activities:
1. Write journal entries describing Buck’s experiences in the Northland, between the
time when he steals food and the time he defeats Spitz.
2. Find a map of North America that includes northern California, Alaska, and the
Yukon. Make a photocopy of that map and chart the various places mentioned
during the first three chapters of The Call of the Wild. Use an atlas to help you
locate the place names.
3. What qualities does Buck have that help him adjust to life in the Northland?
Make a list of those qualities, describing how each of them helps him in his new
life and then tell why those qualities are helpful.
4. Write about a conflict in your life. Describe the conflict and how it was or was not
resolved.
Sign-up Sheet
Name
Activity Number
Date Started
Date Completed
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
15
The Call of the Wild
Lesson
3
Chapters 4–5 Pages 71–114
Synopsis
After the death of Spitz, Buck assumes leadership of the team. He leads the team on
a record run from Dawson to Skagway, averaging 40 miles per day for 14 days. In
Skagway, however, the team is passed to a new group of mail couriers.
The team is soon so overworked that it is on the brink of collapse. The loyal Dave,
who suffers most, is mercifully put to death. When the exhausted team returns to
Skagway, it is callously sold and readied for another trip.
The purchasers are three newcomers to the North, two men and a woman, named
Hal, Charles, and Mercedes. Inexperienced and uncaring, they force the dogs to pull
unmercifully heavy weights and to endure harsh conditions. Buck goes on “as in a
nightmare” while other dogs begin to fail one by one. At John Thornton’s camp at the
mouth of the White River, Buck simply refuses to go on. He is saved by Thornton
from Hal’s furious beating, and the two watch as the rest of the team and its new
owners perish in the icy waters.
Before Reading
By the time they have finished the first three chapters of the novel, students will
have realized that The Call of the Wild is quite different from other animal books.
This makes it an ideal point at which either to discuss realistic fiction and the ways
in which Jack London makes his central character come to life or to sum up what
students have learned about the animal that is the central character of the book.
Option 1: Begin by asking students if anything happens in this book that could
not happen in the real world, helping them recognize that the book is faithful to
both natural laws and the way things probably happened at the time of the great
Alaskan gold rush. Then ask them why they find this world so realistic and
believable. If necessary, start off the discussion by reminding students of the
realistic, firsthand details that they noted earlier. Then continue by modeling the
following thought process:
It’s one thing to describe a dog team or a dog fight in a realistic way, but the
way Jack London describes a dog’s inner feelings or wants is something else
again. I wonder how he knows how Buck might have felt? Perhaps he knows
dogs well, so he can tell what they are thinking by looking at them, or his
experience in the North might have taught him a great deal about these
creatures. Perhaps they are his feelings and he is ascribing them to Buck. I
wonder if he kept a diary and then turned it into a book?
16
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Have students continue discussing how London might have learned about animals like
Buck, how he might have come to understand their feelings, and how he might have
gone about making Buck seem so real and so believable to the readers of the book.
Option 2: Ask students what they know about Buck, from what he looks like to what
kind of personality he has. Divide the class into groups of four students each. Then
have each group look through the first three chapters of the book to find out as much
as they can about the dog. Tell them to use the information to complete the following
chart:
Appearance
Main Qualities
How He Acts With Other Dogs
How He Acts With People
______________ ____________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________
______________ ____________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________
Tell students to look closely at the descriptions of Buck as they read the next two
chapters. What do they show about how Buck is changing? What do they show about
what could happen to him by the end of the book?
During Reading
Assign students pages 71–114. Tell them that in these next two chapters they will
learn more about how Buck adapts to life in his new environment. Have them look for
the causes of these changes in Buck.
Literary Concepts
Discuss characters and plot: Remind students that they have met many different
characters in the first five chapters of this book. Then work with students to complete
the following chart, filling in information about each of the characters.
Characters in The Call of the Wild
Name
Dogs
Appearance
What They Do
Personality
What Happens to Them
________ ______________ ________________ ______________ ________________________
________ ______________ ________________ ______________ ________________________
Buck’s
Masters
________ ______________ ________________ ______________ ________________________
________ ______________ ________________ ______________ ________________________
________ ______________ ________________ ______________ ________________________
After the chart is finished, have students make a copy so they can add to it as they
continue reading the novel.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
17
Discuss theme: Remind students that most stories have at least one theme, that is,
an idea or problem that a story is about. Explain that one of the main themes of The
Call of the Wild concerns the “will to survive.” Ask students how Buck reacts to each
of the new situations in which he is placed. Does he give in to the other dogs? To his
masters? Or does he fight to stay alive? Then discuss with students how this makes
Buck like or unlike the animals of the wilderness, who are willing to do anything—
even kill—in order to survive. What must lie deep inside Buck in order to survive and
to adapt to this harsher, more violent life? As the discussion continues, use the
following graphic to help organize students’ thoughts and suggestions about what
each of these kinds of dogs is like and how it acts:
“Civilized” Dogs
Sled Dogs
Dogs in the Wild
How Buck Starts to Act
__________________
______________
______________________
________________________
__________________
______________
______________________
________________________
__________________
______________
______________________
________________________
Conclude the discussion by asking students to put into words what it is that is
happening to Buck. Help them express that as Buck learns more about life in the
Northland he returns more and more to his primitive roots.
Points to Ponder
1. What is the “toil of trace and trail”? (Drawing Conclusions/Understanding Plot)
2. What do you think of John Thornton? What kind of master do you think he will
be? (Stating Personal Reactions/Predicting Outcomes)
3. How does “survival of the fittest” apply to people such as Francois and the three
inexperienced people who buy Buck? (Understanding Theme)
4. Do you think John Thornton should have warned the tenderfeet more strongly
about the conditions on the ice? What would you have done in his place? (Making
Judgments)
5. Do you think the treatment of sled dogs was humane? Why do you think the
people were willing to work them to death rather than give them rest and care?
(Making Judgments)
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
After Reading
Choose from the following activities:
1. Write a journal from Buck’s point of view, describing what happens between the
death of Spitz and Buck’s meeting with John Thornton.
2. Write about the concept that “Buck is both a master and a victim of his fate.”
3. Write a description of one of Buck’s masters. Tell what that person was like before
he or she met Buck, how he or she treated Buck, how Buck seemed to feel about
that person, and how that person passed out of Buck’s life.
4. Imagine that you are Buck. What kind of master would you want? How would you
want that person to act? Write a description or draw a picture of your ideal master
for the dog team.
Sign-up Sheet
Name
Activity Number
Date Started
Date Completed
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
19
The Call of the Wild
Lesson
4
Chapters 6–7 Pages 117–172
Synopsis
Under Thornton’s care, Buck recovers from the harsh treatment he has received.
Buck’s attraction for the wild and the primitive grows, although his devotion to
Thornton remains total. He follows the man’s every command, defends him from
attackers, and even saves Thornton’s life when he falls into freezing rapids. Then
Buck wins a $1600 bet for his master by pulling a 1000-pound load across the snow.
Thornton pays off some debts, and he and his two partners search for gold while the
idle Buck draws closer to the wilderness. One day, Buck single-handedly kills a giant
moose. Love for Thornton, however, binds him, and Buck keeps returning to the
campfire. All this changes, though, when Thornton and his partners are attacked
and killed by a band of Yeehats.
With nowhere else to go, Buck turns to the wild. There he becomes the leader of a
wolf pack and gives himself over to the primitive side of his being.
Before Reading
Tell students that Chapters 6 and 7 are the last chapters of The Call of the Wild.
Remind them that the conflicts we see during the course of a story usually are
resolved in one way or another at the end.
Use the activity that is best suited for your class.
Option 1: On the board, draw a chart like the following:
Conflict Characters Involved What Causes It
Buck vs. Buck, dognapper
Man buys Buck
dognapper
from Manuel
What Happens How It Ends
Buck bites man Man sells Buck
but can’t win
Remind students that there are many different conflicts in The Call of the Wild. Have
them discuss who was involved in the first conflict on the chart, what caused it,
what happened, and how it finally ended. Continue by having students suggest other
conflicts, discuss them in the same way, and add them to the chart. (Keep the chart
for future use.)
20
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Option 2: Help students relate the themes and plot of The Call of the Wild to their
own experience. Ask them about any pets they might have, how the pets are treated,
and what their lives are like. Then ask what might happen to these pets if, like Buck,
they were pushed into a life in the wild. Have students discuss what might happen
to each animal, how its life would change, and what its likelihood of surviving might
be. Have students conclude by comparing Buck’s experiences with what might
happen to their pets.
During Reading
Before assigning the rest of the book, tell students to see which conflicts or problems
are solved in the final pages. (If they have worked with the chart shown on page 20,
have them add information about conflicts and/or solutions as needed.) Then assign
pages 117–172.
Literary Concepts
Discuss conflict and plot: Remind students of the conflicts that they discussed
in Lesson 2, helping them recall Buck’s conflicts with the other dogs, his problems
in adjusting to his new environment, and the conflict within himself. Then have
students discuss the book’s closing pages, using their ideas to complete the following:
Conflicts With Other Dogs
How Resolved
____________________________________
____________________________________
Conflicts With New Environment
How Resolved
____________________________________
____________________________________
Conflicts Within Himself
How Resolved
____________________________________
____________________________________
Discuss theme: Tell students that, like most books, this one has more than one
theme. Explain that, as they already know, one of the book’s themes is the will to
survive. But another of its themes is love—the feelings that some of the dogs have for
one another and especially the feelings Buck has for John Thornton. Ask: “What
happens to the ‘wild’ side of Buck at the end of the story?” “How did Buck show his
love for John Thornton?”
Points to Ponder
1. Do you think Buck would have ended up in the wild if John Thornton had not
been killed? (Interpreting Character Actions/Understanding Conflict)
2. Do you think Buck is truly happy in the wilderness? Explain your answer.
(Stating Personal Reactions)
3. Do you think something like this could happen today? Explain your answer.
(Drawing Conclusions)
4. Do you think Thornton was fair in making Buck try to pull the 1000-pound sled?
Why or why not? (Making Judgments)
5. What new lessons about love and survival did you learn from this book?
(Stating Personal Reactions/Understanding Themes)
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
21
After Reading
Choose from the following activities:
1. Start or continue the journal written from Buck’s point of view. Describe what
happens to the dog in the last two chapters of the book.
2. What adventures do you think Buck has after joining the wolf pack? Write about
what he might do and how he might live.
3. With a group of other students, write a short play dramatizing a scene from The
Call of the Wild. Then present your play to the rest of the class.
4. Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter who has discovered Buck running with
the wolf pack. Write a short newspaper article describing Buck, what has
happened to him, and how he has ended up in the wild.
Sign-up Sheet
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22
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
The Call of the Wild
A Model for Writing
The Prewriting Stage
The purpose of prewriting is to use some strategies or plans to get ready to write.
This stage is critical in helping children get their ideas out in the open through
talking, brainstorming, drawing, diagramming, or free-writing.
Many writers turn to the world around them for ideas and inspiration. Remind your
students that Jack London repeatedly drew characters and plots for his works from
his own experiences. The Call of the Wild is filled with people, animals, places, and
events that London encountered during his days as a gold prospector.
■
Encourage students to talk freely about The Call of the Wild and about the author,
Jack London. Ask: “How can you tell that London loved animals and the outdoors?”
■
The characters in The Call of the Wild are both people and animals. London
presents situations involving the animals in a completely realistic manner. Ask:
“How does London make us believe what he is telling us about Buck’s innermost
thoughts and feelings?”
■
Relate the discussion to the students’ own experiences. Ask: “How would you go
about telling a story based on the life of a person or animal you know? What
details about that life would you include?”
■
Form small groups for peer conferencing. Help children direct their thinking to any
people, animals, or objects that might serve as part of a story they would write.
■
Let students free-write for five to ten minutes without interference, to get their
ideas on paper. Tell them to use any format that feels comfortable—a list, a
diagram, a summary, a narrative, or even a picture. Remind them to put down
only the most important ideas now. Spelling, grammar, and handwriting can be
worked on at a later time.
■
Set aside time for sharing ideas in groups or as a whole class.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
23
The Drafting Stage
Drafting involves getting your ideas down on paper, focusing on content, and
considering the audience and purpose. The emphasis at this stage should be on
putting ideas together without concern for spelling or usage.
Model the drafting process by showing students how to decide on topics for their
realistic fiction. List two or three topic choices of your own (a child who adopts a wild
animal; a person who survives an airplane crash in the wilderness). Encourage
students to write down and share their topic ideas with a partner or small group in
order to gather and develop their thoughts.
Refer back to some of Jack London’s techniques for keeping the story moving,
including realistic dialogue; short, quick sentences for describing action; and
skipping unimportant events and details.
To help students start their stories, ask them to think about the following questions:
■
Who tells the story? (point of view)
■
Where and when does the story take place? (setting)
■
What problems do the characters face and how do they solve them? (plot)
■
What conflicts are the characters involved in? (conflict)
■
What is the story about? (theme)
Then have everyone write, including the teacher. When everyone is finished, ask:
“Who would like to share their work today?” You may want to start things off by
reading aloud your own paper. Structure the time as a whole-class activity or as
small-group discussions. Emphasize that all feedback should be positive and
constructive.
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
The Revising Stage
Revising, taking a second look at what has been written, is at the heart of writing.
Children learn strategies and techniques best when these are demonstrated through
children’s own writing. Some strategies (Calkins, 1986; Zinsser, 1980; Murray, 1983)
include:
■
Take a short piece and make it longer.
■
Take a long piece and make it shorter.
■
Experiment with different openings.
■
Add different characters, people or animals who are like or unlike the
main characters.
■
Reread the draft, listening to how it sounds.
■
Tell the story from a different point of view.
■
Put the plot into four or five sequential sentences.
■
Talk with someone about your draft, then rewrite it without looking at previous
versions.
Show students the following proofreading marks, explaining how they can be a
shortcut to making changes during the revising stage:
Mark
Meaning
Example
new paragraph
The team stopped. Their rest was not nearly
long enough.
insert, add this
and
Buck Spitz rolled on the snow.
capital letter
john thornton held tightly to the dog.
take this out
Thornton spoke softly and quietly at first.
move, transpose
The dogs loudly barked .
let it stay, stet
The exhausted Buck kept moving however.
Materials for revising and editing should be kept at the Writing Center: scissors,
tape, stapler, marking pens, correction fluid, pencils, and crayons.
Allow time for the students to revise their stories.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
25
The Editing Stage
Students should edit once they are satisfied with the content of their pieces. During
editing, students reread and correct their writing for word choice, spelling, grammar,
usage, and punctuation. Students may proofread alone or with a partner, either on
paper or on a word-processor.
Some editing techniques (Calkins, 1989) include:
■
rereading through the final draft quickly to be sure it says what you want.
■
looking for key words and asking: “Is this the best word to use here? Does it make
the reader ‘see’ what is happening?”
■
checking the spelling and mechanics.
■
using an editing checklist.
Editing materials include: dictionary, thesaurus, spelling guides, grammar and usage
charts, editor’s blue pencils, and reference books.
Editing makes the most sense to children when it leads to publishing their writings.
The Publishing Stage
Students enjoy and learn from publishing and sharing their writing. Some ways tried
by teachers are:
■
a class magazine, newsletter, or newspaper.
■
hand-bound books for the library.
■
displays of student pieces, drafts, and books.
■
recordings (on cassette) that students make of their own writings.
■
class anthologies.
■
submitting student writings to outside publications—school or local magazines
and newspapers and national magazines devoted to children’s literature.
Let children help select the audience(s) with whom they will share their work.
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Name:
Date:
Writing Checklist
Read each statement. Then make an X in the appropriate column.
Never
Sometimes
Often
I like to write.
I like to pick my own topics.
I edit my first draft.
Writing stories can be fun.
I can remember the stories I’ve written.
I put animals, people, and machines
in my writing.
I like to illustrate my writing with
my drawings.
I can spell new words.
I know when I make a mistake.
When I don’t know how to spell
a word, I guess.
I can tell you about what I’ve read.
I like to change the end of a story.
I know I write better every time.
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
27
Name:
Date:
Civilized vs. Wild
Buck gradually gives up his gentler ways and becomes more and more like the harsh, wild
creatures of Alaska and the Yukon. How are wild creatures different from ones kept as pets
or work animals in civilization? Choose an animal you know something about. Think about
how its needs are met in civilization and how it meets those needs in the wild. Use your
ideas to complete the chart below.
In Civilization
Animal
Animal
Gets Food:
Gets Food:
Gets Shelter:
Stays Out of Danger:
The Call of the Wild
28
In the Wild
Gets Shelter:
Stays Out of Danger:
Creative Thinking 1
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Name:
Date:
Lessons Learned
Buck has several experiences that help him learn about life in the Northland. Draw a
picture of what you think that scene might have looked like. Write the title of the scene
above it. Then, on the lines below, write a sentence or two telling what Buck learned from
that experience.
Title: ______
______________
______________
______________
________
_________
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_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
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_________
_
_________
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_________
_
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_
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_
The Call of the Wild
Creative Thinking 2
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
29
Name:
Date:
Buck’s Song
In the conclusion to The Call of the Wild, Jack London says that Buck can sometimes be
heard singing “a song of the younger world, which is the song of the pack.” Write the song
that Buck might sing. Your song could include two stanzas, or verses, and a refrain, or
chorus, that is sung after each verse.
Stanza 1:
Refrain:
Stanza 2:
Refrain:
The Call of the Wild
30
Creative Thinking 3
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Name:
Date:
TV Talk Show
Imagine that you are Jack London and that you are appearing on a TV talk show in order to
talk about The Call of the Wild. Answer the following questions from your TV interviewer.
Jack London: ____________________
Host: Well, Jack, we haven’t
seen you in quite a while. What
have you been doing with
yourself?
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
Jack London: ____________________
Host: That’s interesting. And I
suppose you’ve been working on
this new book of yours, too. This
is it, folks. It’s called The Call of
the Wild. What would you say
it’s about, Jack?
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
Jack London: ____________________
Host: Hey, that’s interesting.
What gave you the idea for this?
______________________________________
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The Call of the Wild
Creative Thinking 4
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Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Scholastic Book Guides: The Call of the Wild © Scholastic Teaching Resources