John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in six weeks. Teachers have been untangling it with their students ever since — the friendship, the dream, Curley's wife, and that ending. This 11-resource unit gives you everything you need to teach the novella from first read to final essay, with enough flexibility to slow down where your class needs it and move through where they don't. What's Included Unit overview with standards alignment (CCSS RL.11-12.1–5, W.11-12.1–2, SL.11-12.1–4) 15-slide PowerPoint with photographs and images throughout 20-term glossary focused on Steinbeck's style and American literature context 4-week pacing guide with differentiation strategies for mixed-ability classes 45-minute opening activity on the American Dream and social mobility 18 discussion prompts organized by chapter and theme Formative midpoint assessment — 30 points with answer key Character and thematic analysis guides for George, Lennie, Curley's wife, Candy, and Crooks Essay assignment — 5 prompt options with rubric (60 points) Creative project — 5 options with rubric (90 points) Teacher's notes with facilitation strategies, discussion tips, and extension activities How to Use It The pacing guide maps four weeks of instruction, but this unit works just as well compressed into three for shorter semesters or expanded with independent reading time built in. Discussion prompts are organized by chapter so you can drop them into any day you need a conversation starter. Essay and creative project options give students a choice, which tends to produce better final work than a single mandatory prompt.
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Everything comes as Word documents — print-ready and easy to adapt. About This Unit This unit was built by a high school English teacher with 24 years of classroom experience across American literature, college preparatory English, and writing courses. The character analysis guides came out of years of watching students conflate George's pragmatism with coldness, and Curley's wife's loneliness with antagonism. The prompts push back on both. Who It's For 11th-grade English, AP Language and Composition (rhetoric and style focus), honors literature, and thematic units on social justice, the American Dream, or Depression-era America. Works for teachers new to Steinbeck and teachers who have taught it ten times and need fresh discussion angles.
This unit is part of the Complete Western Canon Literature Curriculum — 7-Unit Bundle, available at over 30% off the individual unit price. If this resource saved you prep time, please leave a rating under My Purchases Provide Feedback. Every review earns you TpT Credits toward future purchases — roughly $1 in credits for every $10 reviewed. Follow Starmaker English & Journalism Tools to be notified when new resources launch or go on sale. Keywords: Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck, Steinbeck novel study, Of Mice and Men unit plan, high school ELA, 11th grade English, American literature, CCSS aligned, Of Mice and Men activities, novel study unit, George and Lennie, Depression era literature, Of Mice and Men essay, OMM unit
Designed for grades 9th – 12th.
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