Week 1
Lesson 1
Introduction and Historical Context
Learners will engage in pre-reading activities that introduce them to themes present in the novel as well as the historical context of The Great Depression and The Dust Bowl, including videos from survivors of the tragedies.
 Week 2
Lesson 2
Section 1
After reading the first section of the novel, learners will take a closer look at the idyllic setting of Soledad, California and how the idea of the American Dream is at play. Learners will begin tracking the themes of the novel by finding quotes from this section that show the different themes of the novel.
 Week 3
Lesson 3
Section 2
In section two, all of the main characters are introduced. Learners will look closer at each character and how their traits impact the meaning of the larger story, creating identity charts for each character. Learners will also read articles in support of and against banning the novel due to its content, then form and defend their own opinion.
 Week 4
Lesson 4
Section 3
Section three utilizes a great deal of figurative language and literary elements to enhance the meaning of the text. Learners will look closely at the passage involving Candy's dog to find examples of symbolism. Then, learners will also look to the poem "To a Mouse" to further add meaning to the story.
 Week 5
Lesson 5
Section 4
A further study into figurative language will have learners looking for similes, metaphors, foreshadowing, and personification in section four. Learners will dig into the theme of loneliness by comparing and contrasting Crooks, Lenny, George, and Curley's wife. Learners will also gain historical context about the tension between Crooks and Curley's wife in this section through a sensitive exploration of the concept of lynching.
 Week 6
Lesson 6
Section 5
Learners will compare and contrast the dreams of several characters and delve into why their dreams were not realized. Section five is full of tension and suspense, and learners will use their new skills of literary analysis to determine how Steinbeck builds those feelings. Finally, learners will prepare an outline for an essay about who is to blame for the outcome of this section.
 Week 7
Lesson 7
Section 6
At the conclusion of the narrative, learners can look back on the foreshadowing that led to the finale. Learners will look for quotations in the novel that could be used to prove the use of foreshadowing, then draw on those quotes to determine a larger theme.  We will also compare the opening and closing settings to discuss the cyclical theming of the novel.