The Call of the Wild

Presentation Rubric

Name:                                                                            Dates:

Group Presentation (30pts.): What is the connection between the book and your project, and what makes it unique? Choose one of the ten ideas to research and present.

_____ / 5 Is your group’s topic appropriate to the book?

_____ / 10 Do you have visual aids and did you use them well in your presentation?

_____ / 5 Did you keep within the group time limit and did each individual speak (15-20 min.)?

_____ / 10 Did you address the book and create something artsy?

Individual Related Topic (20pts.): What is special, significant, or different in your book? What issues are the characters and country dealing with? Who else were involved -- specific individuals, groups, or governments? How could that affect us here and now? Choose one issue or event that is connected to your project topic, but specific to what it means for us in the “here and now” to research and present from your book. Make sure you choose differently than your group members.

_____ / 5 Is your topic appropriate to the culture and history represented in the book?

_____ / 10 Do you have a visual aid and did you use it well in your presentation?

_____ / 5 Did you keep within the time limit (1-2 min.)?

_____ / 50 Total

Final Project Options:

1. Gold has a fascinating history. Research its ancient uses and values compared to its contemporary uses and value. As a class, create a map of the world, indicating the places that gold has been found. Ask each student to choose one country and analyze the way the discovery of gold can transform a country’s economic situation—for better and for worse.

2. Expanding on Lesson Two, ask students to consider what it would take to join the Gold Rush of 1897. What kinds of things would they need to carry? How much money would they need for the journey? Students should learn more about Dawson City, the Chilkoot Pass, and the diseases that many gold rushers were likely to contract. Students with an interest in food might

consider focusing their research on the food that would have been eaten, or the recipes that would have been popular in a Dawson City hotel.

3. Use photography or artwork to create a photo gallery of life during the Gold Rush. The photos may come from books, from the Internet, or from family photo albums.

4. Buck is a dog who “becomes” a wolf; in White Fang, London features a wolf that “becomes” a dog. Research the relationship between dogs and wolves. Do wolves deserve such a negative reputation from humans? Why do you think so many fairytales, folk legends, and myths feature wolves as antagonists?

5. Dogs have long been used by man as a source of labor. Present on working dogs – what sorts of jobs they do, what traits the different breeds possess that make them well-suited for certain jobs, tec.

6. The Alaskan gold rush of 1900 was a unique time in American history, and Jack London experienced it firsthand. Find as much information as you can about this fascinating period.

7. Find or make a map of Alaska and Canada and trace the route that Buck and the other dogs followed. What towns might they have passed through, and what sort of things might they have seen along the way?

8. There has been a great deal of interest in wolves since Jack London wrote The Call of the Wild. Choose a topic on wolves to research and present your findings. Possible topics are wolf populations in the United States and how they have changed, or how wolves communicate with each other.

9. Several of Bucks owners treat him cruelly. Today we have several associations and organizations that try to prevent cruelty to animals. What are some of these organizations, and what do they do?

10. Plan an imaginary gold rush trip of your own. How many dogs would you need? What sort of supplies should you take with you? Create a budget for this trip, and plan your route. Document everything on the trip.