Of Mice and Men: Chapter Three

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

In literature, dreams can play an important role.

Just like you can have many types of dreams, there are different dreams that can be used in literature for a variety of purposes. There can even be entire "dream sequences," where one or more characters enter a dream and think they are actually acting out the dream. For example, in Alice in Wonderland, Wonderland is actually a dream Alice has when she falls asleep.

• Can you think of any stories you know where a dream is used as part of the story?
• What do you think is the purpose of the dream in the story?

Tell your parent or teacher.

To learn more about the role of dreams in literature, read the following article. As you read, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:

• What are the two types of dreams that can be used in literature?
• What are the four ways that a dream can be used in a story?
• Does a person have to be asleep to have a dream?

Read Dreams in Literature, by B.S. Meyers, The Universe Inside My Head. Once you've answered the questions, share them with your parent or teacher. Although Lennie and George's dream is not a dream that they have when they're asleep, it is a hopeful ambition.

• What is the dream that George and Lennie share?
• Do you think this dream is achievable? Why or why not?

In this lesson, you will read Chapter Three, which will expand on George and Lennie's dream. Before you are ready to read, there are a few vocabulary words to define. Using a print dictionary or Dictionary.com (Dictionary.com, LLC), look up the definitions for the following words. Then, use each word correctly in a sentence. When you have recorded your definitions and sentences on a sheet of paper, share them with your parent or teacher:

• bleated
• derision
• raptly
• reprehensible
• reverently
• bemused

After you've had your sentences and definitions checked by your parent or teacher, get out your Of Mice and Men Reading Log that you have been keeping since the first lesson in this series. You can find the Of Mice and Men Reading Log in Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar. Also, take out the copy of Of Mice and Men that you have been using in this series. As you read Chapter Three, answer the questions in the reading log.

When you have read Chapter Three and answered all the questions, move on to the Got It? section to check your answers.