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I appreciated seeing so many families at conferences in February. As many of you know, we are near the conclusion of our unit on Romeo and Juliet. Beginning this week, English II will begin our next unit on John Steinbeck and his classic short novel, Of Mice and Men.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for
Literature, Steinbeck is praised on Nobelprize.org for “his realistic and
imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social
perception.” Steinbeck wrote Of Mice
and Men in 1936, later turned it in to a play, and since then several film
adaptations have been produced. This
beautifully written novel raises poignant questions about loyalty,
responsibility, sacrifice and the nature of friendship. The story follows two characters, George and
Lenny, through the final days of their friendship as they seek migrant farm
work in
To increase comprehension of the dialogue (much of which is written in dialect) and facilitate thoughtful discussion about the themes, we will spend several days reading the novel out loud in class. Most of the homework during this time will be focused on code breaking and the students’ independent reading projects. Students will be engaging in the writing process in class centered on the themes raised in the book. To conclude the unit, we will watch the 1992, PG-13 film.
As always, I encourage you to support your child’s work in English this year by talking with him or her about the work we are doing at school. Please continue to check the homework page and Infinite Campus regularly to stay informed about your child’s progress. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me either by voice mail (303-453-4627) or email (jennifer.jouzdani@bvsd.org).
Sincerely,
Jennifer Jouzdani
English Teacher
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