Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Cross-Curricular Unit
Created by Monico Yadao
Regular English I: Survey of Literature
Common Core Content Standards:
CC.9-10.R.L.1 Key Ideas and Details: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CC.9-10.R.L.2 Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
CC.9-10.R.L.3 Key Ideas and Details: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop
the theme.
CC.9-10.R.L.4 Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal
tone).
CC.9-10.R.I.1 Key Ideas and Details: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CC.9-10.R.I.4 Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
CC.9-10.R.I.5 Craft and Structure: Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined
by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
CC.9-10.W.1 Text Types and Purposes: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics
or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CC.9-10.W.1.a Text Types and Purposes: Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
CC.9-10.W.1.d Text Types and Purposes: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while
attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
CC.9-10.W.3.d Text Types and Purposes: Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language
to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
CC.9-10.W.5 Production and Distribution of Writing: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards
1–3 on up to and including grades 9-10 page 55.)
CC.9-10.W.6 Production and Distribution of Writing: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to
other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
CC.9-10.W.8 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Gather relevant information from multiple
authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source
in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CC.9-10.W.9 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
CC.9-10.SL.1.a Comprehension and Collaboration: Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched
material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research
on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
CC.9-10.SL.1.c Comprehension and Collaboration: Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions
that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the
discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
CC.9-10.SL.1.d Comprehension and Collaboration: Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize
points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and
understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
CC.9-10.R.H.9 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in
several primary and secondary sources.).
Instructional Outcomes:
 Students will be able to analyze literature effectively and more deeply by examining the development of
universal themes (CC.9-10.R.L.2), its application to real-world issues, their own personal experiences
(CC.9-10.R.L.2), and the transformation of characters over time (CC.9-10.R.L.3).
 Students will be able to analyze various authors’ purpose and perspective in a given text by examining
elements in their writing, e.g. diction, audience, tone, connotation, occasion, and subject (CC.910.R.L.4; CC.9-10.R.I.4; CC.9-10.R.I.5).
 Students will be able to support their claims, citing evidence from a given text both in print and nonprint form (CC.9-10.R.L.1; CC.9-10.R.I.1).
 Students will be able to sequence a series of personal events using sensory imagery and diction (CC.910.W.3.d) so as to personalize their understanding of universal themes from the literature.
 Students will be able to publicize and present their writing creatively, professionally, and meaningfully
(CC.9-10.W.6).
 Students will be able to write formally (CC.9-10.W.1.d), analytically, and persuasively (CC.9-10.W.1.a
by utilizing proper writing strategies, grammar conventions, and textual support from reliable sources
CC.9-10.W.1; CC.9-10.W.8; CC.9-10.W.9).
 Students will be able to revise and refine work through drafting, peer-editing, and teacher feedback
(CC.9-10.W.5).
 Students will be able to listen actively and engage professionally in an academic discussion (CC.910.SL.1.d), supporting claims with evidence and textual support (CC.9-10.SL.1.a) and referring to
relevant topics and universal themes from primary and secondary sources (CC.9-10.SL.1.c; CC.910.R.H.9).
Cross-Curricular Focus:
14.F.4a Determine the historical events and processes that brought about changes in United States political
ideas and traditions (e.g., the New Deal, Civil War).
 Students will be able to examine how the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl affected the American
Dream, putting into context the novel Of Mice and Men (14.F.4a).
Big Ideas / Universal Themes:
 The Great Depression and its effect on the American Dream for individuals
 Loneliness and the need for companionship
 The predatory nature of humans
 The dependence or codependence of individuals, e.g. euthanasia, the elderly, special needs, marriage
 Identity shaped or reinforced by one’s surrounding community
Essential Questions:
 How has the definition of the American Dream changed since the Great Depression?
 What ties individuals together, and is it necessary to be a part of a community?
 How necessary is camaraderie or companionship?
 Why do people bully?
 Do you believe that humans are out get one another?
 How are people thrust into responsibility?
 Do we have obligations to care for individuals?
 How is our identity shaped or reinforced by the community or communities that surround us?
Assessments:
Diagnostic: Discussion Board using essential questions
Formative: Quiz on Of Mice and Men, Student Polls, Student-Led Discussions, Small Group, and
Whole Group Discussions
Summative: Expository Essay, Poetry, and Personal Memoirs; Artistic Component; First Semester
Final Exam
Planned Instructional Activities:
 Student-Led Discussions
 Photograph and Art for creative writing and historical background information
 Sharing of poetry and personal memoirs
 Peer-Editing for 1st and 2nd Drafts
 Teacher-Student conferences
 Independent Writing and Research
 Teaching effective reading, writing, and speaking skills
 Grammar bell ringers
 Note-taking from Power Point Presentations
 Students will create their own website to design an action plan to help accommodate the needs of
Lennie, one of the main characters in Of Mice and Men. In order to research reliable sources and
technology, students will perform a Webquest. “A webquest is an inquiry-based teaching tool, in which
students of all ages and levels participate in an authentic task that use pre-designed…internet resources”
(Yang, 2011,pg.22).
 Students will evaluate several solutions to a problem and choose the most effective one using evidence
on an online discussion board. “Students voluntarily used discussion boards to demonstrate progress to
their peers and tutors, or to reflect on previous postings/discussions…. Students considered a discussion
board the most convenient way of communicating with other group members” (Robinson, 2011,pg. 1519).
Accommodations/Modifications:
 Limit amount of text on Power Point slides during note-taking sessions.
 Provide students with a copy of a scoring rubric and a list of questions prior to student-led discussions.
 Check for understanding with students who are disorganized; check assignment notebooks
 Write agenda on the board
 Post important announcements and future due dates on the website frequently
 Provide graphic organizers for outlines and student-led discussions
Writing Assignments (In Detail):
Choose one to three topics that connect to “identity and community” for each of the three pieces.
I. Poetry:
- artistic component: painting, video, photography, live performance, sculpture, mosaic
- rhyme or free verse
- at least 12
- typed
II. Personal Memior:
- artistic component: painting, video, photography, live performance, sculpture, mosaic
- typed 1 ½ - 3 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman
III. Expository Essay:
- Two drafts
- Outline
- Connection among themes in Literature and real world issues.
- 4-5 paragraphs
- typed 1 ½ - 3 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman
Poetry Writing
Strong
100
Creativity
The student
demonstrates
insurmountable effort
and creativity in
poetry writing,
utilizing diction and
other poetic devices
strategically.
Maturing
90
Creativity
The student mostly
demonstrates effort
and creativity in
poetry writing,
utilizing diction and
other poetic devices
strategically for most
of their poem.
Emerging
80
Creativity
The student
adequately
demonstrates effort
and creativity in
poetry writing,
utilizing diction and
other poetic devices
strategically for some
of their poem.
Developing
70
Creativity
The student barely
demonstrates effort
and creativity in
poetry writing, hardly
utilizing diction and
other poetic devices in
their poem.
Beginning
60
Creativity
The student fails to
demonstrate effort and
creativity in poetry
writing, failing to
utilize diction and
other poetic devices in
their poem.
Thematic Connection
The student clearly
communicates a
connection to the
theme of Identity and
Community
throughout their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student
communicates a
connection to the
theme of Identity and
Community
throughout most of
their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student somewhat
communicates a
connection to the
theme of Identity and
Community
throughout some of
their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student hardly
communicates a
connection to the
theme of Identity and
Community
throughout their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student does not
communicate a
connection to the
theme of Identity and
Community
throughout their piece.
Total: _________ /100
Personal Narrative / Memoir Writing
Strong
150
Basic Requirements:
The essay follows all of
the basic requirements,
e.g. page amount, font
size, spacing, and typed.
Maturing
140
Basic Requirements:
The essay mostly
follows the basic
requirements, e.g. page
amount, font size,
spacing, and typed.
Emerging
130
Basic Requirements:
The essay adequately
follows the basic
requirements, e.g. page
amount, font size,
spacing, and typed.
Developing
115
Basic Requirements:
The essay barely follows
the basic requirements,
e.g. page amount, font
size, spacing, and typed.
Beginning
100
Basic Requirements:
The essay fails to follow
any of the basic
requirements, e.g. page
amount, font size,
spacing, and typed.
Creativity
The student
demonstrates
insurmountable effort
and creativity in their
writing, utilizing diction
and other imagery
strategically.
Creativity
The student
demonstrates effort and
creativity in their
writing, utilizing diction
and other imagery
strategically throughout
most of their piece.
Creativity
The student
demonstrates some
effort and creativity in
their writing, utilizing
some diction and other
imagery strategically
throughout their piece.
Creativity
The student
demonstrates little effort
and creativity in their
writing, utilizing little
diction and other
imagery throughout
their piece.
Creativity
The student
demonstrates no effort
and creativity in their
writing, utilizing no
diction or imagery
throughout their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student clearly
communicates a
connection to the theme
of Identity and
Community throughout
their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student
communicates a
connection to the theme
of Identity and
Community throughout
most of their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student somewhat
communicates a
connection to the theme
of Identity and
Community throughout
some of their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student hardly
communicates a
connection to the theme
of Identity and
Community throughout
their piece.
Thematic Connection
The student does not
communicate a
connection to the theme
of Identity and
Community throughout
their piece.
Total: _________ /150
Artistic Component for either the poem or personal narrative/memoir
Strong
50
Maturing
45
Emerging
40
Developing
35
Beginning
30
Artistic Component
Artistic Component
Artistic Component
Artistic Component
Artistic Component
The student creates
something that contains
great effort, skill,
creativity, and thought,
and captures the
meaning of their poem
and theme.
The student creates
something that mostly
contains effort, skill,
creativity, and thought,
and mostly captures the
meaning of their poem
and theme.
The student creates
something that contains
some effort, skill,
creativity, and thought,
and slightly captures the
meaning of their poem
and theme.
The student creates
something that contains
little effort, skill,
creativity, and thought,
and hardly captures the
meaning of their poem
and theme.
The student creates
something that is absent
of effort, skill, creativity,
and thought, and fails to
capture the meaning of
their poem and theme.
Total: _________ /50
Expository Essay
“The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate
evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner.
This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and
effect, etc.” (OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab, 1995).
Directions:
1). Write an expository essay in response to one of the prompts below.
2). Support claims with evidence from the text Of Mice and Men.
3). Use at least two outside source in addition to the primary text Of Mice and Men.
4). Use at least two forms of textual evidence for each body paragraph (for every main point).
Requirements:



Opening Paragraph (w/ Thesis Statement), 2-3 body paragraphs, and a concluding
paragraph
Typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, Times New Roman
DUE: See mysurveylit.com > Assignments and Projects for important due dates.
Prompts:
A. Explain how the American Dream in Of Mice and Men compares or contrasts to that of society’s
American Dream in the 21st century. Focus on several characters in the book and current events that are
relevant to this topic.
B. Explore how companionship is viewed in America and how it compares to the companionship of George
and Lennie.
C. The theme of predatory nature pervades this book as it is told through the interactions and attitudes
among characters. Determine why these characters behave in this way and how Steinbeck uses them to
address real world issues pertaining to this theme.
Expository Essay Scoring Rubric
CATEGORY
The Thesis
Statement
CC.9-10.W.1.a
CC.9-10.W.1.d
Main Points
CC.9-10.W.1.a
Strong
10
The thesis statement
clearly demonstrates
complete
understanding of the
prompt with means
of explanation, use
of abstract nouns,
and active voice.
Maturing
9
The thesis statement
mostly demonstrates
an understanding of
the prompt with
means of
explanation, use of
abstract nouns, and
active voice.
Emerging
8
The thesis statement
demonstrates
somewhat of an
understanding of the
prompt with little
means of
explanation, use of
abstract nouns, and
active voice.
Developing
7
The thesis statement
demonstrates little
understanding of the
prompt with hardly
any means of
explanation, use of
abstract nouns, and
active voice.
Beginning
6
The thesis statement
demonstrates a lack
of understanding of
the prompt with no
means of
explanation, use of
abstract nouns, and
active voice
The student
sufficiently analyzes
their chosen topic by
supporting their
thesis statement with
at least three solid
main points.
The student analyzes
their chosen topic by
supporting their
thesis statement with
at least three main
points throughout
most of essay.
The student lacks
sufficient analysis of
their chosen topic
with some textual
support.
The student lacks
sufficient analysis
and textual support
of their chosen
topic.
The student lacks
complete analysis
and textual support
of their chosen
topic.
Relevant and
Reliable
Textual Support
CC.9-10.W.1
CC.9-10.W.8
CC.9-10.W.9
Analysis by
Demonstrating
Knowledge of
Themes and Story
CC.9-10.W.1.a
Formal Writing,
Grammar,
Punctuation, and
Spelling
CC.9-10.W.1.d
The student uses and
cites text from
multiple sources that
are reliable and
relevant in order to
sufficiently support
their claims.
The student mostly
uses and cites text
from multiple
sources that are
reliable and relevant
in order to
sufficiently support
their claims.
The student
somewhat uses and
cites text from
multiple sources that
are reliable and
relevant in order to
sufficiently support
their claims.
The student barely
uses and cites text
from multiple
sources that are
reliable and relevant
in order to
sufficiently support
their claims.
The student does not
use or cite text from
multiple sources that
are reliable and
relevant in order to
sufficiently support
their claims.
The student
demonstrates their
complete
understanding of big
ideas, themes, and
the story by properly
analyzing textual
evidence.
The student mostly
demonstrates their
understanding of big
ideas, themes, and
the story by properly
analyzing textual
evidence.
The student
somewhat
demonstrates their
understanding of big
ideas, themes, and
the story by properly
analyzing textual
evidence.
The student hardly
demonstrates their
understanding of big
ideas, themes, and
the story by properly
analyzing textual
evidence.
The student does not
demonstrate their
understanding of big
ideas, themes, and
the story by properly
analyzing textual
evidence.
Exhibits
REASONABLE
CONTROL of
grammatical
conventions
appropriate to the
writing task: formal
writing; standard
usage including
agreement, tense,
and case; and
mechanics including
use of capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
Exhibits
ADEQUATE
CONTROL of
grammatical
conventions
appropriate to the
writing task: formal
writing;; standard
usage including
agreement, tense,
and case; and
mechanics including
use of capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
Exhibits MINIMAL
CONTROL of
grammatical
conventions
appropriate to the
writing task: formal
writing; standard
usage including
agreement, tense,
and case; and
mechanics including
use of capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
Exhibits MINIMAL
CONTROL of
grammatical
conventions
appropriate to the
writing task: formal
writing; standard
usage including
agreement, tense,
and case; and
mechanics including
use of capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
LACKS CONTROL
of grammatical
conventions
appropriate to the
writing task: formal
writing; standard
usage including
agreement, tense,
and case; and
mechanics including
use of capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
Total Score: __________ /50
References
Robinson, Julian. (2011). Assessing the value of using an online discussion board for engaging
students. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 10(1), 15-26.
DOI:10.3794/johlste.101.257.
Yang, C., Pei, W. T., & Komara, C. (2011). Using webquest as a universal design for
learning tool to enhance teaching and learning in teacher preparation programs. Journal
of College Teaching and Learning, 8(3), 21-29. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/862077336?accountid=31683.