Of Mice and Men Culminating Project: Performance Task “Corporate Statement” for Mr. Baggitt’s English 11 Website John Steinbeck The American Dream

What is a “Performance Task”? A Performance Task is a means of assessing your knowledge in a way that mirrors everyday life. In this case, you will demonstrate your ability to write effectively as well as your knowledge about vocabulary, literary terms, and themes that appear in Of Mice and Men, and how these might relate to you personally. You will do this by creating a personal statement that will be used as the basis for a cover letter which you can use to apply to jobs and to college. You will also create a “product” that represents your personal aspirations. Not this kind of task… …more like this kind of task.

The “Corporate Statement” Project Many corporations compose mission statements. Here is an example: Advanced Auto Parts (Roanoke, VA): “It is the Mission of Advance Auto Parts to provide personal vehicle owners and enthusiasts with the vehicle related products and knowledge that fulfill their wants and needs at the right price. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff will help inspire, educate and problem-solve for our customers.” Similarly, many individuals compose personal mission statements that detail their career goals. These are used in cover letters for job applications, for college essays, or by corporate employees. Each student in this class will compose their own personal statement. Each statement will be placed on our class website (password protected so that only those we wish to show can see them) along with photos or videos of our representational “products”. Together, these will represent our classroom “corporate mission statement”.

Culminating Project: You Choose!

Presentations Student presentations are a core component of this project. Over the course of two class periods, each student will present their products and discuss their personal goals to the class, and will include in their presentation a comparison between their vision of the American Dream and that as presented in Of Mice and Men. Students will also evaluate each presentation via rubric and provide feedback orally.