Of Mice and Men: Chapter 2

These two lessons explore Chapter 2 of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’.

Students are encouraged to think about George and Lennie’s arrival at the ranch and how Steinbeck foreshadows future events in the novella. Close linguistic analysis of the bunkhouse is included. The majority of the text’s key characters are introduced in this chapter and students are invited to consider Steinbeck’s characterisation of each of them, paying close attention to their symbolism against the backdrop of the Great Depression.

Pupils are encouraged to analyse Curley’s character in depth. Key vocabulary is explored to facilitate sophisticated analysis, before an example paragraph is shown in response to an analytical question. Pupils then have a go at writing about Curley themselves.

Pupils also consider Curley’s Wife carefully, questioning the misogynistic culture which gives rise to the men’s comments about her. We try to offer a more sympathetic reading, acknowledging the complexity of her character. Pupils then have to think about the potential symbolism of Candy’s dog.

The first lesson is 16 slides; the second lesson is 12 slides.

Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. A worksheet, encouraging pupils to think about each of the characters symbolically, is also included. Also included is a ‘vocabulary challenge’ sheet for pupils to hold onto (sticking into their books/folders) while studying this novella. It encourages them to use precise and sophisticated vocabulary when discussing and analysing the text, ticking off each word once they have used it successfully.

Page numbers (included in the lesson titles and in quotations) are in reference to the Penguin Modern Classics edition (light blue spine).

Ideal for upper-KS3 or GCSE students.

PowerPoints are saved as PDFs.