Of Mice and Men
Watch this video on context:
Don’t forget to add a quote and why you’ve chosen it below. So far Nathan has said:
not sure if this is where i should be putting this but hey, this is my quote: “jesus how that nigger can pitch shoes…he’s plenty good”
Great Nathan, but why have you chosen it?
Details of homelearning projects – deadline: 14th October 2011
Projects will be assessed for effort, creativity, difficulty of the project selected, and the amount of research done to complete the project.
CHOICE 1: Build a miniature model of the ranch. This will include all parts of the ranch: main house, bunk house, stable, barn and the place by the river where the novel begins and ends. It should follow the description in the text and include as many of the little details as possible i.e. – bunks, apple boxes, animals, vegetation, card table, horseshoe pit, Crook’s room etc.
CHOICE 2: Music CD. This project involves making a music CD of 10 songs chosen to represent the novel – its themes, conflicts and characters. Songs should come from a variety of genres – they can’t be all rap or all country for example. For each song, you will include: lyrics (typed) and a brief yet specific explanation of how it relates to the novel. The CD will have an illustrated insert and include a list of the songs, artists and run times for the songs, just like a real music CD. For presentation you will talk us through the CD as you play a part of each song.
CHOICE 3: Collage Project – Clip pictures and words from magazines and newspapers to create a multi-layered collage on a piece of poster board. The collage should include the elements of the novel including: setting, characters, conflicts, themes etc. It should give an overall view of the entire novel with no blank spots on the poster board.
CHOICE 4: Character Sketch Book – Draw a portrait of five of the main characters from the novel. Each drawing will include the description from the text that you used to create the drawings. Sketch book includes: an illustrated cover and five pages of portraits with text descriptions. Individual assignment for those with artistic talent. If you can’t draw, this project is not for you!
CHOICE 5: Research any topic within the novel that you’d like to know more about and present the information to the class in an appropriate format. Topics can include: The Dust Bowl, migrant workers, Steinbeck’s life, ranches, the American Dream etc. Formats include: power point presentations, posters, brochures, newspapers, etc. This project includes: all of your research(everything you looked up or printed out to get your facts), a bibliography, and the visual aid. Individual or partner assignment.
CHOICE 6: Group film. Film and edit a version of Of Mice and Men. Or choose 3 key scenes to rehearse and film. Consider costumes, props, make-up and setting. Save it as a Quick Time file so that the class can watch it. This could be set in the 1930s or could be an updated version.
CHOICE 7: Design a comic book that tells the story of Of Mice and Men. You may use the words of Steinbeck, or you may write and illustrate a more modern version of the story. Type a one to two-page paper which explains why you chose to represent things the way you did. Minimum number of pages for book — 5.
CHOICE 8: Develop a board game based on the story of Of Mice and Men. Include all game pieces and directions. The game should be enjoyable and educational. You will be expected to demonstrate the game and show classmates how it works.
CHOICE 9: Write a song about Of Mice and Men. Display the words of the song on a poster and record a version.
CHOICE 10: Develop a project idea of your own. Think computer, website, video, sound recording, etc. Clear the project with me, and then complete the project.
13 Responses to 'Of Mice and Men'
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on September 15th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
‘although there was evening brightness showing through the windows of the bunk house, inside it was dusk.’ the fact that slim comes in and turns the light on yet the corners on the room remain in dusk could also say something about the atmosphere in the room still being a little bit darkened. on the other hand it might have something to do with how the others dont know the full story behing george and lennie.
on September 15th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
Fab. I really like this Charlotte: a really interesting choice of quote. How else does Steinbeck play with the environment?
on September 15th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
“Why he’d do any damn thing I tol’ him. If I tol’ him to walk over a cliff, over he’d go. That wasn’t so damn much fun after a while. He never got mad about it, neither. I’ve beat the hell outta him and he could bust every bone in my body jus’ with his han’s, but he never lifted a finger against me.” – George
I chose this quote because it really tells the reader what their friendship is about. George is very manipulative of Lennie and he simply follows along. George isn’t afraid of Lennie despite is physical strength because he knows that he can tell Lennie to do anything and he will do it. This also shows us that Lennie isn’t mentally strong at all and is very dependent on George to lead in him the right direction in any situation.
on September 15th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Great. Thank you Chloe. Does it also show us that George regrets how he treated Lennie in the past and that he has changed?
on September 15th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Yes, it also shows the us high level of respect Lennie has for George.
on September 15th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
“He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n't you shoot him, Candy?”…”Well- hell! I had him so long.”
I think this, Candy and his dog, (and the rest of the page and the next page) is a representation of George and Lennie’s friendship because all of the other character’s see the dog as a burden and a nuisance to Candy and urge him to ‘put him out of his misery’. I think Steinbeck made Lennie mentally retarded to give the same effect, to make the readers feel sympathetic towards both George/Candy because they are still emotionally attached to Lennie/Dog. George and Candy are similar because they both have to fight and stick up for their respective partners. I think Steinbeck has made Candy and George so similar in this bit to foreshadow what could happen with Lennie seeing as Candy’s dog had to be put down and as Lennie is the counterpart of Candy’s Dog, the reader’s are given a strong hint of what may happen to Lennie in the future.
on September 15th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Good thinking Mike and well worked out. Can you find anything Candy says after the dog is killed that might make a big impact on George?
on September 15th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
“Sure he’s jus’ like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he’s so strong. I bet he wont come in here to sleep tonight. He’d sleep right alongside that box in the barn. Well – let ‘im. He ain’t doin’ no harm out there”
This shows that George and Lennie’s friendship is really close and strong because George compares Lennie to a kid when he’s an adult. This is most likely because of the way Lennie acts as he is very dependent on George.
on September 15th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Thanks Sophie. Nicely chosen and a good explanation
on September 15th, 2011 at 10:04 pm
He won’t give no one else a chance to win – chapter 3 pg 44
on September 15th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Why did you choose this Tom?
on September 18th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
“hardly none of the guys ever travel together.”
This shows George and Lennie have a unique relationship within the story because the Great Depression was a time when you wouldn’t usually travel with a companion. This is clearly unusual and could give the impression to Slim that neither George or Lennie are the usual people who come to Ranch for work.
on September 18th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Well done Chloe. Why do you think Steinbeck has chosen to have this unusual relationship in his novel?