Substitute Lesson Plan: White Fang by Jack London — Chapter I, "The Trail of the Meat"

Subject: ELA — Middle School
Duration: ~45 minutes

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Objective

Students will read and analyze the opening chapter of White Fang, identifying how Jack London uses setting description to create mood, and how dialogue between characters (Bill and Henry) builds suspense and reveals their personalities and fears.

Materials

• Printed or displayed copy of the White Fang excerpt (Chapter I: "The Trail of the Meat")
• Paper and pencil/pen for each student
• Whiteboard or chart paper (optional, for listing student responses)

Warm-up (~5 min)

Write this question on the board for students to answer silently in their notebooks:
"If you were traveling through a frozen, silent wilderness and heard a wolf howl in the distance, how would you feel? What would you do?"
Give students 2–3 minutes to jot down a few sentences, then call on 2–3 volunteers to share aloud.

Main Activity (~25 min)

1. Read Aloud (10 min): Read the excerpt aloud as a class (or have volunteers take turns reading paragraphs), starting from "Dark spruce forest frowned..." through the end of the provided text. Pause briefly after the opening description of the Wild to check understanding.

1. Guided Discussion (15 min): Lead students through the following questions, referring back to specific lines in the text:
2. How does Jack London describe the "Wild" in the opening paragraphs? What words does he use to make it feel alive and threatening (e.g., "laughter," "mockery," "silence")?
3. Who are the two men traveling with the sled? What is on the sled, and why might that detail (the "long and narrow oblong box") make the scene feel more serious or eerie?
4. What do the wolf cries in the distance suggest is happening around the men's camp?
5. What is the disagreement between Bill and Henry about the dogs? Why does Bill think there were seven dogs eating fish instead of six?
6. What does Bill mean when he says the dead man in the box is "luckier" than he and Henry will ever be?
7. Why is it a "blame misfortune" that Bill is almost out of ammunition? What does this detail suggest about what might happen next?

Have students jot down one or two key answers as you discuss, so they have notes for the exit ticket.

Wrap-up / Exit Ticket (~10 min)

Have students answer the following in complete sentences on a sheet of paper to turn in:

1. Describe the setting of this chapter in your own words. Use at least one detail from the text.
2. Why are Bill and Henry worried as they make camp for the night?
3. Predict: Based on the wolf cries, the missing/extra dog, and the low ammunition, what do you think might happen next in the story?

If Time Remains

Have students write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences) describing the scene at the men's campfire from the point of view of one of the sled dogs, using details from the text (the fire, the circling eyes in the dark, the howling, the men's fear).