The Call of the Wild

7th graders are about to travel to the Yukon and begin a great adventure with Buck.  Before we actually start reading Jack London's classic novel, The Call of the Wild, we are going to learn a little bit about the Yukon, sled dogs and what it takes to make it rich during the 1800s.

 The Call of the Wild:  Background Information

Skookum Jim Mason, Dawson Charlie and George Washington Carmack found gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada's Yukon Territory. Their discovery set off one of the greatest gold rushes in history.

All kinds of men (and women too), sold or gave up everything they had, and tried to strike it rich. A few actually did (mostly the early arrivals), some decided to profit from the gold fever of others. Some had to move back to wherever they came from, broke and broken, and many didn't make it at all. The Canadian Mounties (their organization began during this tumultuous time) tried to keep order, but there were scams and hoodlums and all kinds of unsavory characters. You had to watch your back, as well as the weather.

Jack London wrote vividly about life during that time, and the effects the harsh environment and circumstances had on the men and animals who lived through it. Now it's your turn.

(Pic from: University of Washington Libraries, text from http://leckrone321.blogspot.com/2011/05/call-of-wild-webquest.html)

Click here to begin The Call of the Wild web quest. 

If you have trouble getting onto the Web Quest, click here to get to the list of research topics and websites.