Lesson 1 | Power, Justice, and Culpability: Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five | 9th Grade English

Lesson Map

Compare depictions of migrant workers in a video from Reading Through History and various photographs by Dorothea Lange, noting the similarities in their representations.

Materials

“History Brief: Okies During the Great Depression”
Migrant worker on California highway
Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California
Drought refugees from Texas encamped in California near Exeter. Seven in family

Standards

RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.7

Lesson

Explain how setting and characterization establish the mood in Of Mice and Men.

Materials

Of Mice and Men pp. 1–3

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze how Steinbeck develops the reader's understanding of the relationship between Lennie and George.

Materials

Of Mice and Men pp. 4–16

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze how Steinbeck develops social hierarchies on the ranch that foreshadow conflict in the story.

Materials

Of Mice and Men pp. 17–37 — Chapter 2

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.5

Lesson

Argumentative Writing

Write a strong topic sentence and select relevant textual evidence to support that claim.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — Chapters 1 and 2
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Rubric (G9, U3, L5–7)

Standards

RL.9-10.1W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Argumentative Writing

Outline an analytical paragraph using the acronym T-E-A-L, and write a first draft.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — Chapters 1 and 2
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Rubric (G9, U3, L5–7)

Standards

W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.1.cW.9-10.1.dW.9-10.1.e

Lesson

Argumentative Writing

Write a strong analytical paragraph that effectively integrates textual evidence and argues for which person at the ranch poses the greatest threat to Lennie and George.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — Chapters 1 and 2
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Rubric (G9, U3, L5–7)

Standards

W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.1.cW.9-10.1.dW.9-10.1.eW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Steinbeck develops characters and explain what characters' actions and beliefs can reveal about human nature.

Materials

Of Mice and Men pp. 38–65 — Chapter 3

Standards

RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.3

Lesson

Analyze the character of Crooks through the lenses of racism, loneliness, and power.

Materials

Of Mice and Men pp. 66–76

Standards

RL.9-10.3

Lesson

Analyze the character of Curley's wife through the lenses of sexism, loneliness, and power.

Materials

Of Mice and Men pp. 77–83
“John Steinbeck's Letter to Claire Luce”

Standards

RL.9-10.3

Lesson

Analyze how Steinbeck has used foreshadowing to develop tension leading up to the story's climax.

Materials

Of Mice and Men pp. 84–93 — end after "much, much more than a moment"

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Steinbeck shapes the reader's perception of Lennie's murder through setting, diction, and mood.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — pp. 93–end

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4RL.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze the Robert Burns poem "To a Mouse" and draw conclusions about why Steinbeck chose a line from this poem for the title of his novel.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text
“To a Mouse”

Standards

RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.9

Lesson

Assessment

Socratic Seminar

Take a position on one of three analytical prompts and gather textual evidence in preparation for a Socratic Seminar.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text

Standards

RL.9-10.1RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.3W.9-10.1

Lesson

Assessment

Socratic Seminar

Engage in a Socratic Seminar in preparation for crafting a literary analysis of Of Mice and Men.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text

Standards

SL.9-10.1.aSL.9-10.1.bSL.9-10.1.cSL.9-10.1.d

Lesson

Assessment

Performance Task

Write a strong thesis statement in response to an analytical essay prompt, and outline body paragraphs needed to support that thesis statement.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing Mentor Text (G9, U3, L16–20)
Analytical Essay Graphic Organizer

Standards

W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Assessment

Performance Task

Write the body paragraphs of an analytical essay in the literary present tense, using strong transitions within and between paragraphs.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing Mentor Text (G9, U3, L16–20)

Standards

W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.1.cW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Assessment

Performance Task

Review the parts of an introduction, and write a strong introduction to an analytical essay using the acronym H-I-T (hook, introductory information, thesis statement).

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing Mentor Text (G9, U3, L16–20)

Standards

W.9-10.1W.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Assessment

Performance Task

Review the parts of a conclusion, and write a strong conclusion to an analytical essay using the acronym B-A-M (refer back to thesis, analyze its significance, make it universal).

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text

Standards

W.9-10.1W.9-10.1.eW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Assessment

Performance Task

Revise and edit essay drafts using a peer review structure.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text
Peer Review Worksheet (G9, U3, L20)

Standards

W.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Explain what the Atkins v. Virginia decision and the case of Marvin Wilson reveal about perceptions of culpability in the criminal justice system.

Materials

“Supreme Court Bars Executing Mentally Retarded”
“Supreme Court Denies Stay of Execution for Marvin Wilson”
“Family of John Steinbeck 'deeply troubled' by Scheduled Execution of Marvin Wilson”

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how characters in Of Mice and Men view Lennie's culpability in different situations throughout the text.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — pp. 41–42, 62–65, 94–107

Standards

RL.9-10.3

Lesson

Identify the central idea about the relationship between bias and wrongful convictions in two nonfiction articles.

Materials

“What is Cognitive Bias and How Does it Contribute to Wrongful Convictions”
“Black People are Wrongly Convicted More Than Any Other Group”

Standards

RI.9-10.2

Lesson

Identify Sarah Burns's purpose in The Central Park Five and explain how she uses tone to achieve that purpose and develop the reader's understanding of her perspective.

Materials

The Central Park Five — Preface

Standards

RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.6

Lesson

Analyze the structure of the first chapter of The Central Park Five and explain the purpose and impact of specific sections of the text.

Materials

The Central Park Five pp. 3–27 — Chapter 1

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Burns uses descriptive language and specific details to communicate her perspective.

Materials

The Central Park Five pp. 37–51

Standards

RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.6

Lesson

Analyze the choices director Ava DuVernay made in When They See Us and compare her portrayal of characters and events with Sarah Burns's text, The Central Park Five.

Materials

The Central Park Five — pp. 3–7, 21–27, 38–43
When They See Us — 00:00–07:32; 23:25–30:25
The Central Park Five and When They See Us Comparison Graphic Organizer (G9, U3, L27)

Standards

RI.9-10.1RI.9-10.7

Lesson

Analyze how racism shaped media coverage of the Central Park Five, and explain the debate around blame and culpability in this case.

Materials

The Central Park Five pp. 66–90 — Chapter 3

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.4

Lesson

Analyze the choices director Ava DuVerney made in When They See Us and compare her portrayal of characters and events with Sarah Burns's text, The Central Park Five.

Materials

The Central Park Five pp. 188–206
When They See Us — Episode 4, 1:01:00–1:12:50

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.7

Lesson

Assessment

Free Response Question

Brainstorm, outline, and record a podcast episode that analyzes the power of language to construct meaning about a person's identity in both Of Mice and Men and Central Park Five.

Materials

Of Mice and Men — full text
The Central Park Five — excerpts
Language in Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five Graphic Organizer (G9, U3, L30)

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.4RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.4W.9-10.6

Lesson

Assessment

Free Response Question

Outline a podcast episode that analyzes the power of language to construct meaning about a person's identity in both Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five.

Materials

Of Mice and Men
The Central Park Five
Podcast Planning Sheet (G9, U3, L31)

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.4RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.4W.9-10.4W.9-10.6

Lesson

Assessment

Free Response Question

Record a podcast episode that analyzes the power of language to construct meaning about a person's identity in both Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five.

Materials

Of Mice and Men
The Central Park Five

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.4RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.4SL.9-10.4SL.9-10.5W.9-10.4W.9-10.6

Power, Justice, and Culpability: Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five

Lesson Overview

Objective

Readings and Materials

Lesson Map

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

Power, Justice, and Culpability: Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five

Lesson Overview

Are You Sure?

Objective

Readings and Materials

Are You Sure?

Are You Sure?

Are You Sure?

Are You Sure?

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students