Into the Wild Lesson Plan

How did McCandless die? A debate

Kind of Activity:

Group Discussion

Objective:

Debate different theories about McCandless died

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1

Structure:

Divide students into three groups and assign each group a theory about how McCandless died.

1. Krakauer's theory is that it wasn't the seeds of the wild potato that did McCandless in, it was the mold growing on those seeds.

2. A second theory is that McCandless ate an inedible plant, wild sweet pea, by mistake.

3. A third theory is that toxic alkaloids had built up in the seeds of the nontoxic wild potato.

Give them 10 minutes to prepare an argument for...