Wilderness Journal
Call of the Wild
Purpose: The purpose of this journal is to allow you to independently explore and
research by creating products that reflect various aspects and themes of, Call of the
Wild. You will have deadlines along the way, with a final presentation culminating
at the end of the reading of the book.
Components:
 Poetry:
o Research: Find 2 poems with wilderness or survival themes.
 Read them, then compare and contrast the poems with themes
in Call of the Wild.
o Write: An I am From poem from the perspective of the main character,
Buck. Must be at least a page long, typed, double-spaced, size 12 font.
o Read, To Build a Fire, by Jack London and complete the questions
provided.
o Extra Credit: Write a poem relating to the story in any format you
wish. See me for ideas and poem formatting if interested.
 Writing:
o Write a true story from your life involving a pet, from the perspective
of one of your pets. If you did/do not have a pet, write the story
pretending you did.
o Journal entries: Answer all entry questions provided.
o Final constructed response essay after completion of book and journal.
 Art:
o Illustrate the story you wrote from the perspective of your pet. You
will need at least 5 illustrations that show the reader the main parts of
your story from the pets’ perspective.
o Create a cover for your journal that includes your first and last name,
Wilderness Journal and Call of the Wild somewhere on the front. Be
creative and have fun with it!
 Research:
o Klondike Travel Brochure-see attached for assignment details.
Journal Entry Questions
Directions: You may arrange these questions however you would like in your
handmade journal and are encouraged to add to it by additional drawings, research
and information that interest you.
Directions: Answer each question completely.
1. Write a vivid 5-sentence description of a landscape (ex. Grassland, tundra,
mountains, ocean, etc.).
2. Think about a time when you found yourself in an uncomfortable or dangerous
situation. Describe how you felt at that time in a 4-6-sentence paragraph. Use
details to describe your emotions and how your body reacted physically to the
situation.
3. Describe what survival means to you. What do you need to survive? Is survival
different in different places? With different people? In different circumstances?
Explain.
4. You must spend one week in the remote wilderness of Alaska. You can only bring
15 items with you. Explain each item you will bring and why.
5. Write about an outdoor place that is special to you. Where is it? How often do
you go there? Use descriptive adjectives to paint a picture as to what that place
looks like, smells, like, sounds like, etc.
To Build a Fire by Jack London Questions
Directions: The answers to these questions need to be together in one section of the
journal. Feel free to illustrate or add to any of the responses you include.
1. What is the mood in the opening paragraph?
2. Discuss the personality of the man. What does he seem to think about his own
abilities? How does he behave in relation to his environment?
3. What are some of the mistakes in judgment that the man makes during the
course of the story? What is his fatal flaw? Describe the changes in attitude that
he undergoes during the story.
4. What is the relationship between man and nature in this story?
5. What does the man’s failure to “build a fire” symbolize?
6. What is the significance of the dog’s final movement towards civilization at the
end of the story? What does this suggest about the dog’s relationship to nature?
Klondike Travel Brochure Assignment
Directions: You and a partner have been commissioned to create a travel brochure
designed to entice tourists to come to the exciting boomtown of Dawson City,
Yukon during the Yukon gold rush. Utilizing your notes from Klondike Fever, class
discussions, and Internet research, you will create an attractive, illustrated brochure
that will spell out the reasons that a person should drop everything to move to the
Yukon. This brochure can be either handmade or computer generated.
At the minimum, your brochure should include:
1. A map and description of the route they must travel to get there.
2. A description of what the Klondike, and Dawson City in particular, has to offer in
terms of lodgings, job opportunities, and entertainment.
3. A partial list of important supplies that one would need to complete their “outfit”
for the trip North.
4. A ballpark estimate of the cost of the adventure.
5. A list of at least three good reasons why Klondike life is better than life anywhere
else.