OfMiceandMen
WebQuest
Introduction
Inordertobetterappreciatethenovella,OfMiceandMen,byJohnSteinbeck,youaregoingto
conductaWebQuestinwhichyouexaminethetimeperiodandsettinginwhichtheauthorlived
andwrotethenovella.Bycloselyexaminingthetimeperiodandsetting,youwillgainabetter
understandingofthesocial,cultural,andeconomicfactorsthatinfluencedtheauthorandare
reflectedinthestory.Youwillgainanappreciationofwhatitwasliketobeamigrantworkerin
theSalinasValleyofCaliforniaduringthe1930sandduringtheGreatDepression.Steinbeckused
OfMiceandMenasavehicletoexpresshissocialconscienceandobservationsregardingthesocial
andculturalissueshewitnessedduringadifficulterainAmerica.Inthenovella,Steinbeckpaintsa
pictureoftwofriendsstrugglingagainstanindifferentsociety.Thenovellafocusesontopicsof
povertyanddreams,friendshipandloneliness,despairandhope.Inadditiontogainingabetter
understandingofthecontextofthenovel,theWebquestwillalsoenableyoutounderstandhow
manyofthesocietal,cultural,andeconomicfactorsthatSteinbeckaddressedinOfMiceandMen
resonatetoday.
Question: What are the social, cultural, and economic issues that
influenced John Steinbeck’s writing of this novella?
Objectives:
• Researchandcreateaposter/prezi/PowerPointoftopicsrelatedtothehistoricalcontextof
thenovel.
• Gainanappreciationofhowsocial,cultural,andeconomicfactorscaninfluenceanauthor
andaregreatlyreflectedinaliterarywork.
• CreateaWorksCitedpageusingtheproperformat.
Process:
Studentswillbeworkingwithapartneroringroupsnolargerthanfour.Eachgroup’sresearch
willprovideinformationthateffectivelyanswersthetaskandquestions.Asamemberofthe
group,eachstudentwillexplorewebpagesfromsitesthatpertaintoOfMiceandMenor
issues/topicsrelevanttothenovella.Eachstudentwillbegivenspecificquestions/topicsto
exploreinarelatedgenre.Eachstudentwillhaveaspecificroleandtask:
Geographer,Sociologist,Psychiatrist,orBiographer.
Eachstudentwill:
• ConductandassembleresearchfromtheInternettoanswerthequestionsinhis/hersection.
• Findvisualsrelevanttohis/herresearchtobeusedforthegroup’spresentation.
• Helphis/hergroupassemblethepresentation.Thefinalproductmustcontaintextand
visualsfromallfourcategories.
• Submitaworkscitedpageofsourcesusedinhis/herpartoftheproject.
Instructions:
• IndividualsfromyourWebQuestgroupwillbeassignedoneofthespecificroles(decideasa
group).Inthisroleyouaretodirectyourresearchtogaininformationthatwillanswer
specificquestionsforyoursectionandobtainspecificvisualsthataddressyourtopictobe
includedinthegroup’spresentation.
• Whileresearchingconsidertaking“Cornell”notestorecordyourinformation.Seeexample
formathere:http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.html
• Remembertocopy/pastetheURLofthefileyoutakethepassagefromsoyoucanidentify
anddocumentyoursourceswhenpreparingaWorksCitedpage.(It’sagoodideato
includethisinyourCornellnotes).
• Stayfocusedonfindinginformationthatenablesyoutoanswerthequestionpresentedinthe
task:whatarethebackgroundissuesthatinfluencedJohnSteinbeck’swritingofthis
novellaaboutfriendshipandsocialissues?
Questions for each role:
Psychiatrist’sQuestions:
• Whatisamentaldisabilityandhowdoesitimpactaperson’severydaylife?
• Whataresomeofthedifficultiesfacedwhencaringforamentallydisabledperson?
• Whatkindsofsupportareavailableforpeoplewhocareforthementallydisabled–today
andinthe1930s?
• Whatroledoesfriendshipplayincaringforthementallydisabled?
Forthevisualaspectofthepresentation,considercreatingacollage(posterordigital)ofliterature
bookcoversandfilmpostersthathavestoriesaboutmentallydisabledpeople.
Biographer’sQuestions:
• ListsomeofthemajorfactsaboutSteinbeck’slife.
• WhatphilosophyoflifeisrevealedinSteinbeck’sNobelPrizeAcceptanceSpeech?Givea
briefdefinitionofthatphilosophy.
• WhatinfluencedSteinbecktowritethenovella,OfMiceandMen?
• WhatareothermajorworkswrittenbySteinbeck?
• WhoaresomeoftherecipientsoftheSteinbeckaward?Whatisthepurposeoftheaward?
Forthevisualaspect,considercreatingacollage(posterordigital)ofphotosofSteinbeckandthe
coversofhismostsignificantnovels.
Geographer’sQuestions:
• WhatarethegeographicalfeaturesofCarolina’sSalinasRiverValley?
• WhatistheSalinasValleyknownas?
• Whatkindsofjobsareavailablethere?
• WhatwasJohnSteinbeck’srelationshiptotheSalinasValley?
• IdentifyspecificlocationsrelevanttoOfMiceandMen
Forthevisualcomponent,considercreatingamap(posterordigital)oftheareawithsignificant
locationsidentified.
Sociologist’sQuestions:
• WhenwastheGreatDepression?
• WhataresomeofthefactorsthatcausedtheGreatDepression?
• WhowerethemigrantworkersandhowdidtheGreatDepressionaffectthem?
• Migrantworkersstillexisttoday.WherearetheyinNorthAmerica?Whoarethey?What
kindofjobsdotheydo?Whatdifficultiesmightmigrantworkersexperiencetoday?Howis
theissueofmigrantworkerssignificanttoday?Explain.
Forthevisualaspect,considerdevelopingacollageofphotos(posterordigital)ofmigrant
workersofthe1930soracombinationofmigrantworkersofthe1930sandtoday.