Studying put to use on Wiscasset trail
Owen St. Pierre does some place-based learning relating to a Jack London book. Molly Carlson photo
Owen St. Pierre does some place-based learning relating to a Jack London book. Molly Carlson photo
Joh Griffith Chaney (Jan. 12, 1876 – Nov. 22, 1916) is known as the author Jack London. Among his short stories is the 1908 classic "To Build A Fire," set in the Yukon. English 12 student Owen St. Pierre donned snowshoes and ventured out on the Wiscasset Community Center trails in February to find out what it's really like to build a fire... in a snow squall!
What kinds of trees are back here? (We found White Pine, Red Spruce, Balsam Fir, Hemlock, Red Oak, Beech and Birch) Where is the driest wood in a forest? (dead branches still on the tree). What types of materials make the best kindling? (Birch bark and pine twigs). How do you start a fire with flint and steel? (sparks flew but did not start the fire. It's hard!).
Can you start a fire on snowy ground? (yes, lay a foundation of branches first and build the fire on top of them).
Back in the classroom, two versions (1902 and 1908) of Jack London's story will be read and compared.
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/to-build-a-fire.pdf
