Of Mice and Men

Introduction

You are about to embark on a journey of understanding of what it was like to be a migrant worker in the Salinas Valley of California during the 1930's, during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men as a vehicle to express his social conscience about the period. Of Mice and Men is a novel about poverty and dreams, friendship and loneliness, and despair and hope. Through the memorable characters of George and Lennie, Steinbeck paints a portrait of enduring friendship. In order to help understand the context of the novel and how it still resonates today, this quest will lay the ground work for a deeper understanding of this simple, yet profound story.

The Quest

What are the background issues that led to Steinbeck's writing of this novella about profound friendship and social issues?

The Process and Resources

  1. Each group will answer the Task or Questions. As a member of the group you will explore WebPages from people all over the world. Because these are real WebPages we're tapping into, not things made just for schools, the reading level might challenge you.
  2. Be sure to assign specific tasks to each member of the group. The final product will be a presentation to the class which will include answers to the assigned questions and a visual representation of what you have learned.

Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

Steinbeck was influenced by a variety of geographical, human, and social issues to write Of Mice and Men. Your job will be to explore some of these issues.

Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

INSTRUCTIONS: CREATE A GOOGLE DOC TO BE SHARED AND EDITED BY THE GROUP. THIS CAN BE A WORD DOCUMENT OR A POWERPOINT.

1. Read through the files linked to your group. Take notes of important information relative to your questions/topic.

2. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to prove your point. This will also aid in documenting your sources and preparing your bibliography page.
3. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.

Geographers

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Geographers:
1. What are the geographical features of the Salinas Valley in California?
2. What kinds of jobs are available here?
3. What was John Steinbeck's relationship to the Salinas Valley?
4. For the visual component, create a map of the area with significant locations identified.

  • The Geography of Of Mice and Men - Background on the Salinas Valley-the setting
  • Setting and Significance - Outline of farmland
  • Salinas facts - Overview of the area
  • Steinbeck and Salinas - Relationship between Steinbeck and Salinas

Sociologists

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Sociologists:
1. What was the Great Depression?
2. What were some of the causes?
3. Who were the migrant workers and how were they affected by the Great Depression?
4. Do migrant workers exist today? Where? what kinds of jobs do they have?
5. For the visual portion of your presentation, develop a collage of photos of migrant workers of the 1930's.

  • The Great Depression - Facts
  • Causes of the Great Depression
  • The Migrant Experience - Overview
  • Photos of the Great Depression
  • The Dust Bowl
  • Migrant Workers today

Psychiatrists

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Psychiatrists:
1. What is a mental disability and how does it affect a person's everyday life?
2. What are some of the difficulties in caring for a mentally disabled person?
3. What kinds of support are available for caregivers?

4. How were mentally disabled people cared for/treated in the 1930s? What kinds of support were available for caregivers in the 1930s?
5. What is the role of friendship in caring for the mentally disabled?
6. For the visual portion of your presentation, create a collage of literature and films about the mentally disabled.

  • Mental Disability
  • Caring for a Mentally Disabled Person
  • Friendship and the mentally disabled
  • Novels About Disabilities
  • Flowers for Algernon
  • Book List
  • Literature about the Hearing Impaired
  • Films with Mentally Disabled characters
  • Domick and Eugene film
  • Charlie
  • Being There
  • Book List
  • Literature about the Hearing Impaired
  • Films with Mentally Disabled characters

7. Research and discuss with your group based on what you’ve discovered: with what disability might Lennie have been diagnosed? USE PROOF FROM THE NOVEL to support your claim and substantiate why you think this.

1930s: The time period and its politics

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to the decade of the 1930s:

  1. What were major events of the decade that might have influenced Steinbeck to write this book?
  1. How are major, real-world events featured in the story? You must use proof from the book to satisfy this.
  1. What was John Steinbeck’s life like during this period in history?
  1. How are the events of this period manifested in the specific characters? Based on your research, what might their lives have been like before and after the events of the book? Think about: Lennie, George, Slim, Curley, Curley’s wife, Candy, Carlson, Crooks. You must use proof from the book to satisfy this.
  1. How does Steinbeck’s portrayal of each of this characters symbolize something about his belief system and life experiences based on what was occurring in the world at this time? You must use proof from the book to satisfy this.

Biographers

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Biographers:
1. Present the major facts about Steinbeck's life.

2. How is his birthplace relevant to his writing?
2. What philosophy of life is revealed in Steinbeck's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech?
3. What influenced Steinbeck to write Of Mice and Men (identify author’s purpose)?

4. For the visual portion of your presentation, create a collage of Steinbeck’s life and work.

  • John Steinbeck
  • Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
  • Steinbeck Biography
  • Steinbeck's Works

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

You have all learned about different aspects and influences of the writing of Of Mice and Men.

As a group, decide: If you had to choose the one most important feature of what you have explored, what would it be? How would this aspect influence a writer?

(this should be its own slide or paragraph that specifically answers the question)

Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

How is this novel reflective of something that you learned about Steinbeck’s life? How might the information you explored in your topic have manifested itself in the novel? What formed the ideas for Of Mice and Men based on the research conducted within your group?

PLEASE DISCUSS THIS AT LENGTH AMONG THE MEMBERS AND TAKE NOTES ON THE CONVERSATION YOU HAVE AMONGST YOURSELVES.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ANSWERED IN ONE OR TWO SENTENCES.