"To Build a Fire" by Jack London Quiz, Close Reading, and Vocabulary Games

Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Jack London’s short story “To Build a Fire.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a craft analysis exercise, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in a zip file as Word Documents and PDFs.

This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.

By engaging with these materials, students will:

• Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
• Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
• Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
• Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
• Discern the intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques such as the increasing frequency of shorter, choppier sentences as the narrative reaches its climax
• Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including symbolism and simile
• Support claims and inferences with relevant textual evidence
• Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
• Come to class/leave class better prepared to discuss literature