Call of the Wild

Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 1.02: The Rule #1 of Sled Club

In our last lesson we saw Buck pick up Northern life:

• Don't trust the gardener. 
• Don't trust a man with a club (or a man in a red sweater). 
• Don't trust Spitz. 
• Don't trust the ground covered in strange, white stuff.

You think these dogs look crazy? Wait until you meet Buck's teammates.
(Source)

There's a lot more for Buck to figure out, though, if he's going to survive.

In Chapter Two, things start to "get real" for Buck. (Well, as real as things can get for a narrating, emotional dog.) He realizes the North is a kill-or-be-killed, know-your-place-and-mind-your-business world.

Because the dogs who are being so vicious? Yeah…they're supposed to be his teammates.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 1.1.02: Chapter Two: The Law of Club and Fang

It takes two, baby…two chapters to really get into this book, that is.

When you've finished reading, check out this Shmoop page to make sure you've covered your tracks:

• Chapter Two

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.02a: An Instinct for Learning

We've met a team of rough and rowdy characters (mostly other dogs), and also taken a major step in plot: Buck's education continues at the hands of François, Perrault, and the paws of his comrades on the sled team.

As London writes, "…not only did [Buck] learn by experience, but instincts long dead became alive again" (22). Buck is figuring things out fast, and we should join him in his learning.

Step One

First, take a closer look at the passage that the above quote is taken from. It's an important one, and Shmoop has some thoughts about it, too. Check it out here.

As you read, think about the differences and similarities between what's taught from experience, and what's done through instinct.

Here's an example of how Shmoop might think about this. Our internal monologue would be something like:

Things learned through experience Buck has to actively think about, while in contrast, things that Buck picks up through instinct just seem to come to him almost without him being aware of it. However, lessons learned through both experience and instinct are alike because they're equally necessary for Buck's survival.

Step Two

Create a graphic organizer that has three columns. Label one column "Experience," the next column "Instinct," and the final column "Both."

(If you're having trouble making one, copy our model below.)

Step Three

Go back through the first two chapters and find specific examples where:

• Buck learns something directly ("Experience").
• Buck goes with his gut (a.k.a. has an "Instinct").
• There's a mix of experience and instinct.

Shoot for at least three examples in each column (but feel free to write as many more than that as you please). To get started, here are some examples that you're welcome to use, with page numbers cited:

• In the "Experience" column, you could write:
  • Buck learns that man with a club always wins (12).

• In the "Instinct" column, you might say:
  • Buck howls at the moon (22).

• In the "Both" column, you could add: 
  • Buck figures out that to survive the cold nights he must make a bed deep in the snow (18).

Now that you've got some examples to start you off, let's see what you can do. Will your chart run on experience, or pure Call of the Wild instinct?

Sample Lesson - Activity