Into the Wild Unit Essential Questions Journal Throughout this unit, we will read a range of texts to build a world around Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild; we will read short stories, poetry, philosophy, journalism, excerpts from works of non-fiction, and more. As we read, you will be expected to keep track of the ways each of these texts relates to the essential questions that guide our thinking. Those questions are: How do we construct identity through our actions, interests, values and beliefs? What is the relationship between nature and American identity? What does it mean to be a rebel? What is the relationship between self and society? What is success? To what extent is community essential to happiness? For each text, you will choose at least two passages (sentences or paragraphs) that you see relating to one of the essential questions. For each passage you choose, you will write out the passage and the page number on which it appears, note the essential question to which it relates, and write a paragraph exploring the ways in which the passage guides your thinking about the essential question. An entry for your Essential Question Journal might look like this: Title Essential Question Passage My Thoughts “I “Survivor What is success? played football in high This passage tells me a lot Type” school. I was the best about Richard Pine: he’s damn football player my determined to reach his goals, school ever produced. and he must be very Quarterback. I made to have been so All-City my last two successful on the football field years. I hated football. (“I made All-City my last two But if you’re a poor wop years” shows his dedication from the projects and and skill). But he also sounds “But you want to go to bitter. When he says, if college, sports are your you’re a poor wop from the only ticket. So I played, projects…sports are your only and I got my athletic ticket out,” the way he uses an scholarship” (407-408) ethnic slur to describe himself makes it sound as though he didn’t like having to succeed on someone else’s terms.
Into the Wild Unit Essential Questions Journal Throughout this unit, we will read a range of texts to build a world around Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild; we will read short stories, poetry, philosophy, journalism, excerpts from works of non-fiction, and more. As we read, you will be expected to keep track of the ways each of these texts relates to the essential questions that guide our thinking. Those questions are: How do we construct identity through our actions, interests, values and beliefs? What is the relationship between nature and American identity? What does it mean to be a rebel? What is the relationship between self and society? What is success? To what extent is community essential to happiness? For each text, you will choose at least two passages (sentences or paragraphs) that you see relating to one of the essential questions. For each passage you choose, you will write out the passage and the page number on which it appears, note the essential question to which it relates, and write a paragraph exploring the ways in which the passage guides your thinking about the essential question. An entry for your Essential Question Journal might look like this: Title Essential Question Passage My Thoughts “Survivor Type” What is success? “I played football in high school. I was the best damn football player my school ever produced. Quarterback. I made All-City my last two years. I hated football. But if you’re a poor wop from the projects and you want to go to college, sports are your only ticket. So I played, and I got my athletic scholarship” (407-408) This passage tells me a lot about Richard Pine: he’s determined to reach his goals, and he must be very to have been so successful on the football field (“I made All-City my last two years” shows his dedication and skill). But he also sounds bitter. When he says, “But if you’re a poor wop from the projects…sports are your only ticket out,” the way he uses an ethnic slur to describe himself makes it sound as though he didn’t like having to succeed on someone else’s terms.
g9_into_the_wild_essential_questions_journal.docx