Of Mice and Men: Chapter 4

These two lessons explore Chapter 4 of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’.

Students are encouraged to think analytically about how Steinbeck introduces Crooks and racism in the novella. Key vocabulary is explored for analysing Crooks’ character with sophistication, and we think about the impact of segregation on the ranch. Lennie’s innocent optimism is also considered as students continue to explore Steinbeck’s presentation of the power of the American Dream against the backdrop of the Great Depression. We also consider how Steinbeck develops Curley’s Wife in this chapter, zooming in on her interaction with the men in Crooks’ room. Pupils are encouraged to think about alternative readings of key characters, and how the chapter ends on a note of pessimism and futility. This lesson ends with a creative writing task for students inspired by this chapter.

The first lesson is 14 slides; the second lesson is 12 slides.

Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students.

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.