Ethical Dilemmas

In your notebook, write down what you would do in these situations…

-Your teacher announces that Jenny’s iPhone is missing and we should all keep an eye out for it, or if you know anything to tell him. You remember overhearing the two older kids in the back of the room, that were recently suspended for severely bullying a friend of yours saying something about “she has no idea I took it” and “making mad dough on eBay.”   What do you do? What if Jenny is your best friend?

-Your best friend asks you to tell his/her beautiful, hip, and cool crush of two years that he/she likes him/her.   You start talking to him/her and he/she admits he/she has had a crush on YOU like forever. What do you do?

-Last week you catch your coworker at the pizza place stealing money from the cash register. You don’t say anything until you see her doing it again today. You confront her and she begs you not to say anything, she needs the money to help her family pay for a life saving operation on her little brother. What do you do?

Next week you find out an older coworker (a single parent) got blamed for the stealing and was fired. What do you do?

Time to Work on Of Mice and Men Themes

Assignment: In your notebook create journal entries for any 4 of the following themes. If you can think of a theme or message of the story that isn’t here, you may write about it. Write at least half a page on each of the 4. Grammar and spelling are not important right now. Just explore your thoughts on the topics.

Ask yourself what does Of Mice and Men teach us about the importance of, the dangers of, the benefits of, the problems with, our misunderstandings about…

Loneliness, Hope, Friendship, Euthanasia, Bullying, Social class, Racism, Treatment of Women, Respect…

Theme is more about what YOU the reader learn about a given topic than it is what the author intended!

Fear; Vocab; Of Mice and Men

Wednesday Wisdom – Fear

Slim “Ain’t many guys travel around together, I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” (35)

Curley’s Wife “Funny thing, if I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad. You’re all scared of each other, that’s what. Ever’one of you’s scared the rest is goin’ to get something on you.” (77)

Quick Write: Why do we have fear? How does fear motivate people? In what ways have you seen fear bring out the worst in people?

Vocabulary

Complacent and Vagrant from the 9th Grade Vocabulary list.

Some Themes Explored in Of Mice and Men

Assignment: In your notebook create journal entries for any 4 of the following themes. If you can think of a theme or message of the story that isn’t here, you may write about it. Write at least half a page on each of the 4. Grammar and spelling are not important right now. Just explore your thoughts on the topics.

Ask yourself what does Of Mice and Men teach us about the importance of, the dangers of, the benefits of, the problems with, our misunderstandings about…

Loneliness, Hope, Friendship, Euthanasia, Bullying, Social class, Racism, Treatment of Women, Respect…

Theme is more about what YOU the reader learn about a given topic than it is what the author intended!

Finishing Of Mice and Men; Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Complacent and Vagrant from the 9th Grade Vocabulary list.

OMAM

Today we will read the final chapter of Of Mice and Men.

OMAM Chapter 5

Quick Write: It’s already March 1st! How are you doing? How are you feeling? Take a minute to take stock of your life, your mind, and your general state as a person.

Quick Write: Lennie has killed Curley’s Wife. What do you think should be done about this? What should the guys on the ranch do? What should Curley do? What should George and Lennie do?

Some Themes Explored in Of Mice and Men

Ask yourself what does Of Mice and Men teach us about the importance of, the dangers of, the benefits of, the problems with, our misunderstandings about…

Loneliness, Hope, Friendship, Euthanasia, Bullying, Social class, Racism, Treatment of Women, Respect…

Theme is more about what YOU the reader learn about a given topic than it is what the author intended!

Read OMAM!

What is Theme? OMAM Ch 5

Quick Writes: Some things to think about…

What is something you’ve learned that you think is interesting or cool or helpful in life?

How often are you doing something for fun at the expense of someone else? (Examples might be: making fun of someone to get a laugh out of your friends, gossiping, vandalizing things, making a mess someone else has to clean up, etc.)

What is Theme?

Theme is the message or lesson or main ideas explored in a work of art (literature, movie, music, painting, etc.) THEMEssage.

Theme isn’t about specific characters, people, or events. It’s about the bigger messages about life we learn from the specific characters and events.

Some Themes Explored in Of Mice and Men

Loneliness, Hope, Friendship, Euthanasia, Bullying, Social class, Racism, Treatment of Women, Respect…

Theme is more about what YOU the reader learn about a given topic than it is what the author intended!

OMAM; Emmett Till

Quick Write: Why don’t the guys want to talk with Curley’s Wife? How do you think she feels? Why do you think she acts so cruelly towards Crooks?

Read Chapter 5 Of Mice and Men!

OMAM Crooks

Quick Write: Crooks tries to act like he is annoyed that Candy is visiting, but “it was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger” (75). Why is Crooks hiding his pleasure? What does this tell you about him, his life, how he is used to being treated, and how he acts as a result?

Read Chapter 4 Of Mice and Men

In your notebook, Create a STEAL Chart for Crooks.

Vocab; Lennie; Read

Vocabulary

Fervent and Virulent from the 9th Grade Vocabulary list.

Quick Write: Why do you think John Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men author) decided to make Lennie dumb? How would the story be different if he was of regular intelligence?

Read Chapter 4 Of Mice and Men

In your notebook, Create a STEAL Chart for Crooks.

Euthanasia and Of Mice and Men

Quick Write: How was your winter break? Write down three things you did over the last week.

Euthanasia – the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease.

Etymology: Greek “Eu” for well, and “thanatos” for death.

Quick Write: Do you think a person should have a right to end their life if they are suffering?

What do you think should happen to a person like Candy, when he is too old to work?

Read Chapter 4 Of Mice and Men

In your notebook, Create a STEAL Chart for Crooks.

Of Mice and Men Ch. 3

Quick Writes for I Have a Dream piece:

How far into the future do you plan on writing about? How old are you? How did you get to this point? What have you been doing between this time and high school?

Where will your life be?

Who will be there with you?

I Have a Dream Piece

Any questions on our next writing piece, the I Have a Dream Piece?

This assignment will be due Friday. 

Of Mice and Men – Chapter 3

Today we will continue reading from page 42 in Of Mice and Men. Here are some questions to answer in your notebook as we go. Here is an online copy of the book, in case you need it!