Jack London and the Call of the Wild

Active learning works for this topic because London’s Naturalist argument hinges on subtle patterns in decision-making and environment. Students need to trace cause and effect in real time, not just absorb abstract themes. The activities move the analysis off the page and into discussion and collaboration, where misconceptions about instinct and intellect become visible and correctable.

• 11th Grade
• English Language Arts
• 3 activities
• 25 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze Jack London's use of setting and characterization to convey the Naturalist theme of human insignificance against the power of nature.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of London's narrative choices in demonstrating the limitations of human intellect when confronting primal survival challenges.
3. Compare and contrast the portrayal of nature in 'To Build a Fire' with Romantic ideals of nature as a spiritual or moral guide.
4. Synthesize textual evidence to support an argument about the role of instinct versus intellect in survival scenarios presented by Naturalist literature.

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Instinct vs. Intellect

Pairs list everything the dog does in the story and everything the man does, then evaluate which decisions prove more effective for survival. Partners discuss what London seems to be arguing about the relationship between instinct and abstract thought, then share their conclusions with the class.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the role of instinct versus intellect in survival narratives.

Facilitation Tip: During the Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for students who reduce the man’s failure to one error; prepare to redirect them to the pattern of decisions.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: London vs. Thoreau on Nature

Small groups each receive a passage from Thoreau's 'Walden' and a comparable passage from 'To Build a Fire' describing the same natural phenomenon. Groups identify the philosophical assumptions embedded in each passage and present their comparison to the class.

Prepare & details

Compare London's depiction of nature with that of Romantic writers.

Facilitation Tip: For the Collaborative Investigation, assign each group a specific passage from both London and Thoreau so they must ground their comparison in concrete language.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Predicting Naturalist Outcomes

Post eight to ten decision points from the story as brief summaries. Students annotate each with a prediction of consequence based on Naturalist principles, then in a debrief compare their predictions to what London wrote and discuss whether Naturalism has a logic that makes outcomes predictable.

Prepare & details

Predict the outcome of a character's choices based on Naturalist principles.

Facilitation Tip: In the Gallery Walk, place a large timeline on the wall where students can pin their predictions and rationale, creating a visible chain of cause and effect.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by making the Naturalist argument tangible. Avoid framing the dog as ‘smarter’ or the man as ‘stupid’ — instead, focus on the reliability of inherited responses versus abstract reasoning under pressure. Research shows students grasp Naturalism better when they map patterns visually and discuss them aloud before writing. Use cold reads of short decision passages to build confidence in identifying instinct versus intellect before tackling the full story.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students will articulate how London builds his argument through accumulated decisions rather than a single mistake. They will compare Naturalist and Romantic views of nature using textual evidence. They will also identify instinct and intellect in action, explaining why instinct proves more reliable in the Yukon’s demands.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: Instinct vs. Intellect, watch for students who claim the man dies because of one mistake like ‘he built the fire under the spruce tree.’

What to Teach Instead

Redirect them to the graphic organizer where they listed every decision in sequence; prompt them to notice how each small, reasonable choice cumulatively misreads the environment.

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: London vs. Thoreau on Nature, watch for students who label the dog as ‘smarter than the man’ or claim the dog understands the situation.

What to Teach Instead

Ask them to reread the description of the dog’s behavior: it shivers, it waits, it does not ‘know’ why — it simply responds to cold. Have them revise their notes to clarify instinct as inherited adaptation, not intelligence.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Think-Pair-Share: Instinct vs. Intellect, circulate and select pairs to share their strongest textual example for either instinct or intellect. Listen for whether they cite patterns of decisions or isolated moments.

Quick Check

During Collaborative Investigation, give each group a short decision passage from 'To Build a Fire' and ask them to identify whether the decision is driven by intellect or instinct and explain how it aligns with Naturalist principles.

Peer Assessment

After Collaborative Investigation, have students write a brief paragraph comparing London’s view of nature to Emerson’s Romantic view. They exchange paragraphs and assess for: 1) Clear identification of a key difference, 2) Use of specific textual reference, and 3) Adherence to Naturalist principles in describing London’s nature.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to write a short alternate ending where the man follows the dog’s behavior exactly, showing how Naturalist outcomes shift with instinct-driven choices.
• Scaffolding for struggling readers: Provide a decision-tracking graphic organizer with sentence frames such as ‘This decision shows intellect because…’ and ‘This decision shows instinct because…’
• Deeper exploration: Have students research survival strategies from Indigenous Yukon communities and compare them to London’s Naturalist claims, citing oral histories or ethnographic sources.

Key Vocabulary

Naturalism	A literary movement that portrays struggles for survival in nature, often depicting characters as subject to forces beyond their control, such as heredity and environment.
Determinism	The philosophical belief that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will, suggesting a lack of free will.
Primal Instinct	Innate, unlearned behaviors and drives essential for survival, often contrasted with learned or rational thought processes.
Anthropomorphism	The attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object, which London deliberately avoids in his depiction of the dog.