Of Mice and Men
By: John Steinbeck
Pre-Reading activity:
One of the most prominent themes of Steinbeck’s classic novel is the
idea of friendship and how best friends relate to one another and the
thoughts and feelings that go along with having a best friend. Today
we are going to explore those feelings.
Assignment: Create a visual representation of your best friend or
best friends in general using pictures and words. You may draw,
write, color, cut pictures out of magazines or create your own
pictures. The key is to be creative and effectively represent the idea
of best friends.
Due Date: Thursday October 2, 2008
Of Mice and Men
By: John Steinbeck
Pre-Reading activity:
One of the most prominent themes of Steinbeck’s classic novel is the
idea of friendship and how best friends relate to one another and the
thoughts and feelings that go along with having a best friend. Today
we are going to explore those feelings.
Assignment: Create a visual representation of your best friend or
best friends in general using pictures and words. You may draw,
write, color, cut pictures out of magazines or create your own
pictures. The key is to be creative and effectively represent the idea
of best friends.
Due Date: Thursday October 2, 2008
The Great Depression
Web Quest:
Directions:
1. Go to Google
2. Search for trackstar (one word)
3. In the space labeled Track #, enter 275246
4. Click on View in Frames
5. The websites you are visiting are on the left side of
the page in Blue. The questions are in the pink space at
the top of the page.
6. Answer the questions for Websites # 1, 2, 3, and 5
(Scroll to see all of the questions.
Of Mice and Men
By: John Steinbeck
Guided Notes
Chapter one (Pg. 1-16):
1. Describe George and Lennie:
2. Analyze the dynamics of the relationship between George and Lenny:
3. Speculate why George holds onto Lennie’s work card instead of giving it to
Lennie:
4. Describe why Lennie has a mouse in his pocket and explain what he would do
to them when his Aunt Clara would give them to him:
5. Pg. 11: How did Lennie get them into trouble at the last work location?
6. Compare and contrast Lennie’s intentions with the girl versus what the other
men thought:
7. Pg. 14: Why does George say that they’ve “got a future”?
Chapter two (pg. 17-37)
1. Pg. 19: Why does Lennie copy everything that George does? What more
does this say about their relationship?
2. Pg. 20-21: Describe the race relations in the country during this time period:
3. Pg. 22: Analyze why the boss wants Lennie to answer the questions instead
of George answering for him:
4. Explain why Curley challenges George and Lennie about Lennie not talking:
What is Curley trying to prove or accomplish?
5. Why does Curley wear a glove with Vaseline in it?
6. Describe the relationship between Curly and his wife:
7. Why does George warn Lennie about Curley’s wife?
8. Analyze why Lennie gets so excited about the puppies that Slim’s dog has
had:
9. What does George’s reaction to Lennie about the puppies reveal about their
relationship?
Of Mice and Men
By: John Steinbeck
Guided Notes #2
Chapter 3 (pg. 38-65)
1. pg. 40: Analyze George’s change in feelings for Lennie: What causes his
feelings to change and how do they change?
2. Why does Slim think it is strange that George and Lennie travel together?
3. Pg. 41: Describe what happened with George and Lennie in Weed:
4. Explain what happens to Candy’s dog and why:
5. Pg. 47: Why does Candy agree to let the dog be taken outside?
6. Describe Candy’s reaction to his dog being killed:
7. Analyze what this quote (pg. 51) says about Curley’s wife “Ranch with a
bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her.”
8. Speculate: Why does Curley think that his wife is with Slim in the barn? What
does this say about their relationship?
9. Pg. 56: What does the story of the rabbits and the acre of land represent to
Lennie? Why does he always want George to tell him about it?
10. Pg. 58: Analyze Lennie: “You just let ‘em try to get the rabbits. I’ll break
their God damn necks…I’ll smash them with a stick”
What do the rabbits represent?
11. How might George and Lennie’s dream finally come true?
12. Pg. 60: It is revealed that Candy was so upset about his dog because of
what?
13. Describe the fight between George and Curley:
14. Analyze why Curley agrees not to tell the boss about the fight:
Of Mice and Men
Characters
Character
Physical Description,
personality
Lennie Small
George Milton
Candy
Curley
Curley’s Wife
Slim
Carlso
Crooks
Of Mice and Men
What do they do or
what is their
relationship to others?
Chapter 4 Guided Notes
PG 66-83:
1. Describe Crooks’ home:
2. Judge: Is Crooks’ living situation better or worse than the rest of the workers
on the ranch: Why or why not?
3. Pg. 68: Why isn’t Crooks wanted in the bunk house?
4. Analyze why Lennie goes into Crooks’ room even though Crooks tells him to
leave:
5. Pg. 70-71: Analyze why Crooks takes pleasure out of teasing and ‘torturing’
Lennie about George not coming back:
6. Pg. 72: Compare and contrast Crooks’ life alone and Lennie’s life with
George: Analyze Crooks’ feelings about the situation:
7. Why do you think Crooks lets Lennie and then Candy into his room?
8. Pg. 76: What does Crooks offer to Lennie and Candy concerning their plan to
“get their own stake”?
9. Pg. 77: Analyze Curley’s wife’s quote: “They left all the weak ones here”
10. Pg. 80-81: Describe the ‘change’ in Crooks when Curley’s wife is in the
room:
11. Analyze this change: Why does Crooks act this way even though he is in his
own house?
12. Pg 83: Speculate: Why does Crooks tell Candy that he changed his mind
about helping on the land?
13. Mini Essay:
Using evidence from the text, analyze the race relations of the 1930’s that are
revealed in Chapter 4:
Of Mice and Men
Chapter 5 Guided Notes
Pg. 84-98:
1. Describe how Lennie reacts to the puppy that he has accidently killed:
2. Pg. 87: Describe how Lennie kills the puppy? What does this further tell us
about Lennie:
3. Pg 88-89: What do we learn about Curley’s wife?
4. Pg. 90: What Explanation does Lennie give about his obsession with rabbits?
5. Pg. 90-91: Describe the interaction between Lennie and Curley’s wife:
6. Analyze why Lennie does not just let go of Curley’s wife:
7. Pg. 92: What do we learn about Curley’s wife’s life by looking at her body?
8. Pg. 93: Analyze the following quote: “A moment settled and hovered and
remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement
stopped for much, much more than a moment.”
9. Pg. 94: What is Candy’s ‘greatest fear’?
10. Pg. 95: Analyze why Candy is so angry at Curley’s wife?
11. Describe what happens after the men find the body:
12. Analyze George’s feelings for Lennie at this point in the novel:
Chapter 6:
1. Judge George’s decision: Does he do the right thing? Should he be
punished for this act?
Of Mice and Men
Unit Test
A. Characters: Give a brief description of each of the following characters:
1. George:
2. Lennie:
3. Curley:
4. Curley’s Wife:
5. Candy:
6. Slim:
7. Carlson:
B. Plot: Answer each of the following plot questions as thoroughly as possible:
1. Analyze Lennie: What kind of man is he? What motivates his actions?
2. Analyze the relationship between George and Lennie:
3. Describe what happens to Candy’s dog and explain why:
4. Analyze why Crooks’ allows Lennie and Candy to come into his shack:
5. Analyze why Crooks takes pleasure out of teasing and ‘torturing’ Lennie about
George not coming back:
6. Why does the Boss give George a hard time about Lennie not answering any
questions for himself?
7. Describe how Lennie reacts to the puppy that he has accidently killed:
8. Describe the interaction between Lennie and Curley’s wife at the end of the
novel:
9. Analyze: Why does George kill Lennie?
10. Judge: Does George make the right decision in killing Lennie?
11. Why does Curley wear a glove with Vaseline in it?
12. Explain why Curley challenges George and Lennie about Lennie not talking:
What is Curley trying to prove or accomplish?
13. Analyze why Candy is so mad at Curley’s wife after she is killed:
14. Describe what happened with George and Lennie in Weed:
15.What does the killing of Candy’s dog foreshadow?
C. Quotes: For each of the following quotes, tell me who is speaking, who they
are speaking to and the significance of the quote to the novel.
1. “You just let ‘em try to get the rabbits. I’ll break their God damn necks with a
stick.”
2. “But not us! And why? Because I got you to looks after me and you got me to
looks after you, that’s why!”
3. “Look across the river Lennie, and I’ll tell you so you can almost see it”
4. “You God damn tramp! Everybody know’d you’d mess things up. You wasn’t
no good, you ain’t no good now, you lousy tart.”
5. “Well I ain’t told this to nobody before, maybe I oughn’t to. I don’t like Curley.
He ain’t a nice fellow.”
6. “When they can me here, I wish somebody would shoot me”
Of Mice and Men
Road sign messages often can apply to life and even literary
characters in some way. Decide which of the following signs depicts
one of the characters in Of Mice and Men.
Assignment: Make a sign using the road sign saying that
represents a character of your choice and provide graphics to further
help the audiences understanding of how the sign, saying, and
graphics offer insight into a particular character. Before you begin,
please take note of colors used on signs all around the world and
what the colors indicate:
yellow and black, warning;
green and white, guide signs;
orange and black, construction signs;
red, negative information and warning;
brown and white, recreation signs (like State Parks).
Shapes also indicate something to the public: triangles indicate
warnings; circles are restrictions or requirements; diamond shapes
indicate priority; squares and rectangles give guidance.
Use piece of white or colored paper for this assignment.
Somewhere on your poster indicate the title and a pertinent quote
from the book that helps emphasize the road sign saying. On the
back, write a two-paragraph explanation of the sign and what it
represents. Grading criteria: insight into character and/or themes of
Of Mice and Men, use of space, appropriateness of saying, color, and
shape to the particular character/theme; neatness.
DUE DATE: Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Be creative!
Here’s a list of road signs to choose from:
BEWARE OF DOG
BUCKLE UP
CHILDREN PLAYING
DANGER : NO SWIMMING
ROAD NARROWS
DANGEROUS DESCENT
DETOUR
DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION
DO NOT DISTURB
EVACUATION ROUTE
FALLING ROCK
FIRE LANE
HAIRPIN TURN AHEAD
IN CASE OF FIRE USE STAIRS
KEEP OFF OF THE GRASS
NO LEFT TURN
NO PARKING HERE TO CURB
NO PASSING ZONE
NO RIGHT TURN
NO STOPPING OR STANDING
NO TRESPASSING
NO U-TURN
ONE WAY
OPEN OTHER END
PASSING PROHIBITED
REMAIN SEATED WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION
RESERVED FOR HANDICAPPED
RESERVED PARKING
REST AREA
RIGHT TURN ON RED AFTER STOP
ROAD ENDS IN WATER
ROAD NARROWS
SLIPPERY WHEN WET
SMOKING IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLY
SPEED RADAR ENFORCED
STOP
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
VIOLATORS WILL BE PERSECUTED
VISITORS MUST CHECK IN AT OFFICE
WET PAINT