We will be in the computer lab all hour today researching John

							We will be using the computer lab today researching John Steinbeck,
the author of Of Mice and Men. Knowing who the author of a book is
can often shed light on themes and conflicts in the work. Use these and
only these websites in your research. Make sure to use complete
sentences except when told it’s appropriate to use bullets. Open four
separate tabs so you can easily access all four websites.

The big idea for today is to understand how John Steinbeck’s life
influenced his writing.

    http://www.shmoop.com/john-steinbeck/facts.html

    http://www.americanwriters.org/writers/steinbeck.asp

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck

    http://as.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/biography/index.jsp?val=biography_b
     iography_in_depth



Step 1: Take a scratch piece of paper and fold it so it has six sections, as
demonstrated in class. Each section will represent a certain aspect of
John Steinbeck’s life. Use the paper as a rough copy where you
brainstorm and plan.

OUTSIDE LEFT JACKET

       The COVER needs a photograph of John Steinbeck and the
        exact date of his birth and death. Find and attach this last.

INSIDE LEFT JACKET

    Where was Steinbeck born and what occupations did his mother
     and father have? What role did Steinbeck’s mother play in his
     career as a writer? How did Steinbeck’s birthplace influence Of
     Mice and Men? Be specific (Use a non-restrictive in this part)
    What jobs did Steinbeck have in high school? How did they
     influence his writing?
    Where did Steinbeck attend college? How seriously did he take
     college? Explain.
INSIDE CENTER

   What was Steinbeck’s first successful book? How many books did
    he write before he was successful? What year was that? What
    award did the book win? (Use commas in a series correctly)
   What kinds of people are portrayed in Steinbeck’s books? Be
    specific
   What year was Of Mice and Men published? How long did it take
    before a film was made? What does this say about the book Of
    Mice and Men? (Make this decision based on the answer)

INSIDE RIGHT JACKET

   What was Steinbeck’s most successful book? What was it about?
    (Be specific) What award did it win? (Use apostrophe to show
    possession correctly)
   Who attacked his book and why?

OUTSIDE RIGHT JACKET

   Who “screened” or banned Steinbeck and why?
   What war did Steinbeck cover in the 1960s? How did the New
    York Post respond to this action?

OUTSIDE CENTER

   List five books written by Steinbeck and the dates they were
    published. You may use bullets to list these. Remember to
    underline titles of books but not the year they were published.