Of Mice and Men Web Quest RUBRIC (click here)
Introduction
You are about to embark on a journey of understanding of what it was like to be a migrant worker in the Salinas Valley of California during the 1930's, during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men as a vehicle to express his social conscience about the period. Of Mice and Men is a novel about poverty and dreams, friendship and loneliness, and despair and hope. Through the memorable characters of George and Lennie, Steinbeck paints a portrait of enduring friendship that you won't soon forget. In order to help you to understand the context of the novel and how it still resonates today, you will lay the ground work for a deeper understanding of this simple, yet profound story.
Objective: Identify the background issues that led to Steinbeck's writing of a novella about profound friendship and social issues.
Instructions:
As a member a four person group, you will explore web pages in order to gain background knowledge for the novella Of Mice and Men. Be sure to assign a specific role to each member of the group. The final product will be a presentation to the class which will include answers to the assigned questions and a visual representation of what you have learned.
1. Choose one of the roles below. Each group member will have a different role (Geographer, Sociologist, Psychiatrist, Biographer).
2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the files on the computer, take notes highlighting important information.
3. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to prove your point. This will also aid in documenting your sources and preparing your bibliography page.
4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned to satisfy the objective. Remember, the goal is to show what it was like to be a migrant worker in the Salinas Valley of California during the 1930's, during the Great Depression.
Product:
Your group will create a poster or PowerPoint Presentation of your findings. All aspects of the research must be presented to the class. Graphics and bullet points of information are required. Do not type of lengthly statements for the class to read!
Geographers
1. What are the geographical features of the Salinas Valley in California?
2. What kinds of jobs are available here?
3. What was John Steinbeck's relationship to the Salinas Valley?
4. For the visual component, create a map of the area with significant locations identified.
Setting and Significance - Outline of farmland
Salinas facts - Overview of the area
Steinbeck and Salinas - Relationship between Steinbeck and Salinas
Sociologists
1. What was the Great Depression?
2. What were some of the causes?
3. Who were the migrant workers and how were they affected by the Great Depression?
4. Do migrant workers exist today? Where? what kinds of jobs do they have?
5. For the visual portion of your presentation, develop a collage of photos of migrant workers of the 1930's.
The Great Depression - Facts
Causes of the Great Depression
The Migrant Experience – Overview
Migrant Plight – Primary New Deal Document
Photos of the Great Depression
We Will Work Again Video
Psychiatrists
1. What is a mental disability and how does it affect a person's everyday life?
2. What are some of the difficulties in caring for a mentally disabled person?
3. What kinds of support are available for caregivers?
4. What is the role of friendship in caring for the mentally disabled?
5. For the visual portion of your presentation, create a collage of literature and films about the mentally disabled.
What are Intellectual Disabilities?
Intellectual Disability Fact Sheet
Friendship and the mentally disabled
Timeline for Mental Illness (and Treatment)
Can we Stop Saying Retarded Yet? -Article
Biographers
1. Present the major facts about Steinbeck's life.
2. What philosophy of life is revealed in Steinbeck's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech?
3. What influenced Steinbeck to write Of Mice and Men?
4. For the visual portion of your presentation, create a collage of Steinbeck’s life and work.
John Steinbeck – Biography
Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus
You have all learned about different influences on the writing of Of Mice and Men. If you had to choose the one most important features of what you have explored, what would it be? How would this aspect influence a writer?
Real World Feedback
You and your teammates have learned a lot by dividing up into different roles. You have learned a great deal about Steinbeck and the world in which he lived. Imagine that you are a writer and that you want to write a novel about the most important social issue of today. Write an essay in which you identify the issue. Discuss the kind of story you would write to bring that issue to the attention of the world. (i.e. – poverty)
Conclusion
Your journey into the background and issues that influenced the writing of Of Mice and Men has come to an end, but the trip is far from over! You are now ready to embark on a literary journey into the world of George and Lennie, the Salinas Valley, migrant farm workers, loneliness and friendship, poverty and dreams, and despair and hope.