Of Mice and Men: Final Project Choices

Each project must exhibit extensive effort. The grade is based on creativity, neatness, accuracy, and effort. Choose a project that appeals to your own personal talents and interests. Consider each option and decide which choice would be the best fit for you as an individual or group. If you choose to work as a group, if is best to limit your group to about four people because management and leadership is easier with a smaller group. Also, if you choose to work in a small group, please keep in mind your ability to prepare outside of class (during POWER or afterschool) in addition to budgeted class time.

Choose ONE of the following:

  1. Poem—write one long poem (at least 30 lines) or at least three short poems (totaling at least 30 lines) in the form of your choosing about the story, a theme from the story, or one or more of the characters. The poem can be from your own perspective or it can be from the perspective of one of the characters—for example, Lennie is writing the poem or George, etc. (I don’t want elementary school rhyming “roses are red/violets are blue/Lennie is sweet/and George is, too.” —I want thought and insight.)
  2. Create a five-frame cartoon strip or, if you are more motivated, a cartoon motion flipbook that captures what happens in the scene from the novel that is most memorable to you.
  3. Create a mobile or collage (at least 11 x 14) that captures one important aspect of the story—it can be about one character or one theme or one symbol, etc. (When making a collage, the poster board should be filled).On a separate, typed piece, write a brief explanation for each item you chose to include. Explain: why did you include it, what does it represent?
  4. Create an artistic rendering of the novel, focusing on the setting and major events. Please use more involved artistic methods that simple stick figures! You choose the artistic medium (pencil sketching, watercolors, oil painting, collage, paper mache, etc.) Write a brief description of your image.
  5. Write/perform a song/rap characterizing an aspect of the story. (Make sure when you write it, it looks like a song written in stanzas with a chorus.)
  6. Create an online literary digital scrapbook. Using technology, gather images, backgrounds, text, video, clipart and sound that support a theme or big idea from the novel. Limit the amount of text you use, just like a personal scrapbook. Include a Works Cited slide at the end with citations of sources you used. The “scraps” you include must be justified – you’ll explain why they are important to the understanding of the theme or big idea you chose.
  7. Epilogue – Write an epilogue (a concluding part added to a literary work) in which you explain – using whatever tense and tone the author did – what happened to the character(s) next.
  1. Censorship Defense – Of Mice and Men has been frequently challenged by special interest groups. These groups often feel that this novel is inappropriate for high school students to read because of foul language, violence, and the presentation of stereotypical viewpoints. You must decide whether you agree or disagree with this argument and write a letter to the editor of a newspaper defending your opinion of this issue. You must use specific details from the book and information you find about censorship to support your opinion. You will present your argument to the class.
  1. Take on the persona of two characters from the novel. These two characters will have chosen to keep in touch after the death of Lennie. You must write 2 letters each (4 total) that are exchanges that pen pals might have. You will share these letters in class, so if you work in pairs for this one it will make for a more interesting presentation because you can each take on the role of one if the characters and read the letter in that characters tone.
  1. Prepare a lecture/presentation on an aspect of discrimination emphasized in the novel i.e. racism, sexism, ageism). Explain the ramifications of how people perceived to be different were treated. Your presentation should be at least ten slides using Powerpoint, prezi, or another visual medium and the delivery of your verbal lecture should last about 2-3 minutes. Include a Works Cited page of sources you used.
  2. Create a newspaper/ news cast released after Lennie’s death. Chronicle all major events as they would be portrayed to the public. Incorporate information from the time period. Make sure it is formatted like a newspaper with articles, a title, the date, weather reports, comics, and advertisements appropriate to the time period or symbolic in some way. Be prepared to present this to the class.
  3. Debate George’s final decision to kill Lennie. Use debate techniques and set up your presentation like a formal debate (1 person per side and one person as moderator) Use facts, opinions, textual evidence, outside information, and rhetorical strategies.
  4. Utilize a talk show format to interview one or more of the characters. Use original questions and provide answers based on how you think the character would answer. Your presentation should last about three minutes. You will need a talk show name, host, props, etc. Lines must be memorized.
  5. Perform a scene from the novel. You may produce a video of this scene outside of class to play for us or act it out live in class. Either way, it will require props, costumes, memorized lines, and acting that captures the spirit and tone of the characters.
  1. You may choose to do something else that is creative and that represents the story in some way, but you must get the project approved by me first.