PENGUIN READERS

Teacher’s notes LEVEL 2 Teacher Support Programme

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck and as the two men discuss their farm dream one more
time, George shoots Lennie in the head.
Chapters 1–2: It is late afternoon and Lennie and George,
two farmhands, arrive at a riverbank, en route to a new
job. The men are very physically different. Lennie is tall
and wide and walks slowly behind his friend George, who
is small and thin. Lennie produces a dead mouse from his
pocket and George throws it away. A little later, Lennie
has another dead mouse and George throws this one away
too. We understand that they have worked on other farms
before, but Lennie has gotten them into trouble in many
places and they have had to run away. Lennie is always
getting into trouble and George tries to help him. George
About the author is tired of Lennie but he cannot leave him alone because
American novelist, story-writer, playwright, and essayist, he knows Lennie needs him. Both men eat and sleep
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. before going to the farm to start work. Before going to
His first novel, Cup of Gold, was published in 1929. He sleep, they both talk about their dream of having a farm
first received real popular acclaim for his novel Tortilla of their own and “living off the fat of the land.”
Flat in 1935. Of Mice and Men (1937) and his Pulitzer Chapters 3–5: When they arrive at the farm, the next
Prize-winning book The Grapes of Wrath (1939) concerned morning, they go to the bunkhouse and meet the boss,
the plight of America’s dispossessed rural population, who asks them some questions. George answers all the
during the Great Depression. The Red Pony (1937) is questions. Later, both farmhands meet Curley, the boss’s
another of his finest works. His last major novel The son, who is small and hates big strong men like Lennie.
Winter of Our Discontent was published in 1961. Of Mice George realizes this could cause problems, and tells Lennie
and Men was made into a movie in 1939 and 1992. Other to go to the woods if he is ever in trouble. Later, Lennie
Steinbeck novels that have been made into movies include and George meet Curley’s wife, a pretty woman who
Tortilla Flat, The Grapes of Wrath, The Red Pony, The Moon wants to talk to the men. George is not interested in her,
is Down, Cannery Row and East of Eden. Steinbeck was but innocently Lennie finds her attractive. George has a
married three times, had two sons by his second wife, and bad feeling about this. Lennie tells George he is not happy
died in New York City in 1968. there and that he wants to leave. Another ranch hand,
Slim, enters with news that his dog has had puppies. He
Summary gives one to Lennie. Slim asks George why he and Lennie
George Milton and Lennie Small, two friends on their way are always together. George explains to him that Lennie
to work on a farm, are very different men. Lennie is tall cannot be by himself because he is not smart and that they
and strong but is simple-minded, whereas George is small are friends. George also tells Slim how Lennie got into
but intelligent. They both share a dream that one day they trouble in Weed when he touched the dress of a woman he
will have their own farm. They find work on a farm but liked. Both of them had to run away after that.
things start to go wrong from the start. The boss’s son,
Chapters 6 –8: Candy, an old man, overhears George
Curley, is an aggressive little man who takes an instant
and Lennie talking about their dream of buying a farm
dislike to Lennie. He hits Lennie in the face whereupon
and he asks if he can join them. George calculates they
Lennie crushes his hand in a vice-like grip. Curley’s wife
could buy a farm of their own for six hundred dollars.
is a pretty but lonely and flirtatious woman. One day she
Candy tells them he is getting old and cannot use one of
mistakenly encourages Lennie to touch her hair. Lennie
his hands because he had an accident. He says he will give
panics when she starts to scream and accidentally kills her.
them all of his money if he can live with them and work
He then hides in the woods to wait for his friend George,
for them doing odd jobs. They start to dream of a farm
who always helps him in times of trouble. George arrives,
of their own. George, Lennie and Candy are very happy

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 PENGUIN READERS
Teacher’s notes LEVEL 2 Teacher Support Programme

Of Mice and Men

about their plan. Curley enters asking where his wife is minded giant. At the end, George wants to take Lennie’s
and looking for a fight. Curley insults Lennie and hits life instead of leaving him to the mercy of the rest of the
him hard. Lennie does not defend himself at first until men, and possibly because Lennie has become too much
George tells him to fight back. Lennie grabs Curley’s hand of a liability and might kill again.
and crushes it so badly Curley has to see a doctor. While Shattered dreams: Lennie’s and George’s dream of
George is in town with the other farmhands, Lennie wants becoming independent is another strong theme in
to see his puppy. He meets Crooks, the only black man in this story. The poor ranch hands, like so many poor
the ranch, who is made to live away from the bunkhouse. Americans, dream of one day having a better life, a better
Lennie tells Crooks about the dreams he and his friends future. These men want to share their dreams with each
have but Crooks is very pessimistic about their chances. other. A dream needs to be shared. And so just before
Chapters 9–11: Candy comes to Crooks’ room to talk George kills his friend, they share their dream together
with Lennie about their dream farm. Crooks continues – one last time. Curley’s wife also had dreams of being in
to have a negative attitude. Suddenly Curley’s wife enters. the movies but her dream was shattered when she married
Crooks and Candy argue with her, because they don’t Curley. Curley probably dreams of being bigger man, but
want trouble with the boss’s son. When the men come knowing this to be impossible, attacks bigger men to prove
back from town, she quickly leaves. Next afternoon, the himself.
trouble George predicted starts coming true. Lennie goes
to see his puppy, but accidentally kills it by petting it too Discussion activities
hard. Shortly after, Curley’s wife enters and invites Lennie
Before reading
to touch her hair. She screams, and in a panic he kills her. 1 Predict: Ask students to read the first part of the
Lennie runs away, back to the river in the woods, where introduction. Make sure they understand that there
George told him to go if he ever gets in trouble. That way, was trouble in a town called Weed. Then ask them to
George would know where to find him. Curley wants think about what happened. Suggest the following
possibilities: Lennie killed someone. Lennie hurt
Lennie dead. George finds Lennie by the riverbank and
someone. Lennie took money from a bank. Lennie took
they discuss their dream for the last time. Then George money from someone. Lennie got into trouble with a girl.
shoots Lennie in the back of the head before the other Lennie started a fire.
men arrive, possibly to spare Lennie the fate that awaits 2 Find and discuss: Write the following words on the
him at the hands of the other men. board: a big man, a small man, a mouse, a pretty girl,
a puppy, a fight, an old man. Ask students to find these
Background and themes things in the pictures in the book. Then get them to
make a list of five other things they can see in the
Strength and weakness: Lennie is a physically strong man pictures. Get feedback from the whole class and then
but he is emotionally and intellectually weak. He does have a class discussion: What is going to happen in the
not even realize how strong he is and always forgets the story?
most important things and remembers the least important Chapters 1– 2
things. George is the opposite. Curley, because he is a While reading
small man, always challenges big men to fights, in an 3 Pair work: (page 3, after “I tried but I forgot.”)
attempt to appear a stronger man. Lennie is always forgetting things. Put the students in
pairs and ask them to think of something important
Loneliness: Many of the characters in this story suffer that they have forgotten in their lives. Suggest the
from loneliness for different reasons. Crooks because following: Forget someone’s birthday/to do something/
he is black and has to live away from the other men, where you put something. Expand the discussion to
things that the students have lost. Money, mobile
Candy because he is old and not a useful worker anymore,
phone, computer.
Curley’s wife because the men ignore her as she represents 4 Group work: (page 6, after “I want ketchup.”)
danger and Curley because none of the men like him. Ask the students to say what their favorite types of
food are. Write their comments on the board. Then
Friendship: Lennie trusts George and George is a good
put the students in small groups and ask them to talk
friend to him. George looks after Lennie and gets him about the various foods and whether people in their
away from the trouble he causes through being a simple- country eat them and whether they like them or not.

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 PENGUIN READERS
Teacher’s notes LEVEL 2 Teacher Support Programme

Of Mice and Men

After reading After reading
5 Write and ask: Write “Where are the men going to 12 Pair work: Remind the students that the men have
work?” on the board and elicit the answer (On a some money to buy their dream farm. Put them in
farm). Ask students to write another question about pairs and tell them they have one million dollars to
something in Chapters 1 and 2. Check their work as spend on their dream. What would they spend it on?
they do this. Now have students stand up and mingle, The students have to agree on one idea. Then the
asking and answering each other’s questions. students read out their idea to the rest of the class.
Chapters 3–5 Chapters 9–11
While reading Before reading
6 Discuss: (page 14, after “She’s a dangerous woman 13 Guess: Tell the students that Curley’s wife is going to
and she’s Curley’s wife.”) Put the students in small play a dangerous game. Ask them to guess what she is
groups and ask them to talk about all the movies and going to do. Write their suggestions on the board and
books they know which feature a dangerous or evil add some of your own.
women. Ask them to think about the following
questions: Why is the woman dangerous? Is she beautiful While reading
or ugly? Is she young or old? Does the film have a happy 14 Role play: (page 34, after “Curley’s wife came into
or sad ending? the room very quietly.”) Put the students in pairs and
ask them to act out a conversation between Curley’s
After reading wife and Lennie. Remind them that Lennie shouldn’t
7 Write and guess: Put students in pairs and ask them talk to her and that she likes men a lot.
to choose a short paragraph from Chapters 3–5. Tell
then to write it again, making five changes to words After reading
in the text. Students then read out their paragraphs to 15 Pair work: Write the following words on the board:
the other students, who have to identify the changes. crazy, machine, movies, pretty things, woods, gun. Ask
8 Discuss: Tell the students to discuss the following in the students, in pairs, to talk about how these words
small groups after reading Chapter 5: Do you think were used in Chapters 9–11.
Lennie is a good man? Is he dangerous? What problems 16 Game: Write the following characters on the board:
did he have in the past? What problems can he have at Lennie, George, Curley, Curley’s wife, Slim, Candy,
the farm? Why does he like animals a lot? Would you like Crooks, Whit, Divide the class into small groups and
to meet Lennie? Would you be afraid of him? give them 10 minutes to write of as many sentences
about these characters as they can. The students write
Chapters 6–8 some true sentences and some false ones. Now play
Before reading the game in which team A has to read out a sentence
9 Predict and write: Ask the students to write about to team B. Team B has to decide if it is true or false.
the farm George and Lennie want to buy. Tell them If team B says a true sentence is false, or a false
to think of the following: How much will it cost? What sentence is true, team A get a point. No repetition is
animals and fruit and vegetables will they have on the allowed. The group with the most points at the end
farm? How many hours a day will they work on the wins.
farm? What will they eat on the farm? Students check if 17 Discuss: Put the students in small groups. Remind
their predictions were right at the end of Chapter 6. them that Lennie and George are friends but they are
very different people, physically and mentally. Ask
While reading them to talk about their best friend. Is your friend as
10 Discuss: (page 22, after “A farm is no place for a tall/ short/thin as you? Is your friend as intelligent as you?
girl.”) The students in small groups discuss whether Does your friend like the same food as you? Does your
they would prefer to live on a farm in the country friend like the same movies/sports/people as you?
or in a big town or city. Ask them to consider the
following: Which is more exciting/boring/expensive/ Vocabulary activities
cheap? Which is harder or easier to live in? For the Word List and vocabulary activities, go to
11 Role play: (page 23, after “I don’t like your www.penguinreaders.com.
questions.”) Ask the students to imagine they are
Slim and Curley outside the bunkhouse: Student A is
Slim and Student B is Curley. Think about what the
two men say before they come into the bunkhouse.
Then the students act out a role play.

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