Introduction
"The Call of the Wild," by Jack London, is a classic American novel published in 1903. The book was written to describe the adventures on the final western frontier during the Klondike Gold Rush. Jack London wrote this book using a lot of imagery and symbols. In order to help you understand and enjoy the novel, this webquest asks you to research factual information on three important topics related to the novel: Jack London, the Klondike Gold Rush, and sled dogs. Once you have reported on and thought about these facts, you will be asked to draw conclusions about them.
In addition, please review the Common Core Standards which you are trying to meet and exceed with this webquest! They are:
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.
. . . Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Task
Good readers always read with a purpose. Your purpose is to increase your prior knowledge before you begin reading "The Call of the Wild." By the end of this webquest, you should be able to answer the following questions.
Inquiry Questions
1. What life experiences influenced Jack London's writing? Why do you think they were so influential?
2. Why did people rush to The Klondike? Evaluate their actions. Why was this a good idea? Why was it a bad idea?
3. What qualities made/make an excellent sled dog? What kind of life do sled dogs have?
(Nota bene: These are the questions you will answer at the end of the webquest, not the factual questions you will need to answer during the webquest.)
Instructions:
1.) Copy and paste the questions on the "PROCESS" page into one Google doc on your iPad. Share it with your group members.
2.) Number the questions.
3.) Use a very plain font (palatino, quattrocentro), size 12.
4.) Share with your teacher.
5.) Write in your answers in blue or black right after the question.
6.) Format your page just like the image below.
Process
WebQuest: Day 1
Directions:
-Read all the questions before you begin your quest.
-Click on the link below and read the information.
-Answer the questions on your shared Google Doc.
http://www.jacklondons.net/life.html
1. Where and when was Jack London born?
2. What were the names of his mother, father, and step-father?
3. Why did Jack's family move around so much when he was a young boy between the ages of 3-10?
4. What is the Razzle Dazzle and for what purpose did Jack London use it?
5. In 1893 Jack writes his first short story. What is its name?
6. In 1896 Jack enters the University of California at Berkeley but only stays one semester. Why?
7. Which year does Jack sail for the goldrush in the Klondike?
8. What is the illness Jack gets in the Yukon Territory that causes him to return to Oakland?
9. Jack marries for the first time. Identify the month, date and year, and the name of the woman he marries.
10. When does Jack start writing "The Call of the Wild?"
11. When is "The Call of the Wild" published?
12. What is the name of Jack's second wife?
13. What year does Jack contract to begin the building of his sailing ship, the Snark?
14. Why does Jack return to U.S. in 1908?
15. What happens to Jack and Chairmain's first child in 1910?
16. When does work begin on Wolf House and where is it located?
17. After Jack's appendectomy, what problem does Dr. Porter tell Jack he also has?
18. The year 1913 is a bad year for Jack. What happens to his beloved Wolf House?
19. Why does Jack resign from the Socialist Party?
20. What is the month, day, and year of Jack's death. How old is he when he dies?
21. Find an image of Jack London that interests you and makes you remember him. Add it to your camera roll. Why did you pick this image? What is memorable about it?
WebQuest Day #2
Directions:
-Read all the questions before you begin your quest.
-Click on the link below and read the information.
-Answer the questions on your shared Google Doc.
http://content.lib.washington.edu/extras/goldrush.html
1. Identify the three men who found gold in Rabbit Creek, near Dawson, in the Yukon region of Canada.
2. Why did most of the early stakeholders become wealthy?
3. In what year did the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper tell the story of the steamship Portland with "more than a ton of gold" on board?
4. Of the approximately 100,000 who set off for the Klondike, how many were able to complete the trip? What approximate percentage is this?
5. How did the "Klondikers" make their way to the gold fields?
6. What did the Northwest Mounted Police in Canada require the gold miners bring with them?
7. What was the coldest temperature a miner might experience in the winter time and where would he have sheltered from the cold?
8. Name the two trails Klondikers could take to the gold fields.
9. Who was "Soapy" Smith and what did he do?
10 Why did Dawson become the largest city north of San Francisco?
11. How much gold do they estimate was found, adjusted to late 20th Century standards, in the Klondike?
12. How is Donald Trump's relative involved in the Gold Rush?
13. What did Jack London write about while in the Klondike?
14. Who were Belinda Mulroney & Martha Black?
15. Why did most of the Klondikers lose money on the Gold Rush?
16. Find an image of the Klondike Gold Rush that you find memorable, symbolic, or important. Add it to your camera roll. What makes this memorable? What makes this image important to you? What does it symbolize and why?
WebQuest Day #3a, 3b, & 3c
Directions:
-Read all the questions before you begin your quest.
-Click on the link below and read the information.
-Answer the questions on your shared Google Doc.
http://www.alaska.net/~dogdrivr/old_sleds.htm
-3a
1. What are the most common woods to make a sled from?
2. Which is the strongest wood?
3. Why does a sled have to be both strong AND flexible?
4. How does a sled turn?
5. How much weight might a freight sleigh be able to carry?
6. What are traditional sleds called?
7. Look at the illustration of the sled on the website. Draw the sled and mark all the parts listed. You can draw it on Doodle Buddy & copy it into this document.
8. What was the name of the sled company that mass-produced sleds to men and women heading to the Klondike and parts North?
9. List the minimum and maximum number of dogs necessary to pull a sled in goldrush times.
10. How large (lbs.) would a "trap line or freighting" dog be?
11. Why were dogs "an expensive commodity" during the Gold Rush?
12. If a miner could not afford a sled dog, how did he get his equipment and food to the gold fields?
13. How many calories can a dog working on the trail consume in a day?
14. Search for an image from the time of the Klondike Gold Rush showing miners, sled dogs, and sleds loaded for the gold fields. Insert it into your doc if you can. (If you cannot, add it to your camera roll.) Why did you choose this image?
-3b
Click on the link below and watch this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92bK1fo2xdQ
15. Who or what is a "musher?"
16. What is a gee pole? (Not on video - look up!)
17. When the driver tells the dogs to "gee" they go which way, left or right?
18. When the driver tells the dogs to "haw" they go which way, left or right?
19. When the driver tells the dogs to "whoa" what do they do?
20. When the driver tells the dogs to go "onby" what do they do then?
21. When the driver tells the dogs to go "onby haw?"
-3c
Comparison
In "The Call of the Wild," our protagonist, Buck, is a cross between a St. Bernard dog and a Scottish Shepherd dog. Look at the images below of both types of dog. Read about each breed by clicking on the links. Then answer the questions:
What qualities would make Buck a valuable sled dog for the frozen North? List at least 5 qualities and explain how they make for a valuable sled dog.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bernard_%28dog%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_Collie
Evaluation
Your webquest is now complete! Hopefully, you have learned a lot about the American author Jack London, the Klondike Gold Rush, and sled dogs. You should be able to answer these questions!
Inquiry Questions:
Inquiry Questions
1. What life experiences influenced Jack London's writing? Why do you think they were so influential?
2. Why did people rush to The Klondike? Evaluate their actions. Why was this a good idea? Why was it a bad idea?
3. What qualities made/make an excellent Sled Dog? What kind of life do sled dogs have?
Choose one (1) of the following evaluation options below:
1. Using your iPad, prepare a presentation (including text & illustrations) that discusses Jack London, The Klondike, and sled dogs. In this presentation, you do not appear; it is just text, illustrations and narrations if neccessary.
2. Using your iPad, prepare a short video (minimum of 3 minutes, maximum of 5 minutes) that discusses Jack London, The Klondike, and sled dogs. In this presentation, you do appear. Texts and illustrations are unneccessary. In addition, there is no acting in this video. It is video report of your group discussion.
Conclusion
The goal of this webquest was to increase your prior knowledge so that when you begin to read "The Call of the Wild," you will have context to help you understand the novel. Do you have any questions about Jack London, the Klondike Gold Rush, or sled dogs? Let me know. We can create a "The Call of the Wild Parking Lot" for all your questions and ideas.
Credits
Super big shout-out to Ms. Sharon Thompson, retired 7th grade English teacher at Hillview. She did the bulk of the work on this webquest!
A Short History of Dog Sleds: http://www.alaska.net/~dogdrivr/old_sleds.htm
Book Jacket: data:image/jpeg
Jack London Chronology: Jacklondons.net
Jack London Photo: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images
Jack London State Park: jacklondonpark.com
Klondike Gold Rush: http://www.alaska.net/~dogdrivr/old_sleds.htm
Miner Photo:data:image/jpeg;
Sled Dog Photo:http://www.google.com/
St. Bernard: http://www.storybooksaintbernards.com/
Scottish Shepherd Dog: http://www.sectordefinition.com/the-most-loyal-dog-breeds/
You Tube dog sled: http://www.youtube.com/