Lesson Plan

Of Mice and Men in the Great Depression: Background and Setting

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

What were living conditions like in the United States during The Great Depression, and how do those conditions compare with today? That's the question young scholars consider as they prepare to read John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Scholars read background information articles and examine photographs from the 1930s. Groups then create concept maps with details about how each level of society was affected by The Great Depression.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Conduct the lesson before reading the novel
  • Post the concept maps and have class members add notes of evidence from the novel that demonstrate the concepts
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires copies of five readings and projection equipment for the PowerPoint and the four images
Pros
  • Links are provided that detail the many learning strategies used in the lesson
Cons
  • None
Common Core