Survival
With your group, read the article. Each
person must annotate the article on his
or her own.
 After reading, on a separate sheet of
paper, write down 10 items that you
would bring in order to survive in the
wild. List them in order of importance
and write1-2 sentences explaining why
your group chose that item and its level
of importance.

Into the Wild
Research Activity

Directions:
◦ 1. Get into a group of approximately 5 people
◦ 2. Each person in your group must read and annotate his or her own
copy of the article you are given. Remember, annotation means to show
evidence of a close reading- add questions and comments to the article
itself.
◦ 3. As a group, do the following tasks on one sheet of paper for the
group:
 A. Summarize the article (5-7 sentence paragraph)
 B. Describe the author’s provable claim, or thesis, in 2-3 sentences
 C. Describe the tone of the article in 1-2 complete sentences
4. Using your phones, you group will conduct extra research on the
topics presented in your article. Based on what you learn, write at
least 5 bulletpoints of additional information on your group’s sheet of
paper.
5. Write 3-5 sentences explaining your group’s initial impression of
Chris McCandless
Author’s Note Activity

With a partner, read the author’s note in your books. On a
separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions by using 23 complete sentences:
◦ 1. Why did Krakauer continue to investigate McCandless’ life,
even after the issue of Outside magazine was published?
◦ 2. In your own words, explain the three themes Krakauer
discovered through investigating McCandless’ story.
◦ 3. Why does Krakauer tell us McCandless’ fate on the front
cover? What is he trying to draw the audience's attention to?
(Think of Shakespeare)
◦ 4. In your own words, describe the different attitudes that
people have about McCandless.
◦ 4. Predict: What is Krakauer’s attitude toward McCandless?
Surveying the Text
Read through the short epigraphs that come before
the chapters begin (an epigraph is a relevant
quotation at the beginning of a book or a chapter,
etc.). Using 3-5 sentences each; paraphrase the three
epigraphs that stand out to you the most. For each
epigraph, write a 2-3-sentence inference that states
how this epigraph might have influenced McCandless.
 Look at the maps and photographs. What can you
infer about McCandless’ journey, his personality, and
his motivations for going on his journey? (3-5
sentences)
 Read the chapter titles. How do they relate to the
text?

Ch.’s 1-2 Reading
As we read these chapters, make sure to
annotate by taking notes in your
composition notebooks.
 In addition, write down any unfamiliar
vocabulary words.

Chapter 1 Activity






1. What is the tone of the postcard? What are his
intentions for writing the postcard?
2. Infer: Who is Wayne? Why did McCandless
write him a postcard?
3. Who is Jim Gallien?
4. What supplies did “Alex” bring with him?
5. Compare your group’s survival list to the
supplies that Alex brought. What can you infer
about his character based on the supplies he
brought.
6. What does Gallien give to “Alex”? Why doesn’t
he report Alex to the Alaska State Troopers?
Ch. 2
1. Read the passage from Jack London.
What how does the imagery of the
passage influence the tone of the passage?
Why would Chris think that Jack London
is “king”?
 2. How did the bus get there?
 3. Who found Chris?
 4. How did they get rid of his body?
