The short novel or novella, The Call of the Wild is a good choice to engage readers, being an adventure novel based off real experiences. The use of the dog as narrator is different– though some students may be sensitive to the behavior of the dogs.
Here are some activities to use while teaching The Call of the Wild by Jack London:
Research the Klondike and Klondike Gold Rush
The Yukon and Klondike setting as well as the Gold Rush are key parts of the story, from the kidnapping of Buck to the trials of being a sled dog. Students can dig further into the location and time period in an interesting research project. The striking photos from the time period make a multimedia project a good choice.
Buy the Klondike Research Project includes student instructions and rubric, plus research reference and image reference sheets to guide in citations. Students often struggle with properly finding the source website of the images.
Analyze the Theme
Themes of instinct, adaptation and survival, civilization versus wild are all great to explore. These are less personal than some texts, which can be a benefit. The story has lots of evidence for the nature-related themes as well. An alternative to a literary essays is to create a multimedia project– while still requiring the analysis component.
Buy the Theme Analysis Project with theme analysis worksheet, literary essay instructions with rubric, multimedia instructions with rubric, quick guide to literary analysis handout, and ICE worksheet with guided reminders.
How to Guide Writing
This fun visual activity combines details from the text about sled-dogs or the gold rush to create a how-to guide. The real-world writing component includes use of organization. Students can be challenged to use positive language– avoiding ‘don’t’ and focusing on what to do instead.
Buy the How To Guide Projects with student printables and rubric, plus option to require positive tone.
Write a Poem Based on the Story
This is a different sort of creative writing activity. Students will write a poem based off the story. They will include theme, characters, conflict, and setting in their poem version. It may be a retelling or a re-imagining. (It may be best to restrict them from prose poems to get a greater use of poetic devices and force students to think poetically.)
Buy the Narrative Based Poem Project with student instructions and rubric, and story element identification worksheet.
Sequel Writing Activity
Students pick up where the story leaves off. Buck is living in the wild, having heard the call. What is the next chapter of his life? There are some details and legends. Students can use those– or treat them as rumors– and write a sequel for Buck. Students can consider what adventure he has.
Buy the Sequel Writing Activity, with student instructions and rubric for both a narrative and a graphic novel option. Plus sequel writing teacher notes.
Learn about Jack London
Prepare to read the story The Call of the Wild with learning about Jack London. His writing draws heavily off of his experiences, particularly in the Yukon during the Klondike Goldrush. Using a non-fiction article is a good way to practice non-fiction reading skills.
Buy the Jack London Author Information Activities. Includes an original non-fiction article (written by Ms. Dickson) with Reading Questions. Alternately, the same information is provided as Guided Notes PowerPoint with student worksheet. Great for “To Build a Fire” as well as The Call of the Wild.
Reading and Quiz Questions
One way to hold students accountable during reading is with reading questions. The questions can also help guide students in paying attention to parts of the text. Quizzes are another tool for accountability or retention.
Buy the Reading, Thinking, Quiz Questions with a set of reading questions, plus quiz questions. Critical Thinking questions are focused questions with a paragraph response that can be used to explore the text or prepare for a project.
The items listed in this post are sold in the money saving Activity Bundle PDF. Great for building a unit including The Call of the Wild by Jack London.