London's White Fang
Bookplate of Jack London's White Fang.
Jack London’s White Fang
White Fang
The online text, biography of Jack London, and a literary definition of "setting" are all available below. Your teacher will provide instructions for the White Fang Close Reading Worksheet.
- White Fang
- "Setting"
- Brief biography of Jack London
- White Fang Close Reading Worksheet
Gold in Nature and Culture
Look at the following images of gold and the gold rush. Consider how gold is both "natural" and "cultural" (or a product within civilization).
- Images of gold nuggets
- Frost in the entrance to a tunnel in a placer gold mine, Yukon Territory, ca. 1899
- Gold miners with a rocker at work on Skookum Hill, Bonanza Creek, Yukon Territory, ca. 1899
- Miners at work with pickaxes and shovels in underground gold mine, No. 16 Eldorado Creek, Yukon Territory, ca. 1898
- Prospector with shovel and gold pan at the edge of a creek, Yukon Territory, ca. 1898
- Frost covered walls in a drift on a gold mining claim, Yukon Territory, ca. 1899
- Miners working in underground gold mine by candlelight, Yukon Territory, ca. 1898
- Five prospectors panning for gold in a creek, Alaska, 1897
- What is natural about gold as depicted in these photos?
- What is cultural, or related to humans, about gold as depicted in these photos?
- Why can gold be placed in both categories?
- How is it possible to place gold in both categories?
- What role do humans play in relationship to gold?
- What cultural value does gold have?
Klondike Images
Look at the following images of Jack London before going on a nature-culture quest.
The Jack London Collection:
- How would you describe the background of the young Jack London and Rollo photo?
- What is natural about this photo? What is cultural about this photo?
- What do you notice about Jack London and his sled dogs in the Klondike photo?
- What is natural about this photo? What is cultural about this photo?
Investigations
Search the following collections using terms like Klondike, gold, dogs, and so on to find images of the gold rush and the Klondike. Your instructor will likely group students to work together. Examine the images and consider how the image reflects nature and culture. For example, visit with your teacher the following image and discuss the questions below:
Jack London's cabin
- How would you describe the setting or environment in this photo?
- Name and describe two elements from the natural world.
- How would you describe elements that indicate the mark of humans in this photo? Name and describe two such elements.
Now, using the search terms discussed above, explore the following websites and use the guiding questions below. Take notes and be prepared to share your images and responses. You may use the Klondike Image Analysis Worksheet to guide your investigation.
- Washington State History Museum's Golden Dreams: The Quest for the Klondike Website
- From the University of Washington Digital Collections:
- What are some natural elements of the Klondike? Be specific.
- What are some cultural elements of the Klondike? Be specific.
- What is the relationship between nature and culture in the Klondike?