Of Mice and Men Historical Context Web Quest
2012
Name:
John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men as a vehicle to express his social conscience
about the Great Depression, specifically how it impacted his homeland of Salinas,
California. The novel is about poverty and dreams, friendship and loneliness, and
despair and hope. Throughout the memorable characters of George and Lennie,
Steinbeck paints a portrait of enduring friendship that you won’t soon forget! In order
to help you to understand the historical context of the novel and how it still resonates
today, you are about to embark on a Web Quest that will lay the groundwork for a
deeper understanding of this simple, yet profound story.
The Essential Question
What are the background issues that led to Steinbeck's writing of this novella
about profound friendship and social issues?
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.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Read through the files linked to your assigned group. Take notes and answer each
provided question.
2. Be prepared to focus what you've learned from the different websites into one main
opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on your assigned 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
Of Mice and Men Historical Context Web Quest
2012
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. What is the role of friendship in caring for the mentally disabled?
Of Mice and Men Historical Context Web Quest
2012
5. 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
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. What philosophy of life is revealed in Steinbeck's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech?
3. What influenced Steinbeck to write Of Mice and Men?
4. For the visual portion of your presentation, create a collage of Steinbeck’s life and
work.

John Steinbeck

Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
Of Mice and Men Historical Context Web Quest

Steinbeck Biography

Steinbeck's Works
Philosophers
Use the internet links below to answer questions specifically about the
philosophy Steinbeck was known to subscribe to: Naturalism.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is Naturalism?
What are the characteristics of a Naturalist text?
What is the difference between realism and naturalism?
How did this philosophy affect Steinbeck’s writing?




“Naturalism in American Literature”
Naturalism—A Wikipedia article
PBS.org (Article on Naturalism)
American Literary Naturalism
2012