Key Concepts Key Reading Skills

Man vs. Nature

Temperature

Man vs. animal

Survival

Naturalism

Instinct vs. Knowledge

Death

Wilderness

Fate

Ignorance

Fire

Yukon Trail

Recognizing detail

Cause-effect relationships

Recognizing sequence

Summarizing

Making inferences

Comparison-Contrast

Judgments

Content-Process Analysis: “To Build a Fire”

Guided Reading Lesson: “To build a Fire”Grade 8th

Fayzah Yahya12 November 2013

Guided Reading Lesson: “To Build a Fire”Grade level: 8th Background and Motivation

1. Show students photo and ask these questions:

What do you think is happening in this scene? Point out some details in the drawing to support your response?

Where do you think this scene takes place? How cold do you think it is? Why What is the man doing? How would you describe the feelings of this entire scene? Is it frightening? sad?

cheerful? What details do you think give the scene that feeling? Based on the title and photo, what do you predict the story might be about?

2. The Jigsaw strategy will be used with the PowerPoint slides. These are the steps:

1. Students will be numbered off into ten groups. 2. Each group will be given a section of the PowerPoint to read, review, and be

ready to present to the class.3. When one group is presenting, the rest of the class is taking notes. Therefore by

the end of the presentations, everyone will have all the information from the PowerPoint presentation.

4. The teacher will read the first slide.5. The first group will be given the “Early Years” slide.6. The second group will be given the “As a Teenager” slide.7. The third group will be given the “Teenager to Young Adult” slide.8. The fourth group will be given the two slides talking about “Writer of Realism.”9. The fifth group will be given the “Remaining Years” slide.10. The sixth group will be given the “To Build a Fire” slide.11. The seventh group will be given the location slide, “Yukon Territory” slide and

the map slide.12. The eighth group will be given the “To Build a Fire” Conditions slide.13. The ninth group will be given the “Hypothermia” slide.14. The tenth group will be given the “Deep Frostbite” slides.15. The teacher will finish the PowerPoint by reading the quote on the last slide.

3. Students will be given the questions and be asked to silent read. Any reading or work undone will be for homework.

Vocabulary

Pall

Undulations

Subdued

Appendage

Imperative

Conflagration

Apathetically

Oppressive

Pall (N) Anything that covers, shrouds, or overspreads, esp. with darkness or gloom.

“It was a clear day, and yet there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark, and that was due to the absence of sun.”

Pall:

Which photo does not fit the description of the word pall?

Undulations (N):

Movement in waves; a wavelike form, outline, or appearance.

The desert landscape is well known for its curving, undulating sand dunes.

Which photo portrays an undulation?

Subdued (adj): quiet; muted; repressed; controlled; lowered in intensity or strength

The man had been subdued by the police.

How do these pictures relate to the act of subduing?

Appendage (N): something added or attached to an entity of greater importance or size; a usually projecting part of an animal or plant body that is typically smaller and of less functional importance than the main part to which it is attached; especially : a l

Your hand is an appendage.

Is this an appendage? If so, what animal does it belong to?

Imperative (Adj):

extremely urgent or important; essential

It is imperative that you come to school each day.

Are these three things imperative? Why or why not?

Conflagration (N):

a destructive fire, usually an extensive one.

The spark from the campfire landed in the pine needles and in mere minutes turned into a conflagration.

Which picture is a conflagration?

Apathetically(Adv):

acting as if not interested or concerned; indifferent or unresponsive; or having or showing little or no emotion

The audience responded apathetically or barely at all.

How is the man exercising apathy?

Oppressive (Adj):

difficult to bear; burdensome; distressing or grievous; causing discomfort by being excessive

My grandpa’s death was an oppressive loss to me and my family.

Compare and contrast the two pictures? Which woman might be experiencing an oppressive event in her life?

Name________________________________________________Date____________________

Purpose Questions: “To Build a Fire”

1. What is the man's name?(detail)

2. What is the name for a "newcomer in the land"? Who is the newcomer in the story?(detail, inference)

3. At what temperature does the old-timer tell the man is it dangerous to travel alone? (detail)

4.  What kind of dog travels with the man? As the dog follows the man, it experiences a vague but menacing apprehension about the extreme cold? That phrase meant the dog felt what?(detail, inference)

5.  The man first worries about frostbite for which body parts? Why? (detail, cause-effect)

6. What does the man wish he had brought for his cheeks? (detail)

7. What is the man fearful of as he walks along the trail? (detail)

8.  What does the dog do when it wets its feet and legs? (detail)

9.  What does the man frequently do with his hands to warm them up?(detail)

10.  Where does the man get wet up to? (detail)

11. Why is the man initially angry about wetting himself? (detail)

12.  How many matches does the man light at once? (detail)

13.  Why does the second fire go out? What did (detail)

14. What happens at the end of the story? Why does that happen? (detail, inference)

15. What are the main events that take place in this story? List five in order of sequence. (sequence)

Name________________________________________________Date____________________

Discussion Questions: “To Build a Fire”

1. Why do you think the protagonist is referred to as “the man” as opposed to being given a name? Explain. (inference)

2. What is the weather like at day break when the story begins? What do you think this foreshadows for the rest of the story? (inference)

3. London writes, “He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances.” What does this tell us about the man? What is his character like? (inference)

4. How are the man and the dog similar? How are they different? (comparison-contrast)

5. Why doesn’t the man worry more about the cold? What is alarming/absurd about his reaction to the frostbite? (inference)

6. Why do you think London continues to emphasize the coldness, and how the man had never felt such cold before? (inference)

7. Why does the man “shy like a horse” from certain parts of the road?(inference, detail)

8. Do you agree or disagree with the man when he sends the dog ahead of himself to aid in his own safety? What would you do? (inference, judgments)

9. Why does London point out that the dog acts from instinct?(inference)

10. While eating, what startles the man? Why is this important? (detail, inference)

11. After deciding not to eat his lunch, how does the man’s outlook of his situation drastically change? (inference)

12. What do you think London means when he says, “This man did not know cold”? (inference)

13. When he falls in the river, the man curses his bad luck. Do you agree with where he places his blame? Why or why not? (judgement)

14. In the paragraph where the man reflects on “old-timers” and “men who are men” what do you think of his mentality and beliefs? (judgement)

15. What happens to the man’s fire and why? (inference)

16. When the man contemplates “using” his dog for survival, how does London emphasize the qualities of naturalism? (inference)

17. What is the flaw in the man’s plan when he begins to run to camp? (detail, inference)

18. Why does the man start to scold the dog? Would you have done the same thing? (detail, inference)

19. How does the dog know to leave and head to the camp? (inference)

20. In your opinion, what are the lessons behind this story? List three. (inference, judgment)

21. Summarize the story in five sentences or less. (summarizing)

Activities and Assignments

All students will view the film adaptation of the story and complete the movie comparison worksheet in class.

Students will choose one of the following:

1. Essay: Write a five-paragraph essay explaining three types of struggles that “the man” in

this story experiences. For example, one struggle would be man vs. nature. Requirements: typed, at least three pages double spaced, do not use first person,

cover title, and use examples from the story.

2. Safety Poster: Using details found in Jack London’s “To Build a Fire,” pretend you have been

placed in charge of creating a safety poster for hikers in the Yukon wilderness. What dangers should hikers be alerted to? Your drawing should address something you found important within the story. Examples include freezing temperatures, adequate protection, environmental dangers, or advice given by the old-timer at Sulfur Creek.

Requirements: Hand-drawn, an event in the story is referenced, color, and use persuasive writing

3. Newspaper Article:

Using details found in Jack London’s “To Build a Fire,” pretend you are a reporter for an Alaskan newspaper. Write an expository article that describes the discovery of a dead hiker in the Yukon wilderness. You will probably need to fill in necessary details not mentioned in the story (e.g. name of victim, names of friends who reported the disappearance, etc.)

Requirements: typed, at least five paragraphs, at least five details mentioned in the story (facts that were established somewhere in the story,) use third person point of view

4. Journal: Using details found in Jack London’s “To Build a Fire,” pretend you are the man

who is traveling in the Yukon wilderness. Although it was not mentioned in the original text, assume you were carrying a small notebook with you to record your experiences. You might begin your journal before the hike—make sure you record what time you start your journey, and record the time you write other entries. Describe the supplies you have brought with you and how they will protect you from the cold. Also, make sure you focus on the mistakes you have made.

Requirements: Typed, at least five entries, at least one paragraph per entry, address at least three complications in the plot, times for each entry must coincide with events in the story, use first person point of view.

Name:________________________________________________Date:___________________

Movie Comparison Worksheet

Movie: _____________________

You have read the book, and you have seen the movie. It is time to do some critical thinking about the two. Fill in the chart and answer the questions with detailed explanations.

Book/Story Movie/Film

Characters Descriptions: How were they described in the book? Did they look the way you thought they were going to in the movie?

Additions: What did they add to the movie that wasn’t in the book? What was in the book but wasn’t in the movie?

Deletions: What was deleted from the movie? Was there anything in the movie that should have been in the book?

Relationships: How did each genre portray the relationships between the characters? Was

the movie accurate in the portrayal?

Theme: What themes were present in each? Which was portrayed the strongest?

I preferred the ________________ version of this story, because___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________