Nov 28 2024 & Dec 2 2024 Into the Wild Timeline Project

Attendance - located in the brown binder - lower left drawer teacher desk - please send EA with list of any absences to the front office.

Silent Read 20 min - students have their own personal novels for this.

Next: Into the Wild Timeline Project 

Lesson Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the structure of Into the Wild (non-linear narrative) and how the author uses flashbacks and varying timelines.
2. Create a visual timeline of key events from Chapters 1-9. Students be sure to leave space for future chapter timeline entries please.
3. Write creatively in the style of Into the Wild, incorporating non-linear techniques to tell a part of the story.
4. Analyze how McCandless’s journey is depicted through various time periods and how his life unfolds.

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Materials Needed:

• Whiteboard and markers (for group brainstorming) on boards if required.
• Chart paper - located by teacher desk - under windows.
• Markers - you can send EA to library to collect 2-3 boxes of markers for student use.
• Copies of Into the Wild (Chapters 1-9) - students have.
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Introduction (10–15 minutes):

1. Re-Introduction to the Non-Linear Timeline:

   • Last day we discussed - Non-linear narrative. Into the Wild does not tell McCandless’s story in a straightforward, chronological order. Instead, it jumps back and forth in time, revealing key moments through flashbacks, personal reflections, and other characters' perspectives.
   • Other examples of books or films that use non-linear storytelling? (e.g., Pulp Fiction, The Night Circus).

• Task - Review Main Events in Chapters 1-9:

1. • With your group - (min size 2 - max size 3) go over the key events from Chapters 1-9 of Into the Wild. Highlight how McCandless’s death in Alaska opens the story, but how much of the narrative happens in flashbacks, where we learn about his past, his family, and his travels.
   • “Why do you think the author chose to tell the story this way? What impact does it have on how we perceive McCandless’s journey?”
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   • 2. Task: Create a Timeline:

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• Break the students into small groups or have them work individually. Provide each group with chart paper (located under the windows by the teacher desk).
• Ask students to identify key events in Chapters 1-9 (such as McCandless’s discovery, his time in Alaska, his travels across the U.S., important interactions with people like Jim Gallien or Jan Burres, and his relationships with family members).
• Students should plot these events in the order they occurred, but the twist is that they must also indicate when the event was revealed in the book. For example, McCandless’s death is revealed early on in Chapter 1, but the narrative backtracks to tell us more about his journey leading up to that moment.
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• 3. Non-Linear Structure:
• Groups - Mark the timeline in a way that shows the jumps in time—using color-coding, arrows, or symbols to show which events occur in flashbacks, memories, or moments of reflection.
• Students should also write brief summaries next to each event that explains why it’s important and how it contributes to McCandless’s overall story. 
• For example- brief summary: “McCandless leaves home (1990) – He cuts ties with his family, symbolizing his rejection of materialism and society’s expectations.”
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• Creativity in Presentation:

• Be creative with your timeline design. You can draw images, use symbols, or create a map of McCandless’s travels to accompany your timeline.

*The goal is to complete the above noted work in one class - though students may require some limited additional time on Monday. If so please let me know in your TTOC notes - emailed to me at ahathorn@sd19.bc.ca