Madeline Fowler

Of Mice and Men Chapter 4 Lesson Plan

Specific Rationale:
Freshman English 9 students in Period 5 are currently engaged in a unit on John Steinbeck’s Of
Mice and Men. Some themes or ‘universal ideas’ students have previously discussed and studied
in the beginning of the unit is The American Dream and Loneliness/Isolation. In this lesson,
students will be close reading a section from Of Mice and Men Chapter 4 in which they are
introduced to the only black character in the book, Crooks. Close reading and annotating a text is
a key skill students will need for the rest of their education. Additionally, students will be
practicing making connections and statements about theme and main idea. Additionally, every
two weeks or so, students are quizzed on a set of vocabulary words from Wordly Wise Book 9 by
Kenneth Hodkinson and Sandra Adams. Students will have their fourth vocabulary quiz on
Lesson 4 the day after this lesson. As such, students will be playing vocabulary review games in
order to gain a deeper understanding of the use and application of 15 vocabulary words to
prepare for the upcoming quiz.
Objective/Learning Intentions
In this lesson, we will complete a close reading activity on a passage from Chapter 5 of Of Mice
and Men by John Steinbeck. We will be practicing annotation skills, making connections,
making conclusions, identifying character motivations, and identifying theme or universal ideas.
We will also be working on our communication skills through group/partner work and whole
class discussion. I will be reading through and grading students’ close reading handouts to assess
understanding of the text, connections, motivations, and universal ideas. Finally, students will
participate in a vocabulary review game in preparation for a quiz the following day.
Content Objective: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to identify a character’s
motivations in a passage and make connections between a text and a previously discussed theme.
SEL Objective: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to participate in a multitude of
discussions, including partner and whole group discussions.
Language Objective: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to accurately identify the
definition of key vocabulary words, as well as synonyms and antonyms.
General Rationale:
By reading a text and identifying crucial elements such as theme and character motivation,
students are practicing critical reading and thinking skills. These critical reading and thinking
skills are useful for everyday life, from critically reading and thinking about news articles to
college/work materials. Additionally, in this lesson students will practice social emotional skills
such as partner and whole group discussion. Practicing these skills is useful for real life
interpersonal relationships in which students will need to regulate and monitor their behavior.
Finally, students will be practicing vocabulary skills, thus expanding their general vocabulary.
As a result, students will have a larger vocabulary of academic words to use in their academic
writing, as well as in college and beyond.
“1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what a text states explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text” (MA Curriculum Framework for English Language
Arts and Literacy, March 2017, RL, Grades 9-10, #1, pg. 108).
“2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of a text” (MA Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts
and Literacy, March 2017, RL, Grades 9-10, #2, pg. 108).
“4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases
based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies” (MA
Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy, March 2017, L, Grades 9-10,
#4, pg. 113).
Methodology:
1. When the class begins, call students attention to the front. In a previous class, students have
learned about and discussed the American Dream – the idea that everybody, no matter where you
begin, can improve their socioeconomic standing just through hard work. Ask students to recall
the definition of the American Dream and write it on the board. If students are having trouble
answering this question, instruct them to find their Of Mice and Men Background Cloze Notes
(from a week ago or so) and find the answer there. After recalling the American Dream, ask
students to recall what George and Lennie’s dream is in Of Mice and Men. Write student
responses on the board. Potential answers include: a farm, land of their own, being able to
support themselves, rabbits. (0:00-3:00).
2. Show the Crooks Close Reading Handout to students (note: do not pass it out without first
explaining the steps—students in this class find it overwhelming to get a handout with no
instructions prior.) Remind students that we have previously completed a similar assignment for
Curley’s Wife when we read Chapter 2. This assignment should be very similar to that. Tell
students that they will be re-reading a passage from Chapter 4 about Crooks. Note that students
have had access to the text through multiple modes: audio, printed text, and pdf text. This will be
the second time they read this passage and will be using a hands-on activity to access the text.
This is an example of UDL Guideline 1.3, “offer alternatives for visual information.” As they
read, they should highlight evidence that Crooks believes in the American Dream in one color
and evidence that he doesn’t believe in the American Dream in another color. After highlighting
they should record bullet point notes in the chart on the back for each of the following
categories: images/plants/animals associated with achieving the Dream, what Crooks says to
support the Dream, what Crooks says to criticize the Dream, and what others say to Crooks.
Finally, they will discuss their overall opinion on Crooks as a character with their desk neighbors
before writing down their opinion in the space provided. Emphasize that the first step is to go
through and highlight evidence, then pass out the assignment (3:00-8:00).
3. Put a timer for 15 minutes on the board. Tell students that by the end of the timer, they should
have their highlighting and chart completed. Students are allowed to work individually or in
partners for this section. Use this time to employ Lemov’s technique #24 “Circulate”: circulate
around the room to check student progress and redirect off-task behavior. (8:00-23:00).
3. At the end of the 15 minutes, put a 5 minute timer on the board. Give students this time to
discuss their opinions of Crooks as a character with their neighbors before writing a few
sentences about their opinions on the space provided. Give a one minute warning to tell students
to wrap up their last thought. (23:00-28:00)
4. Bring students’ attention back to the teacher by telling them that you need their attention right
now. Ask students what they put down in each section of the chart, one by one. Encourage
multiple answers for each section. Once each section has been covered, ask students to share
what they thought about Crooks as a character. At the end of the class discussion, collect the
Crooks Close Reading handout to assess student progress toward the content objective. (28:00-
35:00).
5. Switch tabs on the computer to the “9.4 Vocabulary” Kahoot! created by Mr. Rea
(https://create.kahoot.it/share/9-4-vocabulary/1fe09b1d-e3fb-451a-b9ea-a9b98fe1d7c2). This
activity will be an example of Lemov’s Technique #5: “Show Me” in which students are actively
showing evidence of their knowledge to the teacher. Note that this activity is another form of
action and expression with vocabulary, other than reading, writing notes, and discussing in class
which have been used previously. This is an application of UDL Guideline 4.1: Vary the
methods for response and navigation. The Kahoot technology also provides multiple tools for
communication, as per UDL Guideline 5.1. Make sure that the nickname option is selected prior
to making the Kahoot! live in order to keep students anonymous and prevent inappropriate
names. Project the code to join on the board. Spend whatever time is remaining in the class (~10
minutes) playing through the Kahoot! Note that time does not permit us to fully complete the
Kahoot! in class, but the link will be provided for students on Google Classroom if they would
like to use it to study. The questions and the correct answers are as follows: (35:00-43:00)
1. Q: n. an old saying that has come to be accepted as true; a proverb A: adage
2. Q: n. good will and warm feelings among friends A: camaraderie
3. Q: v. to struggle with; to maintain or assert A: contend
4. Q: adj. not necessary; irrelevant A: extraneous
5. Q: n. noisy confusion; uproar A: hubbub
6. Q: v. to follow a winding course A: meander
7. Q: adj. having or giving off a smell A: odoriferous
8. Q: n. equipment associated with a particular activity A: paraphernalia
9. Q: adj. careful of and attentive to detail, especially ones relating to good manners A:
punctilious
 10. Q: v. to regain health or strength A: recuperate
11. Q: v. to entertain or delight A: regale
12. Q: adj. doing or requiring a lot of sitting A: sedentary
13. Q: adj. marked by simplicity and lack of luxury A: Spartan
14. Q: adj. relating to the everyday world as opposed to that which is spiritual A:
temporal
15. Q: adj. turned or bent to one side in distaste or humor; amusing in a sharp way A: wry
16. Q: Which of the following is an ANTONYM for sedentary A: active
17. Q: Which of the following is an ANTONYM for regale A: bore
18. Q: Which of the following is an ANTONYM for contention A: cooperation
19. Q: Which of the following is an ANTONYM for Spartan A: luxurious
20. Q: Which of the following is a SYNONYM for punctilious A: attentive
21. Q: Which of the following is a SYNONYM for adage A: proverb
22. Q: The paragraph about popcorn in my Shakespeare paper was ______ and did not
belong A: extraneous
23. Q: Babies need a lot of ____ including a stroller, crib, and car seat A: paraphernalia
24. Q: A _____ lifestyle of little activity has been proven to be bad for keeping one’s
body healthy A: sedentary
25. Q: After fighting the battle together, the troops developed a strong sense of ____ A:
camaraderie
26. Q: He has a(n) _____ sense of humor that many people don’t understand A: wry
27. Q: We needed to ______ after running the marathon A: recuperate
28. Q: The stream _____ through the woods A: meanders
29. Q: The _____ hotel room included only a bed and a nightstand A: Spartan
30. Q: There was a _____ at my neighbors house with police sirens and firetrucks blaring
A: hubbub
31. Q: I had to _____ with working a part-time job and keeping up with my school work
A: contend
8. In the last two or so minutes of class, students can exit the Kahoot! game and begin packing
up. Remind students to study for the quiz tomorrow with the Quizlet, Kahoot!, and packet on
Google Classroom. Dismiss class with the bell (43:00-45:00)
Assessment:
The content objective will be assessed through the Crooks Close Reading Handout. Students who
meet the objective will be able to explain how Crooks seems unsure or undecided about the
American Dream—that he wants to believe in it but that it is difficult for him because he has not
seen anyone actually achieve it. Students who are partially meeting the objective will lean to one
side or the other, either saying that Crooks absolutely does or doesn’t believe in the American
Dream. These students may need extra assistance during the analysis, especially while discussing
moral ambiguities. Students who have not achieved the objective either did not write anything
down or were not able to connect the Crooks character and the theme of the American Dream. If
the majority of students were not able to connect the character and the theme, I will add more
thematic analysis questions to the Edpuzzle so that students can practice this skill.
The SEL objective will be assessed through observation. Students should be discussing their
ideas and observations during the 5 minute partner discussion. I will make a note of students who
do not discuss with their neighbors and plan to pair them with positive peers during the next
partner session.
The language objective will be assessed through the vocabulary quiz that will take place the next
class period. On this quiz, students will need to accurately identify synonyms, antonyms, and
definitions of this section’s fifteen vocabulary words. There are 40 points on the quiz – students
who get at least 30/40 on this quiz will be meeting the objective. Students who get below 30/40
may need more one-on-one assistance while learning the next set of vocabulary words.
Aim:
My aim during this lesson is pacing, which is also my SMART goal. We have a lot of content to
get through in this lesson, including a close reading activity and preparing for a vocabulary quiz.
I want to make sure that I give students enough time to finish everything they need to, while also
making sure that we get to the last activity (vocab review) so that they can be successful on the
quiz.
References:
CAST (2018). UDL Guideline 1.3. The UDL Guidelines. CAST UDL Guidelines. Retrieved
from http://udlguidelines.cast.org.
CAST (2018). UDL Guideline 4.1. The UDL Guidelines. CAST UDL Guidelines. Retrieved
from http://udlguidelines.cast.org.
CAST (2018). UDL Guideline 5.1. The UDL Guidelines. CAST UDL Guidelines. Retrieved
from http://udlguidelines.cast.org.
Steinbeck, J. (1993). Of Mice and Men. Penguin Books. (1937).
Hodkinson, K. & Adams, S. (2007). Lesson 3. Wordly Wise Book 9. (Third Edition). Educators
Publishing Service Inc.
Lemov, D. (2015). Technique #5: Show Me. In Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques that
put students on the path to college (pp. 47-51). Jossey-Bass.
Lemov, D. (2015). Technique #24: Circulate. In Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques that
put students on the path to college (pp. 183-187). Jossey-Bass.
Massachusetts 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework. (2017).
Malden, MA: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Rea, Christopher [crea27]. 9.4 Vocabulary. [Computer software]. Kahoot!
https://create.kahoot.it/share/9-3-vocabulary/3bcc3f57-bc15-40a1-a4a6-a6d532abf0e2.
The following is a set of cloze notes that students filled out prior to beginning Of Mice and Men.
Students filled this out based on a Google Slides (attached) and can reference this in the
beginning of class.
Of Mice and Men Background Cloze Notes
Migrant Workers
 Farm workers who travel ______________ to harvest crops and
do not have _________________.
 They are very important to America but often 
________________.
 Migrant workers are the subject of our novella that takes place in
the 1930s, but they are _____________________ today.
The Great Depression
 Economic downturn from ______ to _____.
 Happened because of a stock market crash on ___________ known
as ________________.
 ___________ workers were some of the hardest hit and had to
become migrant workers.
The Dust Bowl
 Natural disaster of severe __________ and __________ during
the _____ (at the same time as the ________) in the Great
Plains/the Prairie. 
 Sent farming families to _______________, making more
__________ for migrant workers and putting more _________ on
California farms.
Mental Disabilities in the 1930s
 In the 1930s, people who had mental disabilities were treated
_____________.
 People who had mental disabilities were often ___________ from
their homes and placed in ____________, which were dirty,
violent, neglectful places.
The American Dream
 The American Dream is the idea that anyone can achieve
_________, improve their _______, and climb the
_________________ just through __________.
 Do you think this is true? Does hard work always pay off?
________________________________________________________
____
________________________________________________________
____
The following is the Crooks Close Reading handout. It contains an excerpt from Steinbeck’s Of
Mice and Men Chapter 4.

Crooks Close Reading

Instructions: Reread the following excerpt from Chapter 4 of Of Mice and Men and
complete the following:
 Underline/Highlight evidence that Crooks believes in the American Dream
 Underline/Highlight evidence that Crooks does not believe in the American
Dream

The stable buck went on dreamily, “I remember when I was a little kid on my old man’s
chicken ranch. Had two brothers. They was always near me, always there. Used to sleep right
in the same room, right in the same bed–all three. Had a strawberry patch. Had an alfalfa
patch. Used to turn the chickens out in the alfalfa on a sunny morning. My brothers’d set on a
fence rail an’ watch ‘em–white chickens they was.”
Gradually Lennie’s interest came around to what was being said. “George says we’re
gonna have an alfalfa for the rabbits.”
“What rabbits?”
“We’re gonna have rabbits an’ a berry patch.”
“You’re nuts.”
“We are too. You ast George.”
“You’re nuts.” Crooks was scornful. “I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on
the rances, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads.
Hundreds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on;  an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little
piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it. Just like heaven.
Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to
heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it,
but it’s jus’ in their head.” 
(…)
Crooks interrupted brutally. “You guys is just kiddin’ yourself. You’ll talk a hell of a
lot, but you won’t get no land. You’ll be a swamper here till they take you out in a box. Hell,
I see too many guys. Lennie here’ll quit an’ be on the road in two, three weeks. Seems like ever’
guy got land in his head.”
Candy rubbed his cheek angrily. “You God damn right we’re gonna do it. George says we
are. We got the money right now.”
“Yeah?” said Crooks. “An’ where’s George now? In town in a whore house. That’s where
your money’s goin’. Jesus, I seen it happen too many times. I seen too many guys with land in
their head. They never get none under their hand.”
(...)
Crooks asked, “You say you got the money?”
“Damn right. We got most of it. Just a little bit more to get. Have it all in one month.
George got the land all picked out too.”
Crooks reached around and explored his spine with his hand. “I never seen a guy really
do it,” he said. “I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever’ time a whore house
or blackjack game took what it takes.” He hesitated. “...If you…guys would want a hand to
work for nothing–just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand. I ain’t so crippled I can’t work
like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to.”
Also consider how the following categories affect the relationship between Crooks
and the Dream: Images/plants/animals associated with achieving the Dream, what
Crooks says to support the Dream, what Crooks says to criticize the Dream, and
what others say to Crooks.
Images/plants/anim What Crooks says What Crooks says What others say to
als associated to support the to criticize the Crooks (in this
with achieving the Dream Dream passage)
Dream

Discuss with your neighbor: Overall, how would you sum up Crooks’ attitude and
beliefs about the American Dream in general, and Lennie and George’s dream in
particular? Does he believe that the American Dream is attainable? Or, does he believe
that the American Dream is just a dream? How does his background, as a black man in
the 1930s, affect the way he views this ideal? Reference evidence from your chart to
help answer this question.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
We won’t see Crooks much after this, but keep in mind the way he and the American
Dream are intertwined.

Also find attached: Of Mice and Men Background PPT (used to fill out cloze notes available for
reference), a pdf of Of Mice and Men, and a pdf of Lesson 4 from Wordly Wise.