simply novel - of mice and men demo
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Simply Novel a new idea is an innovative learning tool that supports and enhances the reading and comprehension of Steinbeck's of Mice and Men. www.simply-novel.com “ Used as a tool with Job Corps students since March of 2013, Simply Novel has contributed to improved student TABE® literacy ranking by 44 points. ” - Ramon Serrato CEO Serrato Corp.TRANSCRIPT
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Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
Objective
Bloom's: knowledge, analysis, synthesis
1.1. INTRODUCE AND IDENTIFY INTRODUCE AND IDENTIFY THE AUTHOR THE AUTHOR OF OF
OF MICE AND MENOF MICE AND MEN
About the Author
John Steinbeck was born February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California.
While growing up, Steinbeck worked a variety of labor jobs in the Salinas area, which made a lasting impression on him.
Steinbeck attended Stanford University and majored in English, but left after six years without a degree.
In 1929, Steinbeck published his first novel, Cup of Gold. It was not until 1935 that Steinbeck won praise for his novel Tortilla Flats.
Tortilla Flats won the San Francisco Gold Medal of the Commonwealth Club best novel of the year award.
Steinbeck’s mother was a teacher and hisfather was the county treasurer; they encouraged reading and exploring differentcultures.
Steinbeck used his writing to show the plight of the laborers that he observed during this time.
Tortilla Flats is a coastal town in Northern California, just north of Monterey.
Comprehension Check
1. Who wrote Of Mice and Men?
a) John Smith b) John Steinbeck c) John Jones
b) John Steinbeck
2. Of Mice and Men was published in
a) 1967 b) 1947 c) 1937
c) 1937
3. Steinbeck wrote speeches for
a) students b) presidential candidates c) his mother
b) presidential candidates
Directions: select the best answer to each questionDirections: select the best answer to each question
Historical Background
During the 1930s drastic weather changes turned large areas of the American west into a dust bowl of barren land.
The farmers who were able to keep their farms took advantage of the migrant workers. Working conditions were poor and the pay was low.
The work was seasonal, forcing a lonely life and rarely included family. This issue concerned Steinbeck and most of his novels are about these social issues.
It was not until the 1960s that the migrant farm workers organized under Cesar Chavez and fought for fair wages.
Migrant workers are people who move from place to place. Their pay was $2.50 to $3.00 a day.
Many farmers lost their farms during this time, forcing them to become migrant workers.
Most of Steinbeck's novels are considered social novels that explore the hardships of the farm workers.
The title of the novella was taken from a line in the poem To a Mouse, by Robert Burns. “The best laid schemes o’ mice and men/Gang aft-a-gley.”
This means that no matter how well-planned a project is, something may still go wrong with it.
A novella is longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel; a novella has 20,000 to 50,000 words.
In the mid 1990s the New York Times declared Steinbeck the most popular American writer.
One of Steinbeck’s novels, East of Eden, became the #2 bestselling book in 2003 after Oprah Winfrey added it to her book club.
Burns was a farmer who disturbed a nest of mice while plowing one of his fields.
Who counts all the words?
Did You Know...
Quite remarkable, because the book was # on the bestsellers list when it was published in 1952.
Theme
A theme is the main idea of the story, or the message the author wants the reader to understand. The message is usually about life, society, or human nature.
In Of Mice and Men, there are several themes… broken dreams, friendship, inequality, and loneliness.
Steinbeck often wrote about realistic characters that focus on social issues.
Dreams
Broken
Friendship
Inequality
loneliness
The Setting
John Steinbeck wasThe story Of Mice and Men takes place on a ranch in Soladad, in the Salinas Valley of central California.
In the 1930s the area was rich in agricultural crops, such as “green gold” or lettuce, sugar beets, and beans. Farm workers piled crops on tractor beds and delivered the crops to nearby packing houses.
Today, the Salinas Valley is still known for its agricultural products and is the third most productive agricultural county in the state producing over two billion dollars in gross sales.
Salinas Salinas ValleyValley
AllusionsAllusions
An allusion is a reference in literature to a well-known person, event, place, or thing in history.
The title of Steinbeck’s novel is an allusion. Of Mice and Men references the poem written by Robert Burns in 1787 entitled, To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough, where he writes: “The best laid schemes o' mice and men/Gang aft agley [often go wrong]/And leave us nought but grief and pain/For promised joy!”
Literary Devices
ClimaxLennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife.
Rising ActionThe confrontation between Curly and Lennie in Section 3.
Introduction (Exposition)Sections 1 and 2 give a rich description of the setting and introduces the characters.
Falling ActionThe men hunt for Lennie while George also looks for him.
ResolutionGeorge’s decision to “save” Lennie.
The Characters
George is one of the main characters in the story and its protagonist. Although not related to Lenny, he is Lenny’s caregiver and traveling companion.
Lennie is one of the other main characters in the story and a protagonist as well. He is a gentle man who although is mentally challenged is a loyal friend to George.
Section 1George and Lennie walk along the Salinas River. They stop for a drink at a green pool near the river’s edge. George is a strong, able-bodied man, while Lennie is enormous. Lennie is mentally disabled. He asks George where they are headed.
George sees Lennie’s hands shoved in his pockets. Lennie is hiding a dead mouse he keeps with him as they walk.
Once again, George explains that they are going to work on a ranch. He tells Lennie not to speak, or their new boss will think that Lennie is crazy. George also tells Lennie not to do the things that he did in the last town.
Steinbeck writes like this so we can see how different the two men really are.
Salinas is in central California.
What did Lennie do in the last town to make them leave?
Chapter 6 continuedWhen George finds Lennie in the brush, Lennie confesses that he has done a bad thing.
George tries to calm Lennie by repeating his speech about how they are different from other men, because they have each other.
Remorsefully, George tells Lennie to take off his hat. George begins to tell Lennie about their dream of owning a home.
As George speaks, he takes out Carlson's missing gun. Knowing that Lennie would be tortured by Curley and the men from the bunkhouse, George shoots Lennie in the back of the head.
Curley and the other men hear the gun shot and find George kneeling over Lennie’s dead body.
Slim tries to comfort George by saying: “Never you mind. A guys got to sometimes".
George really understands Lennie. In spite of their differences they are truly friends.
Why does George tell Lennie to take off his hat?
Unexpected? Not really. If you go back to other sections of the novella, Steinbeck continually foreshadows this final event.
Dreams
Broken
Post Cards
Design three postcards that your character might purchase and write a message about something personal.
Use quotes from the story in the message.
The pictures on the front of the postcard must relate to the story.
The three postcards should be made during different sections of the story.
Dear Mom,
Travels have
taken me to
the beautiful
Salinas Valley
in California.
Slim
Reproducible: Permission granted to teachers to duplicate for instructional use. Reproduction by others for any purpose is prohibited without written permission from Simply-novel.com. © 2010
In the box to the left, list events that Steinbeck creates to foreshadow events in the novella. In the box to the right, predict what that event might be. A sample is done for you.
1. George tells Lennie to return to the bank of the Salinas river and hide if any thing bad happens at the ranch.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
1. Something bad is going to happen at the ranch.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
EventEvent PredictionPrediction
Reproducible: Permission granted to teachers to duplicate for instructional use. Reproduction by others for any purpose is prohibited without written permission from Simply-novel.com. © 2010
1. juncture 2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
DefinitionVocabulary Word Pg. #
Directions: Choose 20 words from the story that you do not know, look up their definitions and record them below.
A place where two things come together.1
Reproducible: Permission granted to teachers to duplicate for instructional use. Reproduction by others for any purpose is prohibited without written permission from Simply-novel.com. © 2010
juncturejuncture
Definition
A juncture is where two things come together.
Syn
on
ymS
yno
nym
Antonym
cro
ssro
adju
nctio
n
disconnection
Directions: Create flash cards that include the word’s definition as well as two synonyms and one antonym.
Reproducible: Permission granted to teachers to duplicate for instructional use. Reproduction by others for any purpose is prohibited without written permission from Simply-novel.com. © 2010
Definition
Syn
on
ymS
yno
nym
Antonym
Vocabulary Word
Directions: Create flash cards that include the word’s definition as well as two synonyms and one antonym.
Reproducible: Permission granted to teachers to duplicate for instructional use. Reproduction by others for any purpose is prohibited without written permission from Simply-novel.com. © 2010