1. Lesson 19: Analyzing the development of suspense
About this lesson
Students will continue reading the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, which has similar ideas and themes about human-animal relationships and the wild. In this lesson, they will analyze how the writer builds suspense through language and details.
An audio recording of “To Build a Fire” is available at

2. We continued reading “To Build a Fire” by Jack London and analyzed the relationship between the man and his dog by examining the man’s decisions and the dog’s reactions to his decisions.
Let’s Review!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Briefly review the previous learning.
Students were expected to complete their written response to the summary question on their split-page notes handout and read paragraphs fort homework. Check/Collect the homework using an established classroom routine.

3. Continue reading “To Build a Fire” by Jack London.
Today we will:
Continue reading “To Build a Fire” by Jack London.
Analyze how the author creates suspense through his language and details.
Let’s Prepare!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Read the slide.
Briefly explain how this lesson prepares students for another lesson and/or the end-of-unit assessments.
Throughout the lesson, compare students’ responses and work to the student look-fors. Determine the students who need additional support with reading, understanding, or expressing their understanding of complex, grade-level texts. During this lesson or before the next lesson, support those students individually or in a small group using the Additional Supports for Diverse Learners.

4. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
You will need:
“To Build a Fire” by Jack London
Your split-page notes for “To Build a Fire”
Let’s Prepare!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 3 minutes
Directions:
Distribute the text.
Ask students to locate their copy of the text and their split-page notes: “To Build a Fire” handout.
This lesson uses accountable talk. Access the strategy one-pager to learn about accountable talk.

5. The relationship between the man and his dog
Share your answer to the summary question with a partner. Then discuss:
The relationship between the man and his dog
How what happened to the man in paragraph 17 could have been avoided
The messages London conveys to the reader through the man and his dog
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~8 minutes
Directions:
Divide the class into pairs using an established classroom routine.
Purposefully pair together students with different levels of language proficiency.
Direct pairs to select a partner A and B.
Establish norms for the partner work and explain that students will be held accountable for their learning by using the conversation stems learning tool and relevant evidence during the discussion.
Direct partner A to begin the discussion by sharing their answer to the summary question with their partner.
Allow 1 minute for partner A to share.
Then direct partner B to respond and share for an additional minute.
Ask students to follow the remaining directions on the slide for discussion.
Prompt students to use the conversation stems learning tool during the discussion.
Monitor student discussion.
After 2 minutes, check for student understanding.
Use teacher talk moves so students [clearly express their ideas (Goal One), listen carefully to understand others’ ideas (Goal Two), provide evidence to support their claims (Goal Three), establish new ways of thinking (Goal Four)].
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
If students are not providing answers similar to the Student Look-Fors:
Ask: “How does the dog respond to the man as he continues forward?”
Ask: “What lines from the text shows how he feels about the man’s decision to keep traveling?”
Ask: “Based on the dog’s actions, how does he feel about the man’s decisions? Why? What evidence shows you this?”
Ask: “Based on the man’s actions, how does he view the dog? Why? What evidence shows you this?”
Direct students to reread these lines: “And then it happened. At a place where there were no signs, where the soft, unbroken snow seemed to advertise solidity beneath, the man broke through. It was not deep. He wet himself halfway to the knees before he floundered out to the firm crust.”
Ask: “What do these sentences show about what happens to the man?”
Student Look-Fors:
Students should understand that the dog’s actions demonstrate he disagrees with or questions the man’s decisions to continue on the journey. For example, he hangs behind the man, seeks to stay by the fire rather than continue (and has to be forced to keep going), and hesitates to cross the frozen water because he senses danger. The dog’s actions are more in line with what one would expect to see given the dangerous setting.
They should also understand that the man relies on the dog somewhat to help him, for example, by having him cross the frozen ice first to determine the danger. However, he does not seem to notice or pay mind to the dog’s resistance as a potential warning for the danger ahead. He seems unaware of or not particularly caring of the dog’s instincts.
The man falls into water and wets himself “halfway to the knees,” which shows that he his feet have become soaked. This is dangerous given the frigid conditions. This could have been avoided if the man listened more to his dog or paid closer attention to the various warning signs that he overlooked on his journey.
Lastly, students should suggest the messages conveyed by the text. Possible examples:
Animal instincts may be just as valuable, or more valuable, than man’s reasoning in certain situations: The relationship between the dog and man and the contrast between their actions suggests that animal instinct is a powerful thing and can serve a valuable purpose. In the text, the dog’s instincts to retreat and remain by the fire are more consistent with what one would expect, which demonstrates London’s respect for animal instinct.
We can judge a person’s character by how they treat animals: The man in the text seems oblivious to the warning signs all around him, including those that his dog signals to him. He also treats the dog as the “test case” for danger in ways that the dog seems resistant to, like when he has him cross the ice. The man’s actions toward his dog highlight the lack of awareness or pride that has put him in danger.

6. How does the author create suspense and meaning in “To Build a Fire”?
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Say: “Let’s dig a little deeper into this section of the text to determine the moves the author makes that impact the reader and draw you into the story. To do this, we need to look at the author’s language and the details he provides, as those contribute to the development of tone, point of view, characterization, pacing, suspense, and ultimately meaning in a text.”

7. What is the conditional mood?
Verb moods are used to create a state of being or reality. The conditional mood is used to indicate a state that will cause something else to happen. It is typically marked by might, would, or could.
The use of the conditional mood creates a state of uncertainty in a text.
What is the conditional mood?
Why do authors use the conditional?
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~2 minutes
Directions:
Say: “First, let’s look at the language the author uses to develop a suspenseful mood or a feeling of uncertainty in the text.”
Tell students that one way the author creates suspense is through the way he crafts his sentences. In this section, students will look at the author’s use of the conditional mood and how it creates suspense.
Review the definition of the conditional mood by reading or having a student read the definition on the slide.
Student Look-Fors:
Students should actively listen to the explanation of the conditional mood.

8. “In another minute he would be able to feed [the fire] with branches the size of his wrist, and then he could remove his wet foot-gear, and, while it dried, he could keep his naked feet warm by the fire, rubbing them at first, of course, with snow. The fire was a success. He was safe. He remembered the advice of the old-timer on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The old-timer had been very serious in laying down the law that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below. Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself.”
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 4 minutes
Directions:
Model for students the way in which the conditional verb mood creates a state of uncertainty in the text. For example:
Say: “Let’s take a look at how London uses the conditional verb mood in paragraph 21. Locate this in your copy of the text.”
Reread or have a student read the paragraph aloud.
Say: “The phrases, ‘he could remove’ and ‘he could keep’ will happen only if something else happens first. They are conditional based on the fire being started. How does the use of the conditional mood here develop an uncertain mood?” (The man’s survival is dependent on getting the fire started. If he is not able to “remove his wet foot-gear” to dry it or “keep his naked feet warm by the fire,” the man will likely freeze to death. This situation creates uncertainty because everything the man does from now on depends on getting the fire started.)
Say: “The man says, “Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself.” Consider the author’s use of conditional verbs earlier in the paragraph. What is ironic the man’s statement?” (The man says he saved himself, but he is speaking too soon. He has only save himself if he is able to keep the fire going. Based on the conditional verbs used earlier in the paragraph, his situation is still very uncertain and conditional.)
Student Look-Fors:
Students should be able to answer the questions asked (answers provided above).
Students should understand that the way the author writes sentences impacts the tone and meaning of the text.

9. What are verbals? Why do authors use them?
Verbals are words formed from a verb but function as another part of speech.
Today, we’ll look at participles, which end in -ed or -ing, and function as adjectives in a text.
What are verbals?
Why do authors use them?
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~2 minutes
Directions:
Tell students in this section they will look at the author’s use of verbals and how they impact the pacing of the text, which contributes to the suspenseful mood.
Review the definition of verbals by reading or having a student read the definition on the slide:
Verbals are words formed from a verb but functioning as other parts of speech (for example, adjectives or nouns). There are different types of verbals, including gerunds, infinitives, and participles.
Today, students will examine the way London uses participles,which end in -ed or -ing, and function as adjectives in the text.
Student Look-Fors:
Students should actively listen to the definition of verbals.

10. “All of which counted for little. There was the fire, snapping and
crackling and promising life with every dancing flame. He started
to untie his moccasins. They were coated with ice; the thick
German socks were like sheaths of iron halfway to the knees; and
the moccasin strings were like rods of steel all twisted and knotted
as by some conflagration. For a moment he tugged with his numb
fingers, then, realizing the folly of it, he drew his sheath-knife.
“But before he could cut the strings, it happened. It was his own
fault or, rather, his mistake. He should not have built the fire under
the spruce tree. He should have built it in the open.”
Let’s Discuss!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~ 4 minutes
Directions:
Model for students the way in which verbals function as adjectives in this part of the text, and how that slows down the pacing of the text and emphasizes important elements in the text. For example:
Say: “Let’s take a look at how London uses verbals in paragraph 21. Locate this in your copy of the text.”
Reread or have a student read the paragraph aloud.
Say: “The verbals, in this case participles, are underlined. What is the purpose of these verbals?” (The verbals are used to describe the fire and bring it to life.)
Say: “These verbals also slow the pacing of the text down, as the author expands a brief moment and gives it more attention in the text.” Then ask:
“How would this sentence be different if he just wrote, ‘There was a fire’?” (Descriptions like snapping and crackling, slows down the pace of the text and brings the fire to life. The word ‘dancing’ to helps me to visualize the fire, burning and glowing with motion that makes it feel alive, as though it’s living.)
“What kind of tone and/or mood is established with the description of the fire?” (The description gives a feeling of warmth and a sense of hope in the text.)
“Why is the fire important to focus on and emphasize in this section of the text?” (The fire means life to the man. Without it, he would freeze to death.)
Ask: “How does the sentence, ‘But before he could cut the strings, it happened’ create a shift in the text? What has happened?” (This sentence speeds the text back up. The fire has been put out by falling snow. Just as the fire is extinguished, so is the man’s hope and promise of life. “It happened” is short and lacks much description like the sentence about the fire. This short sentence signifies how suddenly and completely the flame went out.)
Student Look-Fors:
Students should be able to answer the questions asked (answers provided above).
Students should understand that the way the author writes sentences impacts the tone and meaning of the text.

11. While I read, annotate your text for important details.
Follow along with your copy of “To Build a Fire” while I reread paragraphs 3, 21, , and
While I read, annotate your text for important details.
Then, while we discuss, take notes on your split-page notes for questions 7-9.
Let’s Read!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~20 minutes
Directions:
Say: “Now, let’s look at the details the author provides to develop a suspenseful mood or a feeling of uncertainty in the text.”
Give directions to students to follow along in their copies of the text as you read aloud paragraphs 3, 21, 23-24, and
Before reading, say: “As I read these paragraphs aloud, pay attention to the details the author provides about the setting, characters, and their interactions. Annotate your text and/or take notes in the margins. Consider any patterns you see (details which are similar across the paragraphs) or contrasts you see (details which are surprising to you or stand out).”
Conduct a brief whole-class discussion to check for understanding. As needed, use the possible supports below during the discussion.
Direct students to take notes on their split-page notes: “To Build A Fire” handout during the discussion.
Ask: “How does the author create suspense and meaning in ‘To Build a Fire’?” Conduct a whole-class discussion to answer the question.
Use teacher talk moves so students [clearly express their ideas (Goal One), listen carefully to understand others’ ideas (Goal Two), provide evidence to support their claims (Goal Three), establish new ways of thinking (Goal Four)].
Possible Supports During the Lesson:
If students need additional support to comprehend the text:
Ask: “Why does the man need to build a fire so quickly?
Ask: “In paragraph 21, what reflections does the man have? What do these reflections reveal about the man?
Ask: “What does the man think about traveling alone? Why?
Ask: “What realizations does the man have that build his awareness of the cold?
Ask: “What happens to the fire in paragraph 23? What causes the fire to go out? What role did the man play in this?
Ask: “What happens as the man tries to light fire a second time?
If students are not providing answers similar to the Student Look-Fors in response to the second discussion question:
Prompt students, as needed with a definition of suspense: “Suspense is the feeling of uncertainty or unease you get in text when you know something might happen, but you aren’t sure what is going to happen.”
Ask: “How does the author create a sense of uncertainty or unease in the story? Consider the language he uses.”
Ask: “How does the author describe the man in paragraph 3?”
Ask: “What is the old-timer’s warning and how does the man respond?”
Ask: “What is the difference between the man and the old-timer?”
Ask: “How does knowing about the man’s ignorance create suspense when you hear the old-timer’s warning?”
Ask: “How does the author create a sense of knowing something might happen, but you are sure what is going to happen?”
Ask: “How do the man’s feelings change toward the dog and his situation as he tries to light the second fire?”
Student Look-Fors:
Access completed split-page notes for “To Build a Fire” under the Additional Materials tab.
Students should follow along silently as you read aloud and take notes during the discussion.
After the first whole-class discussion, students should understand:
The man needs to build a fire quickly because he fell through the ice and is wet and freezing. He needs the fire to dry off and stay alive.
In paragraph 21, the man successfully builds a fire, and he reflects that the old timer who gave him advice was wrong. The text states, “He remembered the advice of the old-timer on Sulphur Creek, and smiled. The old-timer had been very serious in laying down the law that no man must travel alone in the Klondike after fifty below. Well, here he was; he had had the accident; he was alone; and he had saved himself. Those old-timers were rather womanish, some of them, he thought. All a man had to do was to keep his head, and he was all right.” This shows that the man is full of himself and believes that he, as a novice, knows more than more experienced travelers. Despite this, the man feels surprised at how rapidly his nose and cheeks have frozen, and how quickly his hands have gone lifeless from the cold.
Then, in paragraph 23, snow from the tree above the fire falls from the tree and extinguishes the flames. This happens because in the man’s haste to build a fire and dry his feet, he did not think about the danger of building the fire under the tree and as such did not take proactive measures to create the fire out in the open where it would not have become extinguished. Also, it was easier to drop the twigs under the tree even though it wasn’t a smarter choice than carrying them into the open.
When the man tries to light the fire a second time, the man’s fingers and hands are so frozen that he is unable to properly build the arrangement of sticks for the fire or light single matches. Instead, the man strikes all of the matches, but he has lost so much feeling that he does not realize his hand is being burned. The man is able to light the birch wood, but the flame becomes extinguished because he is unable to move the moss and debris and set up the sticks properly. The fire fails, and he is out of matches.
After the second whole-class discussion, students should understand the author builds suspense through the development of the man’s character.
They should identify that the author describes the man at the beginning of the text as a newcomer and one that doesn’t understand the significance or consequences of things around him. This is important information to have as the man receives a warning from the old-timer not to travel alone. The old-timer is presumably very knowledgeable compared to the man, who is a newcomer. We know that the man is ignorant of his situation. The old-timer warns the man, but the man thinks the old-timer is “womanish” and he is real man who is able to survive on his own. This creates a feeling of suspense because we know that the old-timer is wiser than the man given their knowledge of the trail and the author’s statement about the man’s ignorance in paragraph 3. Thus, we can assume that something bad is going to happen to the man, but we don’t know what--this creates irony and suspense or a feeling of unease about what is going to happen in the text.
They should explain that the man needs fire to stay alive, but because of his ignorance and arrogance, the man makes several mistakes (e.g., he travels alone, he falls through the ice, he builds a fire under a snowy tree, he wastes all his matches when he lights them all at once), which basically seals his fate. Something miraculous will have to happen for the man to survive at this point, and the man starts to realize what he has done in paragraph 29, when he says the old-timer was right. The man finally realizes the gravity of his situation and that without fire, he is likely going to lose some toes or even worse. He says he is envious of the dog, who seems warm enough in his fur coat. These feelings are change for the man, who was arrogant and prideful and basically ignored his dog, and is now humbled and fearful about the outcome of his situation.

12. Write a summary for paragraphs 18-30 on your split-page notes.
Let’s Express Our Understanding!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~3 minutes
Directions:
Ask students to follow the directions on the slide.
Monitor student writing time, and provide support as needed.
If students need more time, ask them to finish writing their responses for homework.
Student Look-Fors:
Access the completed split-page notes: “To Build a Fire” handout.

13. In this lesson, you continued reading “To Build a Fire” by Jack London.
You also analyzed the how the author creates suspense in the text through his language and use of details.
Let’s Close!
Teaching Notes
Suggested Pacing: ~1 minute
Directions:
Read the slide.