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Moby-Dick: read and explore

Call me Ishmael — a voyage after the white whale.

About this reading

Author
Herman Melville
Form
novel
Subtitle
or, The Whale
Catalog year
1851

Choose this reading by interest and comfort with the language. This catalog does not assign a school grade. Preview the text before reading with a child; classic works can contain unfamiliar language and historical attitudes.

Read Moby-Dick

Preview the language: Loomings

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily …

Choose a phrase from this opening. What does it suggest, and which words support your interpretation? Read on to test your first impression.

A reading activity for Moby-Dick

  1. Before opening the text, read the title and this catalog description: “Call me Ishmael — a voyage after the white whale.” Write one question you hope the reading will answer.
  2. Read a short passage. Choose one sentence that helps you understand what is happening and explain which words support your interpretation.
  3. Choose one unfamiliar word. Guess its meaning from the surrounding words, then check a dictionary or discuss it with a reading partner.
  4. Return to your original question. Explain what the passage answered and what you still need to read to find out.

These are suggested discussion tasks, not a scored assessment or a claim that finishing the text establishes mastery.

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Source edition: Project Gutenberg record for Moby-Dick. This link identifies the catalog source; it does not imply endorsement.

Use this activity with a learner

Educators and independent learners

Learning goal: Read Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, then support an interpretation with words from the text.

Before you begin: Preview the language and historical context. Select a passage appropriate for your learners.

Check understanding: Ask for one observation, the evidence that supports it, and a question to investigate next.

Catalog inclusion does not assign a school grade. Preview historical language and themes before using a work with children.

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Moby-Dick — Read and Explore | Lesson Worlds