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Jack London
The Call of the Wild and Sea Wolf
Website Evaluators
Patricia Edmondson - Shelton High School, Washington
Ann Gann - Clinton High School, Tennessee
Denise Levenick - Mayfield Senior School, California
Sherry Medwin - New Trier High School, Illinois
Website Reviewer and Compiler
Charles R. Sanders - San Pedro High School, California
Site Ratings
1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellent
Jack London
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec572/final_projects/JL_Pages/Jack_London.html
This website
presents a "rather sophisticated" lesson plan for teaching the philosophy of Jack London. Using a series of four lessons, students are asked to read about the people who influenced London and what their
ideas were, to read two London stories, and to write an explanation of how London's ideas are expressed in those stories. Each of the four lessons has an assignment, "a series of concise, supporting links,
and clear instructions." Students are to prepare a finished product for display on a website. "Inspirational! A real work of art."
Overall Rating: 4
The Jack London Collection
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/
Here is "the best place to start" an in-depth study of Jack London's life and writings.
This huge collection from the University of California at Berkeley includes a well-written biography, a vast collection of photographs of people and places connected to London, access to bibliographies and research
aids, and an extensive archive of full-length novels, short stories, essays, and newspaper pieces by London. "One of the most outstanding features of the site is the search engine that allows visitors to find
specific works, letters, documents, or photographs." A link to a glossary of literary terms "could be of great value to high school readers." This site's "attractive interface and easy
navigation make it first-rate."
Overall Rating: 4
Jack London's Ranch Album
http://www.geocities.com/~jacklondons/index.html
This "well-organized and attractive" Jack London site is primarily focused on the years at his ranch in California. Probably the best
feature of the site is an introductory biographical sketch "presented through colorful text, direct quotes from London and his contemporaries, and appealing photographs." Included in the sketch is an
"interesting article regarding London's death," and access to short summaries of The Call of the Wild and The Sea Wolf with links to the complete e-texts of both. "One biographical tidbit on
London's interest in boxing includes a link to a short story he wrote about the sport." Other useful links lead one to a time- line, a bibliography, and a source for the e-texts of other London works.
Overall Rating: 3
Jack London - His Life and Books
http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLStory.html
The main focus of this site is on Jack London's last
years spent at his beloved Beauty Ranch in California. The main page offers a fairly good biography which "emphasizes his life experiences more than the literary qualities of his work." There is
one link to a list of some of London's works with publication dates, but most of the links lead to sites at the Jack London State Historic Park. The site could be useful for students and teachers looking for a
"link between the author and his environment" or "trying to get a feel for the ranch country that London loved."
Overall Rating: 2
Jack London Main Page
http://www.jacklondon.com/
This Jack London site "appears to be hastily thrown together, with no guiding purpose," but spend a little time exploring the links and you may find some
information not available elsewhere. Along with access to the e-texts of several London novels and short stories, visitors will find an eyewitness account of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that London wrote for
Collier's Magazine, an interesting history of Jack London Square in Oakland, California and London's connection to that city, a discussion and list of little-known works of science fiction by London, and a collection of
quotes from London discoursing on World War I.
Overall Rating: 2
Jack London
http://www.georgetown.edu/bassr/heath/syllabuild/iguide/london.html
This limited site presents a one-page "overview for a university
class lesson" on Jack London's story "South of the Slot." The instructor presents London's short story in "both its historical context and biographical roots...and also clarifies London's
connection to the literary movement of Naturalism." Teachers might use the instructor's "ideas for comparing and contrasting with other literature," and advanced students might want to use this site
as a "stand-alone assignment."
Overall Rating: 2
Jack London
http://techlab.esu3.k12.ne.us/educ553/dglover/CTW/londonhome.html
This rather limited Jack London site "provides a brief, concise
biography" and an interesting page on Jack London Square, but the most useful feature is a link that gives access to Columbia University's gopher menu of e-texts of London's The Call of the Wild, White Fang, The
Sea Wolf, and several short stories. Teachers should be aware that an animated graphic of London "could be misconstrued by students as sexual in nature."
Overall Rating: 2 |
