Activate students' interest in the book by tapping into their prior knowledge. Have them create a K-W-L chart (What they Know, Want to Know and Learned) about the Gold Rush or the Alaska Territory. They can create a concept web, adding what they know about the wild, instinct, civilization, etc. Get them started with definitions and your own experiences. To stimulate discussion, have students complete then talk about an anticipation guide. The guide should contain several generalized, controversial statements about situations in the book. For example: Dogs are better off in the wild. Students can conduct research into topics such as Jack London, training wild dogs or the differences between wolves and dogs.
To get students interacting with the book, have them document Buck's return to wildness in a running journal, noting situations that show the change. Have students show their interpretation of a text every chapter or couple chapters by creating a "Sketch to Stretch:" Students create a picture from the story with an explanation of that scene's importance. The picture serves as a quick comprehension check. Encourage students to reflect on their reading periodically with a written reaction or discussion on concepts such as Buck's character development or potential responses to Buck's various owners.
Many writing activities exist that you can implement during or after reading the book. Have students rewrite the ending of the book, or parts of the book such as Curly's death or the battle between Buck and Spitz. They can write a letter. One option is to have them pretend they are one of the human characters writing home, using experiences from the book for detail. Alternatively, have students write a letter to Jack London discussing Buck's characterization and their agreement with the author's development of the character. Have creatively inclined students reformulate the text, transforming the novel into a poem, newspaper article or expository text.
Make reading "The Call of the Wild" fun. Create a large map of the Iditarod race. Put students into teams with a dog representing their progress on the map. As they complete various activities throughout the reading, their dog moves along the map. Set up a debate in which students argue about value-based topics such as who was truly civilized in the book. Have students create a video or video montage of concepts from the book such as the law of wilderness. Students can create a skit in which a character from the book is being interviewed; make sure they use supporting details from the book. They can perform the skit for the class. Use any activity that allows students to find new ways to enjoy the text.