Call of the Wild

Get in touch with your inner wolf.

  • Course Length: 3 weeks
  • Course Type: Short Course
  • Category:
    • English
    • Literature
    • Middle School

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In this course, we'll be mushing through the snow with Buck and a team of sled dogs as they try to survive both humans and the wild.

Yep, that's right—"the wild." As in, The Call of the Wild—a heartbreaking, fast-paced exploration of primitivity, human nature, and survival.

(And doggies, of course.)

We'll break out some heavy cargo by looking at plot, theme, point of view, characterization, setting, authorship, and anthropomorphism in this fifteen lesson, standards-aligned course. There's gold to be found in these here Alaskan lessons, even if it just looks like plain ol' English-class stuff on the outside. There are harsh life lessons, and struggles against man, self, and nature.

By the end of Shmoop's trail, filled with argumentative, expository, and narrative writing, text evidence-charting, and even watching campy retro kiddie films, we imagine you might just learn something about what it means to be human.


Here's a sneak peek at a video from the course. BYOP (bring your own popcorn).


Unit Breakdown

1 Call of the Wild - Call of the Wild

This standards-aligned course will take you on an action-packed tour of Gold Rush Alaska and just what it takes to survive in the cruel, hard world. Sounds intimidating? Don't worry. Shmoop and a St. Bernard mix will be there to guide you. Mush!


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:


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.)


ExperienceInstinctBoth

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

  1. How does Buck first learn the "law of fang"?

  2. What does Spitz continually do that Buck dislikes?

  3. Even though being hitched up like a common plow horse hurts Buck's pride, he doesn't rebel. Why doesn't he?

  4. Which of the following is one way Buck shows he is intelligent?

  5. What best describes how most of the dogs feel about working?

  6. Which two dogs are responsible for teaching Buck how to pull with the team?

  7. How do the dogs teach Buck to pull?

  8. Which dog is the leader of the team?

  9. How does Buck learn to steal food?

  10. Which of the following is not one way in which Buck acts less domesticated?