1. Lesson 7: Gathering evidence and making claims: Was London a “nature faker?”
About this lesson
Students will prepare for a fishbowl discussion to connect ideas across two texts of the unit thus far: Chapter 1 of The Call of the Wild and “The Other Animals.” Students will gather and use text evidence to form claims about whether chapter 1 of The Call of the Wild illustrates or contradicts London’s argument in “The Other Animals.”

2. We analyzed the structure and evaluated the effectiveness of London’s argument in “The Other Animals.”.
Let’s Review!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Briefly review the previous learning.
Students were expected to write a response about London’s argument in “The Other Animals” for homework. Check/Collect the homework using an established classroom routine.

3. Today we will:
Gather evidence from Chapter 1 of The Call of the Wild that illustrates and contradicts London’s argument in “The Other Animals”
Draft claims that you can support with evidence in a scholarly discussion
Let’s Prepare!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Read the slide.
Briefly explain how this lesson prepares students for another lesson and/or the end-of-unit assessments.
Throughout the lesson, compare students’ responses and work to the student look-fors. Determine the students who need additional support with reading, understanding, or expressing their understanding of complex, grade-level texts. During this lesson or before the next lesson, support those students individually or in a small group using the Additional Supports for Diverse Learners.

4. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
You will need:
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
“The Other Animals” by Jack London
Evidence chart
Let’s Prepare!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 3 minutes
Directions:
Distribute the texts.
Access and distribute the evidence chart handout using an established classroom routine.
Ask students to locate their completed “The Other Animals” handout and the analyze the argument: claim, evidence, reasoning handout.
This lesson uses accountable talk. Access the strategy one-pager to learn about accountable talk.

5. Follow along as I read an excerpt from Chapter 1, the scene where Buck is “broken” by the man with the club. Consider:
What details illustrate London’s argument in “The Other Animals”? Why/how?
What details contradict London’s argument in “The Other Animals”? Why/how?
Let’s Read!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 3 minutes
Directions:
Say: “I’m going to read an excerpt from Chapter 1 aloud. As I read, think about details that both illustrate and contradict London’s argument in “The Other Animals.”
Read aloud the Chapter 1 excerpt as students follow along.
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
As needed, play the audio recording instead of reading aloud the text.
Student Look-Fors:
Students should follow along and consider the questions on the slide.
Additional Notes:
The following slides provide guidance on what/how to model your thinking to students.

6. “After a particularly fierce blow he crawled to his feet, too dazed to
rush. He staggered limply about, the blood flowing from nose and
mouth and ears, his beautiful coat sprayed and flecked with bloody
slaver. Then the man advanced and deliberately dealt him a frightful
blow on the nose. All the pain he had endured was nothing compared
with the exquisite agony of this. With a roar that was almost lion-like
in its ferocity, he again hurled himself at the man. But the man,
shifting the club from right to left, cooly caught him by the under jaw,
at the same time wrenching downward and backward. Buck described
a complete circle in the air, and half of another, then crashed to the
ground on his head and chest.”
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 3 minutes
Directions:
Model for students the evidence that stood out to you in this paragraph, and how it illustrates London’s argument. For example:
Say: “As I read this paragraph, the phrases and sentences in bold really jumped out to me. For example, Buck is described in detail, but he is also described objectively. The author tells us that ‘he crawled to his feet,’ and ‘he staggered limply about,’ which allows us to see how he reacts to the beating without trying to convey his inner emotions or thought process.
Say: “In addition, the line that states ‘With a roar that was almost lion-like in its ferocity, he again hurled himself at the man,’ reminds me that Buck, like a Lion, is an animal guided by instinct. The words ‘roar,’ ‘ferocity’ and ‘hurled’ also emphasize the idea that Buck is pure animal, governed by his instincts to act and respond based on the beast within him.”
Say: “These sentences and description are strong pieces of evidence that illustrate the argument London makes in “The Other Animals.” Here, I see him making deliberate choices to emphasize the animal instincts that guide and drive Buck to react and respond to the people and world around him. I’m going to add this evidence - and my interpretation - to my evidence chart.”
Student Look-Fors:
Students should actively listen during the modeling.

7. Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 2 minutes
Directions:
Have students include the evidence and interpretation from the modeling on their evidence chart on the side that is for evidence that illustrates London’s argument as shown on the slide.
Student Look-Fors:
Students should include the evidence and interpretation on their individual evidence charts.

8. Does the bolded evidence illustrate or contradict London’s claim?
Why/how?
“Now and again men came, strangers, who
talked excitedly, wheedlingly, and in all
kinds of fashions to the man in the red
sweater. And at such times that money
passed between them the strangers took
one or more of the dogs away with them.
Buck wondered where they went, for
they never came back; but the fear of
the future was strong upon him, and he
was glad each time when he was not
selected.”
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 4 minutes
Directions:
Divide the class into pairs using an established classroom routine.
Purposefully pair together students with different levels of language proficiency.
Direct pairs to select a partner A and B.
Establish norms for the partner work and explain that students will be held accountable for their learning by participating in a whole-class discussion.
Give students 2 minutes to develop their answer.
Then direct partner A to begin the discussion by answering the questions on the slide: “Does the bolded evidence illustrate or contradict London’s claim? Why/how?”
Allow 1 minute for partner A to share.
Then direct partner B to respond and share for an additional minute.
Prompt students to use the conversation stems learning tool during the discussion.
Conclude the discussion by conducting a whole-class discussion in response to the questions on the slide. Affirm correct answers and/or ask guiding questions to support students in considering the evidence.
Use teacher talk moves so students [clearly express their ideas (Goal One), listen carefully to understand others’ ideas (Goal Two), provide evidence to support their claims (Goal Three), establish new ways of thinking (Goal Four)].
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
If students are not providing answers similar to the Student Look-Fors:
Ask: “What does Buck wonder about? How is this similar to a human’s thinking?”
Ask: “What does the phrase “fear of the future” suggest about Buck’s thought process?”
Ask: “What emotions does London use to describe Buck’s feelings? Is it possible to know that Buck truly felt this way?”
Student Look-Fors:
Students should note that the bolded evidence contradicts London’s argument in “The Other Animals” because the description presents Buck as an animal that has human-like emotion and longer-term thinking abilities. For example:
The word “wondered” suggests that Buck’s mind thinks about things that it cannot see or hear and has the ability to think in an abstract way.
The phrase “fear of the future” suggests that Buck has the capacity to worry about his life and what may happen to him in the future. This level of forward thinking - and anxiety about the unknown - goes beyond London’s claim that he sought to convey his animals as governed by instinct.
Words like “fear” and “glad” ascribe human like emotions to Buck.

9. Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 2 minutes
Directions:
Have students include the evidence and interpretation from the paragraph on their evidence chart on the side that is for recording evidence that contradicts as shown on the slide.
Student Look-Fors:
Students should include the evidence and interpretation on their individual evidence charts.

10. Reread parts of Chapter 1 of The Call of the Wild and reference any additional note (e.g., Split-page handout, incident chart).
Gather text evidence that both illustrates and contradicts London’s argument that he is not a “nature faker” in “The Other Animals.”
Let’s Read!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 20 minutes
Directions:
Direct students to work independently to gather evidence on their evidence chart in the same way you modeled.
Remind students that they should gather evidence for both sides of the discussion (i.e., evidence that shows London is a “nature faker” and evidence that shows he is not) so that they are prepared to fully engage in the discussion and anticipate/respond to alternative points of view and evidence that their peers may present.
Monitor student work time, providing additional support to students as needed.
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
If students are not writing answers similar to the Student Look-Fors:
Direct students back to key parts of the text that provide robust description of Buck’s character in ways that are both scientific/physical/governed by instinct and in ways that suggest he is capable of human-like reasoning and emotion.
Ask: “How is Buck described here? In what way does that description feel more scientific to a reader?”
Ask: “What does Buck think or feel in this paragraph? Is it possible for a human to truly know that Buck is thinking or feeling this way?”
Ask: “How does Buck respond to Manuel or the man in the red sweater? What about his actions suggest he is governed by animal instinct? What about his actions suggest he is capable of more sophisticated thinking and reasoning?”
Ask: “How does Buck respond to the other dogs? What about his actions suggest he is governed by animal instinct? What about his actions suggest he is capable of more sophisticated thinking and reasoning?”
Ask: “How does Buck respond to the snow? What do his reflections and the other animals’/humans’ perceptions of him suggest about his reasoning abilities?”
Student Look Fors:
Access a completed evidence chart handout.

11. With a partner, share the evidence that you gathered for the question: Based on London’s portrayal of Buck in Chapter 1, should he be considered a “nature faker”?
Work together to draft a claim statement for each side of the argument.
Let’s Read!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 8 minutes
Directions:
Students may remain in pairs.
Students should discuss the evidence that they gathered for both sides of the argument and use the evidence to formulate draft claim statements in response to the question.
During this time, students can revise and add to their evidence charts based on their partner discussion.
Monitor student work time, providing additional support to students as needed.
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
If students are not writing answers similar to the Student Look-Fors:
Direct students back to key parts of the text that provide robust description of Buck’s character in ways that are both scientific/physical/governed by instinct and in ways that suggest he is capable of human-like reasoning and emotion.
Ask: “How is Buck described here? In what way does that description feel more scientific to a reader?”
Ask: “What does Buck think or feel in this paragraph? Is it possible for a human to truly know that Buck is thinking or feeling this way?”
Ask: “How does Buck respond to Manuel or the man in the red sweater? What about his actions suggest he is governed by animal instinct? What about his actions suggest he is capable of more sophisticated thinking and reasoning?”
Ask: “How does Buck respond to the other dogs? What about his actions suggest he is governed by animal instinct? What about his actions suggest he is capable of more sophisticated thinking and reasoning?”
Ask: “How does Buck respond to the snow? What do his reflections and the other animals’/humans’ perceptions of him suggest about his reasoning abilities?”
As needed, support students in taking the evidence and formulating draft claim statements.
Student Look Fors:
Access a completed evidence chart handout.

12. Which claim do you feel you can most strongly support in a discussion?
Discuss and decide:
Which claim do you feel you can most strongly support in a discussion?
Why? What evidence feels most compelling to you?
Based on London’s portrayal of Buck in chapter 1, should he be considered a nature faker?
Let’s Express Our Understanding!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 3 minutes
Directions:
Direct students to discuss the questions on the slide with a partner.
Monitor student discussion, providing support as needed.
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
“What did you think prior to discussing your evidence with a partner? What do you think now? Why?”
Student Look-Fors:
Students should identify which claim they feel they have the most evidence to support.

13. In this lesson, you connected ideas across texts by applying the “nature faker” debate to Chapter 1 of The Call of the Wild.
You prepared for a scholarly discussion by gathering text evidence and developing claims.
Let’s Close!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Read the slide.