Aim: Who are George and Lennie in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men?

Reading Comprehension

1. Which animal comes out to sit on the sand in the evening?a. rabbits b. deer c. lizards d. dogs2. Which literary element is employed in the first paragraph?a. personification c. metaphorb. imagery d. conflict3. Based on the description given in the first paragraph, the animalsa. try to avoid each otherb. are desperate for waterc. come out at nightd. have been hurt by the winter’s flooding4. The line, “The shade climbed up the hills toward the top,” is an example ofa. personification c. metaphorb. imagery d. conflict

5. The paragraph beginning with, “They had walked…” serves largely to providea. characterization c. conflictb. setting d. theme6. George seems to bea. the one in control b. looking out for Lenniec. smarter than Lennie d. all of the above7. The line, “They run us outta Weed,” tells the readera. Lennie did a bad thing in Weedb. Lennie found the dead mouse in Weedc. George and Lennie first met in Weedd. all of the above8. How does Lennie kill the mice?a. He doesn’t pay enough attention to themb. He doesn’t; he always find them deadc. He squeezes them too hardd. all of the above

The Basics

Novella : longer than a

short story and shorter than a novel

Setting : Salinas Valley,

California

Characters : George &

Lennie

Point of view : ?

Aim: What is George

and Lennie’s shared dream?

Irony: Lennie is physically

a giant but emotionally &

mentally a little child

Theme: What theme is set

up in the first section of the

novella?

Friendship

Deeper Understanding

Aim: How do we practice our

reading comprehension

with Of Mice and Men?

1. How can the bunk house be best described?

a. warm and cozyb. hinting of a woman’s touchc. fulfilling basic needsd. cold and bare

2. What does George find that makes him so upset?

a. a red splotch on an eggb. a yellow can of roach sprayc. a spot on his boil potatod. a burlap sack of straw that was a mattress

3. What does the boss mean when he asks George, “Say – what you

sellin’?”

a. he believes George is trying to sell Lennieb. he believes George may be trying to take advantage of Lenniec. he believes George is selling off Lennie’s payd. all of the above

Aim: How do Curley and his wife pose a threat to George and

Lennie?

Do Now: Complete the following

sentence: George and Lennie

are…

Compare and Contrast

Curley Slim

“There was a gravity in his manner…”

“He looked kindly at the two in the bunk house.”

“His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject…”

“Never did seem right to me.”

“He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie.”

A foil is another

character in a story who

contrasts with the main character, usually to

highlight one of their attributes

How do these two characters

serve as foils for George

and Lennie?

How would you characterize the

secondary characters in Of Mice and Men? George

& Lennie

Candy

Curley

Curley’s Wife

Slim

Old Man…

Pugnacious…

Flirtacious…

Respected…

Aim: How is Candy’s dog an extension of himself?

Do Now: How is each

character disabled in some way?

George, Lennie, Candy, Curley

How would you characterize the secondary characters in Of Mice and Men?

George &

Lennie

Candy

Curley

Curley’s Wife

Slim

Old Man…

Pugnacious…

Flirtacious…

Respected…

Candy’s dog

“This ol’dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the bak of the head – right there, why he’d never know what hit him.”

“I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks.”

“I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him. You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen.”

Carlson

Candy

What statement is being made about those

who are seen as old and useless?

Which conflict is being

depicted here?

Candy’s dog

“This ol’dog jus’ sufers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the bak of the head – right there, why he’d never know what hit him.”

“I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks.”

“I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him. You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen.”

Carlson

Candy

What statement is being made about those

who are seen as old and useless?

Which conflict is being

depicted here?

Why did Candy allow his dog to be put down?

Did Carlson do the humane thing by putting down Candy’s dog?

Should Candy have let his dog live out his years?

Should the weaker members of society be cast away? What should be done with them?

What should happen to Candy once he can no longer work?

Aim: How does Candy join George and Lennie’s dream for

the future and how is that dream immediately threatened?

Do Now:

“We could live offa the fatta the lan’.”

How could Candy help George and

Lennie achieve their dream?

What could it also offer Candy?

How does Curley’s fight with Lennie threaten the future of George, Lennie and Candy?

“The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist

was lost in Lennie’s big hand.”

What role does Slim play in the fight?

Aim: How is the theme of loneliness and isolation explored in Of Mice and

Men?

Do Now: Read p. 66-68Who is Crooks? How is he characterized? Please provide your response in your best,

complete sentences.

Crooks

How does Crooks compare to Lennie and Candy?

Weak Strong

Curley

Carlson

George

Slim

Lennie

Candy

Crooks

Define each character’s weakness

and strength.

Aim: How can we characterize the secondary characters in Of Mice

and Men?

Do Now: Complete the following sentence:Curley is…

How would you characterize the

secondary characters in Of Mice and Men? George

& Lennie

Candy

Curley

Curley’s Wife

Slim

Old Man…

Pugnacious…

Flirtacious…

Respected…

Compare and Contrast

Curley Slim

“There was a gravity in his manner…”

“He looked kindly at the two in the bunk house.”

“His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject…”

“Never did seem right to me.”

“He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie.”

A foil is another

character in a story who

contrasts with the main character, usually to

highlight one of their attributes

How do these two characters

serve as foils for George

and Lennie?

Vocabulary & Grammar

Pugnacious Belligerent Solitude Timid

Glance Authority Manner Contemplate

Anguish Emerge Commas Subject-verb agreement

Tense

Literary Elements

Characterization

Plot

Conflict

Theme

Setting

Point of View

Literary Techniques

Irony

Personification

Foreshadow

Imagery

Aim: How can we incorporate transitional words in our writing?

Do Now: Answer the following questions:1. What is one theme from Of Mice and Men?

2. Which characters exemplify this theme?3. Which moments illustrate this theme?

4. How does the theme help develop the plot of Of Mice and Men?

Let’s write a paragraph about theme!

1. What is one theme from Of Mice and Men?

2. Which characters exemplify this theme?

3. Which moments illustrate this theme?

4. How does the theme help develop the plot of Of Mice and Men?

Paragraph Format

Topic Sentence – What is one theme from Of Mice and Men? • Transition - Generalizing

Provide Example – Which characters exemplify this theme?• Transition - Exemplifying

Explain Example – Which moments illustrate this theme?• Transition – Illustration

Connect Example – How does this theme help develop the plot?• Transition – Consequence, Restatement & Summarizing

Who is this story about?

• Who is the driver of the story?• Who has the most to gain or lose?• What has the most obstacles to overcome?• Who changes the most from the beginning to

end?