Of Mice and Men
E-Sheet
Date:
Name:
Class Period:
______________________________________________________________
Introduction:
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Working independently, you will look at a number of on-line resources in order to gain a
better understanding of the time period written about in John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice
and Men.
After viewing a resource, you will be asked to answer questions about it. Where you are
asked to write something, you must answer in complete sentences.
Once you have finished looking at all of the on-line resources, you will write two journal
entries. You will be asked to pretend that you are a teenager living through the events
you have just read about. Your journal entries should reflect the worries and concerns of
a teenager in the time period of the novel. Each journal entry should be a minimum of 5
sentences.
This project is due on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Evaluation: This project is worth 128 points. Review the evaluation matrix on the next
page.
E-Sheet Evaluation Matrix
Task
Resource 1—The
Great Depression
x 4 (16 points)
4 points
Resource reviewed
and all questions
answered correctly
and in complete
sentences
Resource reviewed
and all questions
answered correctly
3 points
Resource reviewed
and 3 or 4 questions
correct; complete
sentences
2 points
Resource reviewed; 2
or fewer questions
correct; complete
sentences
Resource reviewed
and 3 or 4 questions
correct
Resource reviewed; 2
or fewer questions
correct
Resource reviewed
and all questions
answered with
complete sentences
Resource reviewed
and all questions
answered with
complete sentences
Resource reviewed
and 5--7 questions
answered with
complete sentences
Resource reviewed;
only 2 questions
answered with
complete sentences
Resource reviewed;
only 2 questions
answered with
complete sentences
Resource reviewed
and 3—5 questions
answered with
complete sentences
Journal Entry 1
(x 5= 20 points)
Entry a minimum of 5
sentences; persona
established; time
period clear
Journal Entry 2
(x 5 = 20 points)
Entry a minimum of 5
sentences; persona
established; time
period clear
Entry 4 sentences;
persona somewhat
established; time
period somewhat
clear
Entry 4 sentences;
persona somewhat
established; time
period somewhat
clear
Resource reviewed;
only 1 question
answered with
complete sentences
Resource reviewed;
only 1 question
answered with
complete sentences
Resource reviewed;
fewer than 3
questions answered
with complete
sentences
Entry 3 or fewer
sentences; persona
not clearly
established; time
period not clear
Entry 3 or fewer
sentences; persona
not clearly
established; time
period not clear
Resource 2—The
Dustbowl of the
1930’s
x 5 (20 points)
Resource 3—
Dustbowl Pictures
x 3 (12 points)
Resource 4—Images
from a Migrant
Worker Camp
x 3 (12 points)
Resource 5—Diary
excerpts/profile
questions
x 7 (28 points)
Your Points:
Total Points:
/128
E-Sheet Steps
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STEP 1: Go to Resource 1—The Great Depression—at
o http://www.indianchild.com/the_great_depression.htm
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After reading the introductory paragraph, the “Causes of the Great Depression”,
and the “Effects of the Great Depression”, read and answer the questions.
Question 1: During what years did the depression take place?
Question 2: What did the unemployment rate rise to during the depression? How many people
were out of work?
Question 3: List 2 causes of the Great Depression.
Question 4: List 1 effect of the Great Depression.
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STEP 2: Go to Resource 2—The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s—at
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=211425&title=The_Dust_Bowl_of_
the_1930_s
View the video and then answer the questions. You may need to view the video more
than one time.
Question 1. According to the video, the main reason the land began to dry up and blow away—
become a “dust bowl” was because
a. farmers kept plowing and growing crops over and over again
b. Farmers didn’t know how to plant crops
c. Too many people lived on the land
Question 2. The drought that made the dusty conditions worse lasted how many years?
a. 6
b. 15
c. 8
Question 3. As families lost everything they owned—homes, crops, ability to make a living—
what option was left to them?
a. they were forced to phone for help
b. they were forced to move in order to find work
c. they were forced to borrow money from neighbors
Question 4. While families made their way to California, they slept mostly in
a. family cars
b. tents in makeshift camps
c. buildings along the way
Question 5. By 1938, conditions improved due to
a. new conservative farming methods
b. the establishment of supermarkets
c. an easing of the wind
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STEP 3: view multiple resources—Dustbowl Pictures. Click on each image to enlarge.
You will choose 3 images to write about in complete sentences.
http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/dustbowlpics.html
Image 1: Describe the image in your own words (the people/events/scenery).
Image 2: Describe the image in your own words (the people/events/scenery).
Image 3: Describe the image in your own words (the people/events/scenery).
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STEP 4: view multiple resources—A Migrant Worker’s Camp in California. Click on
each image indicated and then answer the question.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/toddbib:@field(DOCID(@range(p001+p023)))
Click on “Image 1”—click on the picture to enlarge it
Question 1: This image depicts the housing conditions at a migrant camp. What is one difficulty
you can think of for children in a camp like this?
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Click on “Image 4”—click on the picture to enlarge it
Question 2: This image shows migrant families at a Saturday night dance in the migrant camp.
What can you conclude about people in the camps from this image?
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Click on “Image 10”—click on the picture to enlarge it
Question 3: Look at the faces of the mother and child watching the men play checkers. What
emotion do you think they are showing?
Step 5: Read diary entries from the dust bowl at
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01794/first_hand_accounts.htm
Use this resource to help you formulate ideas for your own journal entries. Remember that your
journal entries must be original work and not copied from this resource.
Now you are ready to write your own journal entries. First, based on all of the information
you have reviewed, answer the following questions and give yourself an identity.
1. What is your name?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you with your family or separated from your family?
4. Have you stayed behind or are you moving to California?
5. What type of work do you do?
6. What is the most important thing you own?
7. How are you affected by the dust bowl and the depression?
Step 6: Use your profile information to write 2 journal entries.
Journal Entry 1: Dated--
Journal Entry 2: Dated--