1-page, Section-by-Section Vocabulary Printables

The chapter-title word naming Buck's reversion to a savage, elemental state ('dominant primordial beast') -- thematically central and set in a triumphant, iconic moment. An uncommon, vivid word with strong Tier 2 value that rewards close teaching.

'The reign of primitive law' captures the book's whole civilization-to-wild arc; a high-value Tier 2 word a target-grade student will meet often in academic reading, anchored in the pivotal club scene.

Relentless and unyielding -- 'Buck was inexorable' as he closes on Spitz. Rare in general use, strong Tier 2 value, and a tense, memorable excerpt; excellent for vocabulary growth.

Experienced secondhand -- Curly's death as 'a vicarious experience' that teaches Buck. A high-value academic word, uncommon and precise, that a target-grade student will reuse across subjects.

The famous 'ecstasy that marks the summit of life' meditation -- an iconic, high-craft passage with strong review value, and a rich word whose sense here (rapturous aliveness) rewards exploration.

Crafty, resourceful slyness -- central to Buck's survival and recurring across the section. Most students half-know it, but its rich connotation and strong Tier 2 value make it worth teaching precisely.

Hard, exhausting labor -- 'the toil of the traces,' the dogs' whole reason for being. Central to the work theme, recurs throughout, and carries solid Tier 2 value in a strong, defining excerpt.

Gradual and secretly harmful -- 'the insidious revolt led by Buck.' A strong academic word with rich connotation that a target-grade student is unlikely to know well; the excerpt models its sense cleanly.

The rhythmic rise and fall of the ancestral wolf-howl, in a high-craft passage. A rich Tier 2 word with real connotation; uncommon enough to teach, and shown plainly in use.

Calm, composed self-respect -- Buck's defining bearing ('quiet dignity'), recurring as his dignity is 'sorely hurt' by the harness. Familiar to many but rich in connotation and strong in Tier 2 value, worth deepening.

ferocity: Vivid and rich in connotation ('almost lionlike in its ferocity'), but edged out by words with stronger Tier 2 value.

intimate: Valuable surprise sense (to hint, not 'close'), but yielded its slot to higher Tier 2 picks; a strong alternate.

wrath: Vivid word for vengeful anger that recurs through Buck's ordeal; just below stronger academic choices.

nomadic: The iconic verse opening names the roaming wild instinct, but its comprehension and Tier 2 value are only moderate.

malingerer: Vivid and well-illustrated by Pike's shirking, but narrow and unlikely to recur in academic reading.

wraith: Evocative 'pale frost wraith' in a high-craft chase, but uncommon and not essential to following the text.

arduous: A useful academic word, but its incidental excerpt ('long and arduous') teaches it weakly.

fang: Part of the iconic 'law of club and fang,' but too easy to quiz and low in Tier 2 value.

calamity: A clear, useful word for disaster, but unremarkable here next to richer choices.

Strong Tier-2 word in the section's pivotal scene: Thornton, 'too convulsed with rage to speak,' rescues Buck. An iconic, emotionally charged excerpt with high review value and clear context -- the strongest teaching moment here.

Strong Tier-2 word central to the section's theme of cruelty: the trio grow 'callous to the suffering' of their starving dogs. High comprehension value and a clear, hard-hitting excerpt make it a top teaching word.

Strong, recurring academic word with rich connotation. The lead-dog spot every dog wants is plainly the 'coveted position,' giving a target-grade student clear, vivid context and a word that matters to the scene.

High-value Tier-2 word; the text supplies a near-synonym, 'springiness,' and a catlike image in the memorable atavistic vision of the hairy man. Rich and well-supported context for a target-grade student.

Strong Tier-2 word with good nuance; the ancestral memories are 'far more potent' than Buck's own, a clear comparison that teaches the sense of powerful influence and matters to understanding Buck's pull toward the wild.

Valuable Tier-2 word for stubborn refusal, uncommon enough that a target-grade student has real meaning to learn. Francois insisting against Buck's will shows the sense plainly in the action.

A strong, broadly useful academic word. The over-armed belt being the 'most salient thing about him' opens a sharp character portrait of Hal and hands a target-grade student clear context. The more widely met word in that passage.

Strong Tier-2 word; Thornton's 'monosyllabic replies' and clipped, 'terse advice' both illustrate the word and sketch his character. The excerpt models economical speech for a target-grade student.

Strong academic word anchored to London's famous line, 'the inexorable elimination of the superfluous' -- memorable craft and high review value. Its partner 'inexorable' was already quizzed in section 1, so this is the fresh teachable word.

A pervasive academic word a target-grade student should nail down; even halved, the load is a 'formidable bulk,' giving a clear sense of something large and daunting. Most students half-know it, so this secures the precise meaning.

callowness: Rich, rare word in a sharp portrait of Hal, but adjacent to the selected 'salient' from the same passage.

repugnance: Rich, rare word and a vivid excerpt; a very close miss, edged out only by stronger comprehension value elsewhere.

revolt: Comprehension-central, character-defining 'open revolt,' but most target-grade students already know the word.

cajole: Useful Tier-2 word for sweet-talking; clear context, but a notch below the selected words in a crowded field.

voracious: Solid Tier-2 word with clear context, edged out by stronger excerpts and higher-value words in a deep field.

orthodox: Strong Tier-2 word teaching the 'conventional' sense, but an ordinary excerpt kept it just below the line.

grievance: Strong Tier-2 word and a useful collocation, but an ordinary excerpt left it just below the line.

recuperation: Strong Tier-2 word with a clear paired phrasing, but a plain excerpt left it just short in a deep field.

malingerer: Vivid, memorable word -- Pike now limps for real -- but narrow in academic reading, so it just missed.

slovenly: Vivid and recurring, but the messy camp so plainly shows the meaning that its urgency as a quiz word drops.

The section's pivotal turn-passion 'usurping' reason as Buck loses his head-makes the meaning unmistakable. A high-value academic word (to seize wrongfully) most target-grade students won't know, in a strong, memorable excerpt with wide reach.

A strong academic word set in sharp contrast: self-serving 'business expediency' against Thornton's selfless love, so the meaning shows plainly in use. Worth teaching both for comprehension here and for its wide recurrence in argument and analysis.

From the character-defining passage where Buck becomes a full predator 'by virtue of his own strength and prowess.' A common, useful academic word (superior skill) for a target-grade student, anchored in a memorable, quotable moment.

A pervasive academic word a target-grade student will meet often. The excerpt is instructive-Buck treats the abstract 'call' as if it were a solid object-so the literal sense is clear and the figurative reach is easy to open up.

Pervasive across science and writing, literal and figurative. The excerpt shows the literal sense cleanly as the heavy sled builds speed. Many target-grade students half-know it; worth firming up given how often it recurs.

A strong academic word (a disaster) carried by Buck's mounting dread as he nears the ruined camp-'a sense of calamity happening.' Clear in context and broadly useful; the repetition within the line reinforces the meaning.

A vivid, useful word with rich connotation-Matthewson gloating 'Three to one!' as the odds climb against Buck. The triumphant-joy sense is clear in the moment, and the word recurs ('waxed jubilant').

A rich, much-used word for thoughtful sadness, set in one of the section's most beautiful passages-the desolate lake country, 'the melancholy rippling of waves on lonely beaches.' Strong both as vocabulary and as a moment worth revisiting.

A strong academic word (hidden, not yet active) shown precisely in use-Buck's dormant savagery, 'the last latent remnants,' roused by the bear fight. Uncommon for a target-grade student and broadly useful in academic reading.

A strong academic word (wiped out, erased) made vivid-old trails 'obliterated' by time and snow. Useful well beyond this text and clearly teachable from the excerpt; a genuine step up in difficulty for a target-grade student.

transient: Strong Tier-2 word, but the line ('no master could be permanent') hands the reader the meaning, lowering its urgency as a quiz word.

appalled: Useful and vivid, but more familiar to a target-grade student than the words chosen; edged out in a deep field.

extremity: A teachable sense-shift (desperate plight, not edge) in a strong excerpt, but narrower academic reach than the selected words.

convalescence: A solid recovery word in a warm excerpt, but less broadly useful in academic reading than the chosen Tier-2 words.

conjuration: Sits in the famous 'As you love me, Buck' passage, but rare and unlikely to recur in academic reading; a reach as a quiz word.

dogged: Aphoristic 'patience of the wild' passage and a nice stem split from 'dog,' but fairly familiar and the line half-defines it.

belie: Sophisticated and difficult, but plays a small role in comprehension here and is uncommon in academic reading.

dejected: Strong excerpt, but the beaten moose is pictured so plainly the meaning is handed over, and the word is fairly familiar.

demonstrative: The taught sense (openly affectionate) is fairly accessible and the excerpt is ordinary; useful but not among the strongest ten.

quarry: A teachable sense (prey, not a stone pit), but an ordinary excerpt and middling academic value left it just below the line.