Of Mice and Men - Introductory Lesson

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Of Mice and Men - Introduction

Today+Goals

• Introduction to novel
• Introduction to 1937 America (video)
• Read by yourself or Listen to audibook? (4 pages)
• Taking notes
• Evaluation

Goals:

• At the end of this lesson you have read the first two pages of the novel
• You can create a list of who George&Lennie are, what their relationship is and what class they're in.

Evaluation:
Do you know George&Lennie are, what their relationship is and what class they're in?

1. Yes, but I'll have to study the notes
2. Yes, I won't forget
3. No, I'll have to study the notes

Of Mice and Men

In period 4 you are going to read a short novel 

called Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This lesson is the first introduction to the story and themes

Have fun and actively participate! 

The Title

The title of the novel comes from a poem by the 18th century Scottish poet Robbie Burns.

It is about a mouse which carefully builds a winter nest in a wheat field, only for it to be destroyed by a ploughman. 

The mouse had dreamed of a safe, warm winter and is now faced with the harsh reality of cold, loneliness and possible death. 

There is a parallel here with George and Lennie's joyful fantasy of a farm of their own, and its all-too-predictable destruction at the end of the story.          Listen to the original Scottish poem >>>

Themes

Of Mice and Men has several themes, the two most important ones are: 

loneliness and dreams

Foreshadowed (voorspelt) by the reference to Burns' mouse

These two themes interlock: 

people who are lonely have most need of dreams to help them through. 

There is another theme: Friendship.         Listen to the poem: Us Two >>>

1. What exactly is 'friendship'?

3. What will determine whether or not a person is a ‘friend’?

5. Why is friendship important?

7. What can a strong friendship allow us to do?

Name the three themes

Lesson 2

Quiz last time's knowedge

Discuss pages 4 t/m 9

Audiobook

Taking notes

What do we know about Lennie? (looks/personality/class)

What do we know about George (looks/personality/class)

Where are George and Lennie and what are they doing?

Give a short summary of the pages you've read at home