This document outlines a lesson plan for analyzing John Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men". The lesson plan instructs students to: 1) Read and roleplay passages from the first chapter to analyze how language develops character and empathy, 2) Discuss how the characters fit into 1930s American social context, and 3) Analyze descriptive words and phrases used to characterize George and Lennie through group discussions and creative assignments. The goal is for students to better understand the characters of George and Lennie through close analysis of Steinbeck's language.

1. First impressions!

2. Date ‘Of Mice and Men’
ILO:
By the end of the lesson I will be able to:
• Analyse and interpret the writer’s use
of language to develop character and
gain empathy with the reader.

3. Assessment:
This lesson I will:
• Be assessed by my teacher during the
lesson.
• My teacher will listen to my ideas and
give me advice and support when I
need help.

4. Build:
•Read from “They
had walked in single
file...” to
“...nervously behind
him.”
•Role-play the two
men. Get into
character with a
partner.
What did you do with your characters and why?
Class discussion.
How do the characters fit into the
social context of America in the
1930’s?

5. Apply:
• Read to the end of
chapter 1.
• Describe George
and Lennie.
• In groups, look at
the adjective and
adverbs opposite
taken from the text.
What could they
mean?
• Class discussion.
“restless eyes” – (George)
“walked heavily” – (Lennie)
“hopelessly” – (George)
“morosely” – (George)
“resignedly” – (George)
“coldly” – (George)
“restless eyes” – scared?
“walked heavily” – oppression?
“hopelessly” – negative?
“morosely” – sad, an omen?
“resignedly” – acceptance?
“coldly” - deathly?

6. Create the characters of George and
Lennie as you see them from the book.
What is their physical appearance?
What do they wear?
Label your characters with quotes that you
think reflects their individualism.
Talk about your characters in a group.

7. Assessment:
George and Lennie are two different characters. Write
a paragraph, using embedded quotes, commenting
on the writer’s use of language to create character
and engage the reader.
“A big carp rose to the surface of the pool, gulped air
and then sank mysteriously into the dark water
again, leaving widening rings on the water.”
This is a metaphor for Lennie. How?