Thursday, 2/5/04 -- Eighth Grade
Warm Up. Copy into notebook.
  1. * "through breathe thing" = ____________ (Hint: Think about what endings make words into nouns.)
  2. * friend : adversary :: optional : __________
  3. * rhythm : cadence :: contradiction : __________
  4. * sweat : perspiration :: mistake : __________
  5. * agreement : controversy :: limited : __________ (3)
  6. * shameful : ignominious :: unstoppable : ___________
  7. What does the word anthropomorphic mean?
Recheck your perfect Letters. Correct COW from Yesterday:
(25) Match the dog with the description.You will obviously use dogs more than once.
Curly, Dave, Billee, Joe, Sol Leks, Spitz, Buck
  1. BUCK tried to sleep in Francois's and Perrault's tent.
  2. CURLY dead.
  3. JOE, DAVE, SOL LEKS (3) introverted.
  4. SOL LEKS even from the start Spitz left him alone.
  5. SOL LEKS one-eyed.
  6. BILLEE too nice.
  7. DAVE, SOL LEKS (2) "asked nothing, gave nothing, expected nothing..."
  8. JOE so scary-looking that even Spitz finally left him alone.
  9. SPITZ lead dog pulling the sled.
  10. JOE had a "perpetual snarl and a malignant eye."
  11. DAVE, SOL LEKS (2) "utterly transformed by the harness."
  12. BILLEE unwittingly taught Buck how to sleep in the snow.
  13. DAVE, SOL LEKS (2) Buck was placed between them in order that he might be taught by them.
  14. BUCK received a bigger ration of fish than the other dogs each day.
  15. BUCK quickly learned how to steal food
  16. (5) List 5 of the changes in Buck (physical, mental, skills) by the end of Chapter 2.


The Call of the Wild
1. Read about the real Buck. Right-click the link, open in new window, and read paragraph II. The picture at the top shows the dog. Answer the following questions in your notebook after you have read.

  1. True or False. The character of Buck is based on two real dogs, much like Tom Sawyer was based on three people Mark Twain grew up with.
  2. True or False. Jack London didn't like to talk to his dogs.
  3. True or False. Jack London was mean to his dogs.
  4. True or False. Jack London liked to give dogs cute nicknames.
  5. What did the man say London gave to his dogs that few other people give theirs?


2.  Some critics at the time The Call of the Wild came out criticized it for being a story about "men in fur." They said that Jack London's dogs weren't like real dogs at all, that they were too human-like, too anthropomorphic. What do you think? Is Buck too human-like? What evidence do you have so far? Click the next link, and read various hypotheses for London's portrayal of Buck. Copy the one that comes closest to yours into your notebook. If you don't agree with any of them, write your own.

3. Make the chart in your notebook, and find your first piece of evidence from the text that supports your theory. Copy the quote or explain the example. Record the page number.

If you have time left, you may work on your web pages.