George Washington High School
San Francisco, CA
Lesson 4: Analyzing Character
Type of Lesson
Introduction to elements of business and literature
Grade Level
High school juniors
Time Allotment
Ten 50-minute sessions
Instructional Strategy
Lecture, analysis, individual composing, teamwork, following
procedure in the creation of a presentation product
Objectives:
Overall Conceptual Objectives
To develop students' awareness of business structure.
To teach students certain types of business communication.
To teach students how to analyze fiction by analyzing and evaluating
character.
To teach students about the human side of Human Resources.
Performance Objectives
Students will be able to evaluate character based on a character's
remarks.
Students will learn to apply character analysis skills learned
in literature to the workplace.
Students will be able to make simple videos that illustrate
various camera shots.
American Literature
Activity 1
Students start reading chapter three as a readers' theatre activity.
Students stop reading after the first scene (section), when Candy
enters. All students silently read George's speech about the changes
of his relationship to Lennie on page 44. Different students read
the speech aloud in character. Students analyze George's character
and character growth using a directed and modified dialectical
journal. Rather than copying the entire text, they write down
the first and last sentence, who is speaking, and the page number.
Again, students write about George's character and his character
growth.
After writing for a few minutes, students share their responses.
The teacher accepts all responses but directs the conversation
to reference the character's callowness and cruelty as a beginning
point from which his growth can be discussed. The teacher may
want to mention the different roles that he moves through; tormentor,
brother, friend, father, protector.
Extensions: Students can make photo collages of the variety
of roles George or other characters play during the book. At this
time the teacher also introduces the worksheet on character analysis
and theme. Students are instructed in the meaning of theme, the
author's message. Students fill out the worksheet as the reading
is continued or after chapter four.
Quote to be used as teaching tool: "... I used to have
a hell of a lot of fun with 'im. Used to play jokes of 'im cause
he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even
to know he had a joke played on him. I had fun. Made me seem God
damn smart alongside of him. Why he'd do any damn thing I tol'
him. If I tol' him to walk over a cliff, over he'd go. That wasn't
so damn much fun after a while. He never got mad about it, neither.
I've beat the hell outa him, and he coulda bust very bone in my
body jus' with his ban's but he never lifted a finger against
me." George's voice was taking on the tone of confession. 'Tell
you what made me stop that. One day a bunch of guys was standin'
feelin' pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says, 'Jump in.' An'
he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before
we could get him. An' he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him
out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. Well, I ain't done nothing
like that no more."(44)
Activity 2
After finishing chapter four, the teacher and students discuss
the cruelty of Crooks and Curley's wife. They discuss how they
are cruel, what their motivations are, what they are trying to
accomplish with their cruelty, whether they are still sympathetic
characters and how human resources could have kept them from being
cruel. Assignment: Students start to complete a worksheet that
asks about the types of human resources problems presented in
the story, and what strategies may be used to improve employee
satisfaction. Students complete the worksheet at home.
Activity 3
Students get together in their work teams and talk about the
strategies they have developed and the theories that are their
foundation. Students take notes.
Homework: Students write a memo in which they include
their recommendations as well as the theories that each used to
develop their recommendations.
Activity 4
Students finish the book using the readers' theater format. If
there is time, they should get together in teams to decide on
scenes from the book that will be acted out to portray human resources
issues and problems. Students continue to finish their video project
in both classes.
Computer Applications Activities
Activity 1
The teacher introduces six theories of motivation: Taylorism,
Maslow's hierarchy of needs, McGregor's theory, McClelland's theory,
the Adam's theory and the Expectancy Theory. Assignment: Students
construct a Hyperstudio stack or PowerPoint presentation that
explains the six theories and their similarities and differences.
Activity 2
Each student begins an introduction to the resume by interviewing
and being interviewed by another student, and then writing an
outline of his or her own qualifications and skills. Students
decide on their job objectives by looking over the various descriptions
of the video-documenting company. Students learn to align their
skills and experience with that of the job for which they are
applying. They learn the format of an application cover letter,
which is also a place to practice the alignment of skills. They
learn the format of a resume. Students construct a resume and
application cover letter.
Activity 3
Students learn about the video camera by working on a video
scavenger hunt. Students work in teams collecting images of scavenger
items. Each video is shown for 20 minutes, after which time the
teacher introduces the idea of different camera shots by talking
about student images. Homework: Students are given a vocabulary
sheet to take home and memorize for a quiz the next day.
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