To
the Parents/ Guardians of _______________________:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of a
component in our study of the 1930s. As
we address the Great Depression, we will focus on the study of poverty in
America. Students will choose between two
options for projects that center on poverty in the 1930s and in the modern
setting. These projects can be completed outside of the classroom setting. This will be complemented with an in- class
study of John Steinbeck’s novella, Of
Mice and Men.
As with all choice of literature, some background as to
selection needs to be offered.
Steinbeck’s work discusses themes intrinsic to the 1930s. Focusing on the American predicament through
the eyes of the dispossessed and the economically marginalized is of central
importance to Steinbeck’s work. As our
unit examines the issue of poverty both in the Great Depression and in our own
world, Steinbeck’s work encompasses realities that are contextual and universal
in their scope. The examination of the
social conditions that give rise to the book and animate its plot will be given
significant discussion time in the classroom setting.
We will be reading the book entirely in class in about a
week’s time. This gives an excellent opportunity for students to interact with
the text in the classroom setting and to ruminate upon the concepts covered
outside of class. Students will be
required to complete enrichment sheets that assess different aspects of reading
comprehension and historical analysis outside of class. I will be reading the text aloud in class as
students follow along with classroom copies of the text. This will allow a wide distillation of the
text complexity in both syntax and thematic implications. After student projects have been submitted, students
will engage in a culminating Close Reading Activity based on Steinbeck’s work.
Steinbeck’s work is not without provocative issues about
which students and stakeholders need to be made aware. Steinbeck writes the work in the mode of
Social Realism. Steinbeck and other artists who embraced Social Realism seek to
depict reality in an honest and direct manner.
Their hopes rest with awakening individual awareness and galvanizing
voices towards change. This is
consistent with our course of student throughout the year. Students have seen this in the Progressivism
unit as well as in our study of World War I and our current course of study in
the 1920s. However, Steinbeck’s work
does depict some rather intense images of reality that should be understood
prior to its engagement.
Of Mice and Men
contains some scenes of violence.
Steinbeck does not use violence for violence sake. The violence that is present is a reflection
of the world in which migrant workers such as Lennie and George live. The use of violence is not gratuitous or
sensationalist. This use of violence is
not overt. Rather, it is a statement
about a world in which human life and human dignity has lost value in the name
of money and status. Steinbeck writes
about a world in the 1930s where violence is the logical conclusion of
emphasizing wealth and money over humanity.
This is a lesson that can illuminate much in way of thought and
reflection out of our students. In our
desire to move our students farther along the path of scholarship, issues like
these must be confronted and transparently discussed. My hope is that employing Steinbeck will help
us do just that.
Steinbeck’s commitment to Social Realism also means that
he does not censor the way in which people communicate. Some of the language used in the text is
meant to provoke individuals into thought and reflection. Steinbeck employs language to highlight the
way in which men refer to women and in which many White Americans referred to
people of color. His drive to depict the
world of the 1930s through a prism that enables individuals to see what is and
demand what can be compels him to embrace such a coarse view of reality. In terms of reading aloud, students will see
this language in print, but I will not read the words aloud. Students have been notified as to the
historical value of seeing such language in literature, viewing it as a trace
fossil of how people at one time behaved in the hopes of making the future
better than the past. Their maturity in this regard has been secured.
Throughout this year, as students have sojourned on their
path towards scholarship, there have been many intellectual challenges placed
in front of them. This rigor has
compelled them to interact meaningfully with works from intense writers such as
Howard Zinn, Swami Vivekananda, W.B. Yeats, Ursula LeGuin, Luigi Pirandello, and
Erich Maria Remarque. In each of these
settings, our students, our emerging scholars, have embraced the rigor placed
upon their broad shoulders. For the most
part, their thinking, work products, and writing have blossomed as a
result. It is with this in mind that
they face their next challenge in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
Naturally, there will be an alternate activity if a
student needs to be excused from the reading. However, I wish to make a
personal plea that interacting with the text in the classroom setting will
enhance the student learning experience.
It is with this in mind that I am willing to speak with anyone regarding
this selection of literature. As we strive to provide challenging
education to our students, Of Mice
and Men is considered to be one of the great classics that will
elevate the intellectual capacity of our young people. Please do not
hesitate to contact me through any of the means listed below. It is my hope that all of our students will
join me in letting John Steinbeck be our guide through the brutal beauty that
is the 1930s and the Great Depression.
If I can be of any further help or assistance, please initiate contact
with me.
All
best.
Ashley
A. Kannan
Cell
phone: (708) 822- 4260
Assignments for 3.17 to 3.21
Monday:
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Finish 1920s Assessments. Assign Close Reading on
Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams.”
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Find your 15 Minutes. Finish your Close Reading on
Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams.” If you want to come in during lunch for
me to check over your work or email your work to me, this is a good thing.
Facts and outfits need to be ready for Tommy Guns on Friday.
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Tuesday:
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End 1920s with Teasdale’s “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Discuss
the 1930s with introducing Of Mice and Men.
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Find your 15 Minutes. Finish your Close Reading on
Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams.” If you want to come in during lunch for
me to check over your work or email your work to me, this is a good thing. Extra
Credit for any Of Mice and Men letters returned. Facts and
outfits need to be ready for Tommy Guns on Friday.
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Wednesday:
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Finish Close Reading Assignment in class.
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Find your 15 Minutes. Facts and outfits need to be ready
for Tommy Guns on Friday.
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Thursday:
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Discuss Tommy Guns.
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Find your 15 Minutes and tomorrow is Tommy Guns. Facts and
outfits need to be ready for Tommy Guns on Friday.
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Friday:
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Tommy Guns Day. Your completed packets are due at 3:30..
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Find your 15 Minutes over
break, each day, and revel in it. This will be your last Spring Break
as a District 97 student. Grades will be updated by next Sunday.
Check online and then make sure you are ready for the 1930s.
P.S. Look for a Rabbit. You’ll see why...
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