Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath
Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 9–12
Curriculum Focus: Literature
Lesson Duration: One class period
Program Description
Follow the Joad family as they migrate from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression. The
public responded to this classic story written by John Steinbeck with alternate respect and scorn; its
pages were banned and burned by many, but embraced by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
•
Understand the universal nature of the characters’ struggles and some of the complex forces
affecting their lives.
•
Understand the value of primary source material in presenting an authentic picture of a
period in history.
Materials
•
Student copies of The Grapes of Wrath and any notes they may have about the novel
•
Writing paper, pencils or pens
•
3" x 5" index cards with the name of one of the characters on each (use as many as needed
and repeat some, if you choose): Tom Joad; Ma Joad; Jim Casy; Granma or Grampa Joad;
Rose of Sharon; Connie Rivers; Al Joad; a California farmer; Muley Graves or any of the
farmers who stay behind; Jim Rawley or any of the camp managers at a government-run
migrant camp
•
Image of men in a recreation hall at a migrant camp http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/D?toddbib:7:./temp/~ammem_9b8K:: from Voices from the Dust Bowl,
photocopied for class use
•
Image of migrant family http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/ppmsc/00200/00230r.jpg from
Dorothea Lange’s photographs taken for the Farm Security Administration, photocopied for
class use.
•
Document of Associated Farmers Declaration of Law and Order
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/afc/afcts/images/sb001/0012.jpg photocopied for class use
Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath
Teacher’s Guide
2
Procedures
1. Assign students to small groups (three or four, depending on class size) or allow students to
choose their own groups. Designate a leader responsible for keeping the group on task and a
recorder to note the group members’ responses to the assignment. Inform them that you will
collect this work for evaluation.
2. Distribute packets of the three downloaded primary sources for students. Hold the index cards
fanned out with characters’ names face down; ask one student from each group to select a card.
3. Have groups discuss and record their answers to questions below about the character. To
reinforce discussion, encourage them to refer to the novel, notes, personal understanding of the
book, and the primary material.
• What three or four adjectives best describe the character’s dominant personality traits?
• What two or three questions would you ask this character to help you to understand the
individual?
• What two or three objects or symbols do you associate with this character?
4. Explain that during the next class each group will be collaboratively writing a dramatic
monologue (suggested length: about 30 lines) for the character. If necessary, review the
elements of dramatic monologue:
A type of poem, generally in free verse, that is voiced by a single speaker to a reader or listener. The
speaker addresses a specific topic, and in the process reveals a great deal of personal information.
5. Identify criteria for the monologue. It should
•
meet the definition of a dramatic monologue,
•
accurately and appropriately represent the character in an authentic voice,
•
reflect a knowledge of the character and the role in the novel, and
•
reveal some previously unknown facet of the character’s life (i.e., the audience should gain a
deeper understanding of the character's personality or psychology).
6. Have students draft the topic their character will address in a monologue. They might choose to
have the character answer one of the questions they posed in procedure Step 3. As students
begin discussing their monologue, encourage them to think about the Depression Era images
they reviewed. These primary sources should help them understand what life was like for
migrant workers. Collect notes from each group and encourage students to come prepared with
ideas for writing.
7. The next day have students immediately get into their groups, return their notes from the
previous class, and instruct them to work on the collaborative writing. Stress the length limit
(about 30 minutes) and other criteria you have set. Realize that, although students will write a
draft, they may produce creative work. You will be able to assess their understanding of the
characters and the major ideas in the novel.
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Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath
Teacher’s Guide
3
8. During the remaining time, select one student from each group to read and share each group’s
product. If time allows, ask for comments.
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson.
•
3 points: Preliminary group work (reviewing online sources and analyzing images) was
correctly and thoroughly completed. Writing fits definition of a dramatic monologue and is
written in a voice that seems authentic to the character. Writing reflects an understanding of the
character and his or her role in the novel.
•
2 points: Preliminary group work (reviewing online sources and analyzing images) was
adequately completed. Writing fits some of the definition of a dramatic monologue and is
written in a voice that shows some authenticity to the character. Writing reflects some
understanding of the character and his or her role in the novel.
•
1 point: Preliminary group work (reviewing online sources and analyzing images), was
incomplete. Writing does not fit the definition of a dramatic monologue and is not written in a
voice that seems to the character. Writing does not reflect an understanding of the character and
his or her role in the novel.
Vocabulary
arable
Definition: Fit for or used for growing crops
Context: In the 1930s, drought and the windstorms that followed turned arable land into dust.
derisive
Definition: Expressing or showing contempt or scorn
Context: The people uprooted in the Dust Bowl were called by the derisive name “Okies.”
indigent
Definition: Suffering from indigence; impoverished
Context: Many farmers in the Dust Bowl became indigent after they lost their homes.
migrant
Definition: A person who moves regularly to find work, especially harvesting crops
Context: The life of the migrant farmer is dictated by the cycles of planting and harvesting.
veracity
Definition: Devotion to the truth; truthfulness
Context: Although it’s fiction, the veracity of The Grapes of Wrath stirred public opinion.
vigilante
Definition: A self-appointed doer of justice
Context: During the Depression, migrant workers often became victims of violent vigilante groups.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath
Teacher’s Guide
4
Academic Standards
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit link:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
•
Language Arts—Reading: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a
variety of literary texts
•
History—United States History: Understands the causes of the Great Depression and how it
affected American society
Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
• http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
DVD Content
How To Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by
using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause
button is included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into sections, indicated by video thumbnail icons. Watching
all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. Brief descriptions and total
running times are noted for each part. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the remote for
TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read the accompanying text
description and click again to start the video.
Curriculum Units—These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the
video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They
include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher’s Guide. To
play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV remote or click once on the Curriculum Unit title
on a computer.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath
Teacher’s Guide
5
Video Index
I. Introduction (12 min.)
An overview of The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck's powerful and realistic portrayal of labor issues
in California during the Great Depression, and a detailed look at the book's opening chapters.
II. Okies Head West (13 min.)
The Joads arrive in California, having lost both Granma and Grampa along the way. Details about
author John Steinbeck's early years, and a history of California during the Great Depression.
III. The Family's Demise (11 min.)
Life in California is far different than what the Joads had imagined. A look at the real-life migrant
labor camp that helped influence Steinbeck's writing.
IV. Steinbeck's Influence (15 min.)
How writing The Grapes of Wrath changed Steinbeck's life. Detailed discussion of the book's final
chapters, including a look at the shocking and controversial ending.
Curriculum Units
Segment 1. Introduction: The Grapes of Wrath
Pre-viewing question
Q: How many Americans were put out of work by the Great Depression?
A: About 12 million Americans—nearly one-quarter of the country's entire workforce—became
unemployed during the Great Depression.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why is The Grapes of Wrath often considered synonymous with the Great Depression?
A: Steinbeck's book told the story of the fictional Joad family, whose life closely resembled that of
many real families during the Great Depression.
Segment 2. The Journey Begins
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do authors use symbolism?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What does the turtle at the beginning of the book symbolize?
A: A turtle carries its home around on its back, which is similar to what the Joads were about to do.
The turtle symbolizes the Joads' impending journey and the way of life for migrants.
Segment 3. Shattered Dreams
Pre-viewing question
Q: What would you do to save a dying stranger?
A: Answers will vary.
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Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath
Teacher’s Guide
6
Post-viewing question
Q: How did Tom change because of Jim Casy's death?
A: Jim Casy's death opened Tom's eyes to the reality of his situation and made him realize that he
had to take action against injustice. No longer could he just try to get by and look the other way
without doing anything about it.
Segment 4. The Great Depression
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do you think Americans move west in times of trouble?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why was farming in California difficult for the Okies?
A: When migrants arrived in California, they found that the state was already full of large
corporate farms and that the farms had plenty of workers. The plentiful supply of agricultural
products and workers meant there was no room for new farmers.
Segment 5. The Life and Times of John Steinbeck
Pre-viewing question
Q: Do you believe that all living things are interconnected?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What is "group man"?
A: "Group man" represents Steinbeck's idea that men and women are biologically linked together to
form a group, just like cells. As Steinbeck saw it, a nuclear family's needs must give way to the
needs of the larger family, the family of humans or "group man."
Segment 6. A Book That Changed a Nation
Pre-viewing question
Q: How did Steinbeck influence the labor movement in America?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How did Eleanor Roosevelt's interest legitimize The Grapes of Wrath?
A: Her interest in the plight of migrants led Eleanor Roosevelt to investigate labor camps and their
conditions in California. When she did, she found that Steinbeck's story rang true. The American
people had great trust in Mrs. Roosevelt and accepted her opinion about the accuracy of
Steinbeck's story.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.