Exam Text
‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck
Context relating to the novel to aid understanding
The Apprentice
You should imagine that you are on the television show ‘The Apprentice’. You want
the top job of ‘’Of Mice and Men Expert’’ at the Museum of English Literature in
London. You have to impress me and the rest of the class who will be helping to
judge your work during this week lesson. As this job is very prestigious and the
rewards are enormous you must really prove that you are the right person for the
job!
Your Task:
During one lesson we will be holding an exhibition about John Steinbeck and the
context to his novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’. The event will be entitled ‘Please, sir. Can I
have some more . . . information about John Steinbeck and ‘Of mice and Men.’
You will be working as part of a team to produce a stall at the event. Each team will
have a different focus and will be expected to work cooperatively and productively
for the next two lessons.
Your Focus:
Your group will focus on finding out detailed information about:
America in the 1920s and the 1930s
You need to think about how you can present your information clearly to those
who visit your exhibition stand. You also need to make sure that your findings are
presented in an entertaining and creative way.
The purpose of your exhibition stall is to inform and educate others (including
children)
You might want to use the following as ideas:
 Posters
 Leaflets
 Powerpoint presentations
 Drawings
 Games and activities that would help people understand your area of
research
 Making artefacts relating to John Steinbeck
 Making copies of documents that Steinbeck might have written
Good luck
Researching America in the 1920s and 1930s
You must conduct your research very carefully as it is one of the areas on which
you will be judged.
Listed below are some websites that will help you to find quality information
about John Steinbeck, his novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ and the context of the novel.
 http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS/mice/index.html (which
also has good links to websites about Steinbeck, etc)
 http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/ (which has excellent
information on context and farming, etc)
 There’s also loads more if you type what you are looking for
INTELLIGENTLY into Google!
You’re Fired!
In order to ensure that your team wins and that you give yourself the
best chance of winning the individual prize and mantle of ‘John
Steinbeck and ‘Of Mice and Men’ Expert’ you must prove to the judges
that you can do the following:
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Work well as part of a team
Develop ideas and share them with your colleagues
Think creatively
Think about what your audience need to know
Demonstrate that you can conduct research efficiently and
effectively
Compromise if necessary
Work to deadlines
See your ideas through
Lead other members of your team effectively
Bring together all of your ideas and the materials that you have
produced to make an informative and entertaining exhibition
Present your ideas to the rest of the class.
If you can do all of the above then you will produce a fantastic
exhibition and be a winner.
Good Luck!