The captivating novella, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck beautifully illustrates the value of friendship as it explores themes of loneliness and dwindling dreams. Tap into the tale by incorporating a few of our activity ideas into your history lessons that focus on the Great Depression. From simple activities such as character collages to more intricate tasks like theme analyses, we’ve got something to suit every student’s learning level!
1. Character Collage
Discover deeper elements that pertain to the story’s characters by getting your students to piece together a character collage. Using evocative images and memorable quotes from the book, they’ll be able to effortlessly portray the protagonists.
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2. Letter Writing
Imagine a secret correspondence between characters of, Of Mice and Men. Task your students with writing letters from one character to another. Get them to consider what George would say to Lennie or what advice Slim might have for Curley’s wife.
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3. Storyboard Creation
Combining imagery and words, your students can paint a vivid storyboard that illustrates the novel’s key scenes. The dialogue, the plot twists, the emotion, and more can all be portrayed in this way!
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4. Character Analysis Debate
In groups, your students must debate the actions and motivations of Steinbeck’s complex characters. Prepare for some insightful and heated discussions as the class discussions ensue!
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5. Journal Entries
Stir empathy and a deeper understanding by encouraging learners to walk a mile in the characters’ shoes. To do so, have them pick a character and craft a journal entry that reflects the characters’ experiences and emotional journey.
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6. Setting Diorama
Bring the vivid settings of the novella to life by tasking your students with constructing a three-dimensional snapshot of the ranch. Watch their creativity bloom as they use various materials to bring Steinbeck’s descriptions to life!
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7. Alternative Ending
Turn your students into storytellers as you challenge them to re-envision the tale’s ending; considering different possibilities and outcomes. The result? A fresh take on a classic story!
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8. Theme Analysis Essay
Assign your students the task of examining a major theme from the novel. As a result of the observations, they must write an essay in which they argue their points and input supportive evidence from the text.
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9. Character Monologues
Have your dramatic souls step into the shoes of Steinbeck’s characters as they write and perform monologues. As they craft their pieces, they should focus on articulating the characters’ dreams, fears, and deepest thoughts.
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10. Book Club Discussions
Create a culture of open conversation as your learners relish in the joys of a book club. Here, your learners can exchange thoughts, opinions, and insights about the novel in a casual, yet focused, book club setting.
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11. Relationship Mapping
Task your students with bringing to life a visual representation of the relationships between characters from the book. In doing so, they’ll highlight the intricate web of interactions that underpins the entire story.
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12. Historical Context Research
Travel back in time as your task your learners with digging into the realities of the Great Depression era. Whilst doing so, they’ll unearth important experiences of migrant workers during this challenging period and come to better understand this harsh period.
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13. Literary Analysis Podcast
Get your learners to collaborate and create a podcast episode where they can explore the themes, symbolism, and character development of the novel.
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14. Cinematic Adaptation
This task is perfect for film prodigies as it gets your students to reimagine “Of Mice and Men” from a novella into a short film. They will need to write a script and shoot a short adaptation of a specific scene from the book.
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15. Character Trading Cards
Task your learners with designing trading cards that feature the characters from the novel. On the cards, they should include descriptions, key traits, and poignant quotes.
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16. Prop Design
Inspire your students to delve into the details as you task them with designing props that symbolize key objects from the story. Whilst they tinker on their projects, prompt them to elaborate on their significance in relation to the plot.
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17. Historical Newspaper Article
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Turn back the clock and have your students create a newspaper article set in the 1930s; narrating an event or character from “Of Mice and Men” as a real news story.
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18. Character Transformation Timeline
Get your learners to think about the evolution of a character throughout the novel. From there, they can create a timeline that illuminates their transformative journey.
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19 Creative Grinch-Themed Writing Activities 