English 9

Lesson 61
Ellington Academy of Arts and Technology

Of Mice and Men: Book Talk

Materials needed:

Chromebooks

Pens

Markers

Poster board

Book Of Mice and Men

Common Core Standards:

W66: Use technology, including the internet to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and
collaborate with others, demonstrate sufficient command of keyboard skills to type a minimum of three
pages in a single sitting.
SL9-10,1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.
RL9-10,1: Cite strong textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inference drawn from the text.
RI6-12,7: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (visually.)

Learning Objectives:

1.

Students will be able to write at least twelve lines in their journals.

2. Students will be able to have collaborative discussions with peers about the novel Of Mice and
Men.

3.

The student will be able to extract important quotes from text.

4.

The student will be able to portray a work of literature in a different medium, in this case, art.

Learning Plan:
(5): One question reading quiz. This is a one question quiz to check that students are reading. The
question is such that if the student read, it will be almost impossible to not know the answer and if they
did not read it will be almost impossible. Students who do not answer at all receive 0 points out of five.
Students who answer, but answer incorrectly, they get 1 out of 5 point, and if they answer correctly they
get 5 out of 5 points.
(12): Journal: We all know those friends who treat each other horribly but still say they are best
friends. Can you be a best friend with someone but be mean to them all the time? Use the time that
the students are writing their journals to take attendance and create a new assignment for the journal in
the class Infinite Campus.
(5): Share out: have students share what they wrote in their journals. Segue the conversation to the
book and pose the question of whether or not George and Lennie are really friends. Are they true
friends? Are they together out of obligation? Is one of them a true friend but not the other?
(2): Divide students into groups and give instructions for book talk group work. There should be about 4
people in each group. Have each group go to a corner of the room where the teacher has already placed
a sheet of poster board on the wall. The poster boards should be labeled most important quote,
summary, picture it and create quiz questions. Review CHAMPS expectations for book talk.
(30): Book talk: Read the novel allowed while students follow along. Try to be animated in your reading
and engage students, asking lots of questions about the book as your reading, and waiting for responses
from the students. Every two pages take a break from reading and have students write at one of the
posters. Give students 2 minutes at each station before having them rotate clock-wise to the next
station, then, resume reading for two pages. Try to get through all of the stations by the end of the hour
so that each group contributes to each poster.
(5): Exit slip: Predict: What is going to happen when Lennie and George get on the ranch?

Assessment:
Students will be assessed based on the one question quiz at the beginning of class, observations from
the teacher, comments made during our collaborative discussions, the poster boards the students will
write on, as well as the exit slip.

Accommodations:
Teacher is available to help any students that are having difficulties. Students with an EIP have
shortened journal line requirement. Students also have the option of writing their journals with paper
and pencil, or on the computer. The teacher reads the book allowed to students while they follow along
in their books. Students are able to portray their thoughts about the book through speaking, writing,
and drawing. All of these means of communication receive credit in the form of a participation grade.
Students do group work and students are expected to help one each other out. The exit slip is not a
right or wrong quiz, but rather a prediction about what they think will happen in the story.