Lesson 24 - Day 1 - Brainstorming | 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

Writing

Overview

Write a one-paragraph literary analysis arguing which person at the ranch poses the greatest threat to George and Lennie.

Day 1 Brainstorming and Outlining

Brainstorm ideas for a prompt in order to write a strong topic sentence.

Materials

Writing Prompt and Rubric Handout (G9, U3, L5)
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Outline (G9, U3, L5)
Selecting Strong Textual Evidence (G9, U3, L5)
Analysis: Zoom In, Zoom Out (G9, U3, L5)

Standards

W.9-10.1.aW.9-10.5

Day 2 Outlining

Outline an analytical paragraph using the acronym T-E-A-L by finding and selecting textual evidence that best supports one's topic sentence.

Materials

Writing Prompt and Rubric Handout (G9, U3, L5)
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Outline (G9, U3, L5)

Standards

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

Day 3 Outlining

Analyze textual evidence by breaking down the quotation and then explaining how it supports the claim in the topic sentence, and write a last sentence to conclude.

Materials

Analysis: Zoom In, Zoom Out (G9, U3, L5)
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Outline (G9, U3, L5)

Standards

W.9-10.1W.9-10.1.bW.9-10.1.e

Day 4 Drafting

Write a literary analysis paragraph that analyzes textual evidence to argue for which person at the ranch poses the greatest threat to George and Lennie.

Materials

Analysis: Zoom In, Zoom Out (G9, U3, L5)
Argumentative Writing: Literary Analysis Paragraph Outline (G9, U3, L5)

Standards

W.9-10.1.cW.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.

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

Writing

Overview

Write a multi-paragraph literary analysis essay that makes an argument for one of three prompts.

Day 1 Brainstorming

Write a thesis statement, three topic sentences, and outline body paragraphs for a multi-paragraph literary analysis essay that makes an argument for one of three prompts.

Materials

Literary Analysis Outline (G9, U3, L14)

Standards

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

Day 2 Drafting

Write the body paragraphs for the literary analysis essay using varied quotation introductions.

Materials

Literary Analysis Outline (G9, U3, L14)

Standards

W.9-10.1W.9-10.1.cW.9-10.5

Day 3 Language Lesson

Use semicolons with conjunctive adverbs to link ideas in related sentences.

Materials

Semicolon with a Conjunctive Adverb Practice (G9, U3, L14)

Standards

L.9-10.2.aW.9-10.1.c

Day 4 Drafting

Write an introduction paragraph using the acronym H-I-T, as well as a conclusion paragraph using the acronym B-A-M.

Materials

Highlighted Visual of a Conclusion Paragraph (G9, U3, L14)
Literary Analysis Outline (G9, U3, L14)

Standards

L.9-10.2.aW.9-10.1.e

Day 5 Peer Review

Provide feedback on a peer's writing and then use peer feedback to improve one's own writing.

Standards

L.9-10.2.aW.9-10.1W.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

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

Writing

Overview

Plan, script, 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 The Central Park Five.

Day 1 - Brainstorming

Take notes, synthesize notes, and write a thesis statement that argues for how language constructs meaning about a person's identity in Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five.

Materials