The Grapes of Wrath Reading Schedule*
Individual reading
Feb 7 Ch. 1-4
Feb 9 Ch. 6, 8
Feb 13 Ch. 10, 13
Feb 15 Ch. 16, 18
Feb 17 Ch. 20
Feb 22 Ch. 22, 24
Feb 24 Ch. 26
Feb 28 Ch. 28, 30
Mar 1 TEST
Intercalary chapter presentation
5, 7
9, 11, 12
14, 15, 17
19
21, 23
25
27, 29
* Each reading assignment is DUE on the date it appears next to; it is NOT homework for
that night. Additional quizzes, tests, essays, and assignments will be announced in class.
Reading schedule may be changed at teacher’s discretion.
Assignments with Reading
For each assigned chapter, you must do
 five “Thinking Code” annotations
 one “discovered” vocabulary word with a definition ( from context or dictionary)
and an original sentence
 one significant quote from the chapter with a paragraph explaining its importance
Outline of Intercalary Chapters in The Grapes of Wrath
The dominant feature of The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbeck's interspersing of the story of the Joad
family with short chapters called "intercalary chapters;" they present a generalized situation that
will either become more fully realized or brought to a conclusion by the events in the
succeeding narrative chapter. You and a partner will be assigned to read and report on one
of these chapters.
The drought and Dust Bowl in Oklahoma
Chapter Topic
1
Drought and dust storm
3
Turtle struggling to cross highway
5
People evicted from property by owners
7
Used car salesman discussing customers and cars
9
Selling and disposing of property; choosing possessions to keep
Oklahoma residents travel to California
Chapter
Topic
11
Vacant houses
12
Highway 66
14
Change; eviction; struggles of migrants
15
Restaurants along Highway 66
17
Migrants camping along Highway 66, relationship with other campers
Becoming Migrant farmers in California
Chapter
Topic
19
Relationship between landowners and workers
21
Migrant labor (payment, landownership)
23
Amusement and pleasure for migrants
25
Growing season and economic situation
27
Picking cotton
29
Rain storms and related struggles