of mice and men - mrs. porraz's website · 2018-09-10 · activity 1b~ pre-reading questions...

B Y J O H N S T E I N B E C K

OF MICE AND MEN

ACTIVITY 1~ QUICKWRITE

•  Respond to the following question in your notebook. Your response should meet a minimum of 50-75

words.

• What does friendship mean to you?

ACTIVITY 1B~ PRE-READING QUESTIONS

Respond to the following questions. Record your responses on a Google Doc titled Of Mice and Men Journal.

①  How does society treat people with mental handicaps?

②  How important is friendship in our lives? ③  Explain whether or not men continue to treat women

as objects. ④  Define the American Dream. ⑤  Explain whether or not writers have a responsibility to

address social concerns.

ACTIVITY 2~ INTRODUCING KEY CONCEPTS

• Go to this Quizlet site • https://quizlet.com/_1ur3oh

• Review the flashcards in groups •  Take a class “quiz” on the key concepts

ACTIVITY 3~BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

• WebQuest: Answer the following questions on a Google Doc based on the website resources at •  http://mrsporraz.weebly.com/world-literature.html

•  This information is also posted on Google Classroom.

Task: •  Each group will focus on one topic during this

WebQuest. The purpose of this activity is to provide background information for the novella Of Mice and Men. Each student will record the findings to the questions on the Of Mice and Men Journal. All groups are required to present their findings to the class in informal presentations.

ACTIVITY 3~ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

• Group 1: John Steinbeck •  After reading the song lyrics “Do Re Mi” by Woody Guthrie, create a 6-8

comic strip depicting the stories within, highlighting the irony between how people envisioned California and the reality that people faced when they got there. Make sure to use quotes from the song in each box. (Hint: “do” is a reference to “Dough” or Money).

•  The Salinas Valley played an important role during John Steinbeck's life and is used as the setting in most of his stories including Of Mice and Men. Find pictures of Salinas Valley and paste onto your document. What inferences can you make about the Salinas Valley?

•  Why would so many people move to this valley during the Great Depression?

•  Write a précis, a short summary, of Steinbeck’s life. Be sure to include in-text citations for the sources.

•  Write a Works Cited page for each of the sources used for this topic.

ACTIVITY 3~ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE Group 2: The Great Depression

•  How did the Stock Market Crash of 1929 negatively impact people’s lives? Cite evidence from the source.

•  Write a paragraph that explains what the American Dream was during

the 1920s and how it was affected during the 1930s.

•  After reading the article from US History.org, assume the role of a teenager living during the Great Depression. Write a letter to a family member in Europe describing the state of the country during that time.

•  Read the song lyrics “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” Write a paragraph that explains the messages the song conveys about the Depression era. Make sure to include what it means to ask someone for a dime.



Group 3: Depression Era Photos •  After examining several of the photos, choose a photograph that you found

interesting. Copy and paste the picture onto the group document. Observe the photo to identify and note details: Describe what you see. • What do you notice first? • What people and objects are shown? • How are they arranged? • What is the physical setting? • What, if any, words do you see? • What other details can you see?

•  Reflect on the photo to expand your thinking: Why do you think this image was made? • What is happening in the image? • What can you learn from examining this image? • If someone made this today, what would be different? • What would be the same?

•  Create five questions that lead to more observations and reflections: What do you wonder about….who?...what?...why?...when?...where?...

•  Look at “The History Place” pictures. Explain what the pictures reveal about the lives of those represented. Describe the living conditions and mood portrayed by the pictures.



Group 4: Migrant Workers •  In a paragraph, describe the challenges migrant workers

faced after they got to California and evaluate the move was worth it or not for these people.

•  What would have been the most difficult thing about being a migrant worker? Cite evidence from the text.

•  Why did so many migrant workers hope for a better life in California?

•  Go to Migrant Labor Now, and read the article and essays from "Children in the Fields." Write a précis, a short summary, about a few of the issues these migrant children face.



Group 5: African Americans in the 1930s •  In a paragraph, summarize what life was like in the 1930’s for an African

American. Cite evidence from the text.

•  Write a précis, a short summary, explaining how the New Deal affected African Americans. Provide in-text citations for sources.

•  Go to African Americans in the 1930s. In a paragraph, analyze the poem “Booker T.” by Langston Hughes. What is his main argument? Who is Booker T.? Use five poetry analysis questions to help with the analysis. Cite evidence from the poem to support your analysis.

•  Go to African Americans in the 1930s. Write a short summary of the racial segregation happening in each of the four photographs in “Photographic Evidence of Racial Segregation.” Interpret the injustice that is happening in each photograph.



Group 6: Intellectual Disabilities (Mental Retardation) •  What causes intellectual disability (mental retardation) and

what are some of the characteristics?

•  How does intellectual disability affect the daily life of that person and the people caring for him or her?

•  Write a précis, a short summary, of the history of intellectual disability.

•  How do you think the problems associated with intellectual disability may have been dealt with during the Great Depression?



Each group will answer the questions below on the same document used for group questions:

Record these responses in the Of Mice and Men Journal

•  Between 1929 and 1932 by what percentage was the average income reduced?

•  How did American education change during the Great Depression?

•  What was the Dust Bowl? How did it come about? How did it make the economic problems in the United States even worse?

•  Why was California seen as a refuge for farmers escaping the Dust Bowl?

•  Did California end up being the "Promised Land"? Why or why not?

•  Explain how Steinbeck's background made him qualified and unqualified to write about the migrant experience.

ACTIVITY 4~ DISCUSSING ISSUES IN THE TEXT

Journal Question: •  Imagine you are a migrant worker (or the wife of a

migrant worker) in the 1930s. Write a journal entry from this perspective. Be sure to explain your living conditions, work conditions, clothing, what you do with your free time if you have any, and any other information pertinent to the people of that era. If you read all the articles you should not need to do any extra research. 250-word minimum.

•  Type your response on the provided Google Form on Google Classroom

ACTIVITY 5~ SURVEYING THE TEXT

Surveying the text gives you an overview of what the text about and how it is put together. This activity will help you create a framework so that you can make predictions and form questions to guide your reading. Examine your copy of the book, and make note or discuss the following: •  What, if anything, is on the cover? •  What does the cover art mean? •  Are there any blurbs from reviewers or critics on the back or the

front? Are there pictures? •  Is there a summary of the novel on the flyleaf (if present)? •  Is there a short biography of the author or other explanatory

materials? •  Is there a Foreword or an Afterword? Who wrote them? Do you

think you should read them? If so, when? •  How is the book divided? Are there chapters?

ACTIVITY 6~ MAKING PREDICTIONS AND ASKING QUESTIONS

•  Based on the results of surveying the text, students can consider the following questions:

Record your responses in the Of Mice and Men Journal •  What do you think this text is going to be about? •  What do you think is the purpose of this text? •  What is the author’s opinion on the topic? How do you

think you know? •  Who is the intended audience for this piece? •  How could you turn the title into a question (or

questions) to answer as you read?

ACTIVITY 7~ UNDERSTANDING KEY VOCABULARY

Go to the following Quizlet site: https://quizlet.com/112657069/of-mice-and-men-vocabulary-and-colloquialisms-flash-cards/ •  Copy this study set into your own Quizlet Study

Set. •  Add a photo to each term to help you remember

the definition. •  Copy and paste the completed study set onto a

Google Doc and turn in on Google Classroom by the due date.

ACTIVITY 8~ UNDERSTANDING KEY LITERARY TERMS

Go to the following Quizlet site: https://quizlet.com/112657479/grade-10-literary-terms-flash-cards/ •  Copy this study set into your own Quizlet Study

Set. •  Add a photo to each term to help you remember

the definition. •  Copy and paste the completed study set onto a

Google Doc and turn in on Google Classroom by the due date.

ACTIVITY 9~ READING FOR UNDERSTANDING

•  First, read the questions below just to get an idea of some of the items you will be looking for. Then read Chapters 1-6, keeping these questions in mind along with the predictions you made in Activity 6.

•  As you are reading, put checks in the margins when you find a passage that may be relevant to these questions or your predictions (or use sticky notes if you can’t write in your book). Don’t worry if you don’t find something for every question. You will be able to go back later.

•  Record these responses in the Of Mice and Men Journal for this assignment and turn in responses to all six chapters by the due date.

•  Second, write a summary after reading each chapter using the summary template.

ACTIVITY 9~ READING FOR UNDERSTANDING: CHAPTER 1

①  Identify and give physical descriptions of Lennie and George.

②  What trouble did George and Lennie have in Weed? ③  What is in Lennie’s pocket? Why does he have it? ④  George bursts into a long speech about what he could

do if he were alone. What could he do? ⑤  Lennie offers to go away and live in a cave. What is

George’s response? ⑥  Why are George and Lennie different from the other

“guys like us that work on ranches”? ⑦  What are George and Lennie going to do someday? ①  Write a summary for this chapter using the template


①  What does George answer when the boss asks what he is trying to put over?

②  Identify and describe Curley: ③  The swamper said, “Seems like Curley ain’t givin’

nobody a chance.” Explain: ④  What advice does George give Lennie after

Curley and the swamper leave? ⑤  Identify Slim: ⑥  Identify Carlson: ⑦  What does Slim have that Lennie wants? ①  Write a summary for this chapter using the template


①  Slim and George have a long conversation. Slim says how it’s funny how George and Lennie go around together. What is George’s answer?

②  Identify Candy: ③  What did Carlson do with his Luger? Why? ④  What card game does George play? ⑤  Describe Curley’s wife. What’s the problem about her? ⑥  What will Lennie’s job be when he and George get

their land? ⑦  What does Candy want when he hears about

George’s and Lennie’s plans? What is he willing to contribute?

⑧  Why did Curley fight with Lennie? What happened? ①  Write a summary for this chapter using the Episodic Notes

template


①  Identify Crooks: ②  Lennie tells Crooks about the land. What is his

reply at first? ③  What does Crooks want when he believes there

might really be land? ④  Why did Curley’s wife come to the barn? ⑤  Why did Crooks change his mind after Curley’s

wife left? ①  Write a summary for this chapter using the template


①  What happened to Lennie’s puppy? What was his reaction?

②  Why did Curley’s wife come to see Lennie? ③  What did she tell Lennie? ④  What did Lennie do to Curley’s wife? Why did he

do it? ⑤  What was George’s reaction when he found out

about Curley’s wife? ⑥  What was Curley’s reaction? ①  Write a summary for this chapter using the template


①  How and why did George do what he did to Lennie?

②  Who is the only one who really understands what George did?

③  Do you think what George did was the “right thing”? Why or why not? ①  Write a summary for this chapter using the template

ACTIVITY 10~ REVISITING PREDICTIONS

•  Look at the paragraph you wrote in your notebook about your predictions regarding the world of the novella. Which ones were confirmed? Which ones were wrong? Which ones are still undecided? Write another paragraph updating your first one.

ACTIVITY 11~ THINKING CRITICALLY

•  Read the poem “Leaving the Dustbowl” by Bob Bradshaw and answer the questions about audience, purpose, tone, and imagery. •  After responding to the questions, think about how

this poem relates to the lives of the characters or the background history of the novella. •  Write a paragraph discussing the connections you

have made. Add this piece of writing to your notebook.

ACTIVITY 12~ THINKING CRITICALLY

•  Annotate the poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns. Use this translation to help you summarize each stanza: http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides4/Mouse.html •  Next, discuss any connections you find between the

poem and Of Mice and Men. Record these connections in your notebook.

ACTIVITY 13~ REFLECTING ON THE READING PROCESS

Respond to the following questions in your groups. Each group will be responsible for having a response to all questions, but I will assign one question to each group to focus on intently. Be ready to share your responses with the class. Write a short response to your assigned question in your notebook. ①  Why does George "take so much trouble for another guy"? ②  Why is the dream recited repeatedly? ③  Why does the book begin and end at the pond? ④  Why does Candy feel he should have shot his dog himself? ⑤  Is Curley's wife to blame for Lennie's death? ⑥  Why doesn't Slim share in the other men's dreams? ⑦  What is the meaning of the book's title? ⑧  Did migrant workers have any options for a better life? ⑨  Did George do the right thing by shooting Lennie?

ACTIVITY 14~ REFLECTING ON YOUR READING PROCESS

In your notebook, answer the following questions: ①  What have you learned from reading and

discussing Of Mice and Men? Did it meet your expectations? What surprised you about the novel?

②  What reading strategies did you use or learn in this module? Which strategies will you use in reading other texts? How will these strategies apply in other classes?

③  In what ways has your ability to read and discuss complex novels like this one improved? Will this experience change the way you read?

ACTIVITY 15~ CONSIDERING THE WRITING TASK

of mice and men - mrs. porraz's website · 2018-09-10 · activity 1b~ pre-reading questions...

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