Science in Of Mice and Men 1
Scholar ______________________
Of Mice and Men
Research for Discussion
Steinbeck and Lennie’s Brain
In chapter 2, George tells the boss that Lennie “ ‘got kicked in the head by a
horse when he was a kid. He’s awright. Just ain’t bright. But he can do
anything you tell him.’ ” When asked about it later, George admits that he
told a lie.
Though we are never really told what is wrong with him, Lennie’s
disability (along with other issues) shapes the events of the story.
Over the next two days, you will use the Internet to research facts about
the brain. You will work in groups, but record information individually.
 Activity one: How do you define the word “intelligence”? Create
your own definition, write it below, then compare it to a definition
using an online dictionary. Identify the website.
Intelligence: ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Dictionary definition: _________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
 Activity two: Brain facts and functions. Follow the instructions on
the handout to create a small representation of the brain. You must
also use the Internet to define and describe the functions of the five
Science in Of Mice and Men 2
brain areas: cerebrum, hippocampus, amygdale, cerebellum, and
brain stem.
 Activity three: Phrenology. Visit the following websites to discover
what this word means (http://pages.britishlibrary.net/phrenology/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrenology or
http://www.phrenology.org/intro.html). Find one more site about this
topic and list its address. Next using the diagram, identify the lobes of
the brain: temporal lobe, frontal lobe, occipital lobe,
cerebellum brain stem. You should know what each
lobe controls. Third, you will measure the
circumference of your head. Do this three times and
take an average of the results. Make sure you record
this information on the lines provided. You will
average your results with those of your group
members. Record this information on the lines
provided. You will paste your phrenology sheets to
your group tag board. Finally, how intelligent are
you based on the size of your head?
 Activity four: Your left and right hemispheres. Visit the following
websites to learn about the left and right sides of your brain
(http://www.brainchannels.com/evolution/brain.html or
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/split.html). Record this
information on the space provided.
 Activity five: Brain disabilities. Visit the suggested websites to
understand the nature of Lennie’s disability and George’s burden. Be
prepared to defend your choice of Lennie’s disability.
Mental retardation:
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs8txt.htm#whatis,
Autism:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#62053082,
Traumatic brain injury:
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs18txt.htm, and
http://www.neurologychannel.com/tbi/
Care-taker burnout: http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/node/510 .
Science in Of Mice and Men 3
 Activity six: How Well Do You Know the Brain? Download your
copy from the Academy 3 Forum website. Discuss questions with
your group members for class discussion.
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Phrenology
Websites to visit: http://pages.britishlibrary.net/phrenology/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrenology or
http://www.phrenology.org/intro.html
Your website: ______________________________________________
Search the Internet to find out the names and functions of the human brain’s
lobes.
Scholar _____________________________
Head size _______ _______ _______ ; average _______
How intelligent are you based on the size of your head?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Group average _______
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Left and Right Hemispheres
Websites to visit http://www.brainchannels.com/evolution/brain.html or
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/split.html
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Brain Disabilities
Visit the following websites and record key facts about each brain disorder.
Discuss your findings with your group members. Be prepared to diagnose
Lennie’s disability.
Mental retardation:
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs8txt.htm#whatis
Key facts: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Autism:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#62053082
Key facts: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Traumatic brain injury:
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs18txt.htm, and
http://www.neurologychannel.com/tbi/
Key facts: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Care-taker burnout:
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/node/510
Key facts: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
On your own, look up the following on the Internet: emotional intelligence.
Be sure to record the websites (at least two) that you visit.
Key facts: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Websites:
 ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________
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