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

Analyze depictions of migrant workers in an article by John Steinbeck and various photographs by Dorothea Lange, noting the similarities in their representation.

“Excerpt from John Steinbeck's The Harvest Gypsies”
Migrant worker on California Highway (1935)
Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California (1936)
Dorothea Lange: Drought refugees from Texas encamped in California near Exeter. Seven in Family (1936)

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.4

Explain how Steinbeck establishes the setting and introduces his main characters in Of Mice and Men.

Of Mice and Men pp. 1 – 3

Standards

RL.9-10.4

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

Of Mice and Men pp. 4 – 16

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4

Analyze how Steinbeck develops social hierarchies on the ranch and introduces tension into the story.

Of Mice and Men pp. 17 – 37 — Chapter 2

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.5

Writing

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

Of Mice and Men — Chapters 1 and 2
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Rubric

Standards

RL.9-10.1RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.4W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.1.bW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Writing

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

Of Mice and Men — Chapters 1 and 2
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Rubric

Standards

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

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.

Of Mice and Men — Chapters 1 and 2
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Rubric

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.9-10.5W.9-10.5

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

Of Mice and Men pp. 38 – 65

Standards

RL.9-10.3

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

Of Mice and Men pp. 66 – 76

Standards

RL.9-10.3

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

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

Standards

RL.9-10.3

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

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

Standards

RL.9-10.5

Analyze the structural choices Steinbeck has made in the final chapter of Of Mice and Men and how he works to shape the reader's perception of Lennie's murder.

Of Mice and Men — pp. 93–end

Standards

RL.9-10.3RL.9-10.5

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.

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

Standards

RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.3

Assessment

Socratic Seminar

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

Of Mice and Men — full text

Standards

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

Assessment

Socratic Seminar

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

Of Mice and Men — full text

Standards

RL.9-10.1RL.9-10.2RL.9-10.3SL.9-10.1.a

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

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Rubric 9-12

Standards

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

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

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Rubric 9-12

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

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).

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Rubric 9-12

Standards

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

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).

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Rubric 9-12

Standards

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

Revise and edit essay drafts either independently or using a peer review structure.

Of Mice and Men — full text
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Rubric 9-12

Standards

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

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

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

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.4

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

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

Standards

RL.9-10.3

Identify claims made about the relationship between racial bias and wrongful convictions, and analyze how structural choices help develop an author's ideas.

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

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.5

Identify Sarah Burns' purpose in The Central Park Five, and explain how an author's tone develops the reader's understanding of their perspective.

The Central Park Five — Preface

Standards

RI.9-10.1RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.6

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

The Central Park Five — Chapter 1

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.5

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

The Central Park Five pp. 37 – 51

Standards

RI.9-10.1RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.6W.9-10.10W.9-10.9

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

The Central Park Five — pp. 3–7, 21–27, 38–43
When They See Us — 00:00–07:32; 23:25–30:25

Standards

RI.9-10.1RI.9-10.7W.9-10.1

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

Of Mice and Men pp. 2 – 3
The Central Park Five — Chapter 3

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.4RL.9-10.4

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.

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

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.4

Assessment

Performance Task

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.