Power, Justice, and Culpability: Of Mice and Men and The Central Park Five

Lesson 11
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ELA

Unit 3

9th Grade

Lesson 11 of 30

Objective


Analyze how Steinbeck has used foreshadowing to develop tension leading up to the story's climax.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck  pp. 84 – 93 — end after "much, much more than a moment."

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

How is the murder of Curley's wife foreshadowed throughout the text? Provide specific evidence from at least two other places in the novel and carefully explain your thinking.

Criteria for Success

  • Identifies at least one of the following as a means of foreshadowing: 
    • Lennie's treatment of mice 
    • Lennie killing the puppy
    • The description of Lennie's interaction with the woman in Weed 
    • Lennie's extreme strength and inability to let go when fighting with Curley

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • What mood does Steinbeck develop on page 84? How does this contrast with the mood Steinbeck develops on page 85? Provide specific evidence from the text to support your answer.

  • How does Steinbeck develop the reader's suspicion/expectation throughout the text that Lennie and Curley's wife will eventually interact? Provide examples from at least two places in previous chapters of the text. 

  • How does Steinbeck work to develop the reader's sympathy for Curley's wife on pages 87–90 and the last paragraph on page 92 / first paragraph of 93? How do we better understand her character's motivations from these pages? Provide specific evidence from the text to support your answer.

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

exposition

the beginning of a story, in which the characters, setting, and context are introduced

rising action

the section of text that comes after the exposition, when the story begins to get complicated and the central conflict is introduced

climax

the turning point of a story when the tension and conflict become most intense, and often when a significant change occurs

falling action

the part of the story that comes directly after the climax, when conflicts introduced earlier begin to be resolved

resolution

the conclusion of the story, generally when the conflict of the story is finally and fully resolved

Text-based

woe

n.

great sadness; sorrow

Homework


  • Book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck  — pp. 93–end

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • Who finds Curley's wife's body?

  • How does George react when he finds out that Curley's wife is dead?

  • What does Curley want to do to Lennie?

  • What does George initially think should happen to Lennie?

  • Where does Lennie go to wait for George? Why?

  • How does Lennie feel as he waits for George?

  • What does George talk to Lennie about when he arrives?

  • What does George do to Lennie? 

Annotation Focus

Annotate for dialogue and actions that reveal George's emotions in this scene.

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.5 — Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.1
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10
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Lesson 10

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Lesson 12

Lesson Map

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