1. Of Mice and Men Introduction

2. www.worldburnsclub.com To A Mouse. On turning her up in her nest with the plough, November 1785. “Robert Burns was a poet, but that was not what earned him his living. As with most artists of his time he had to have some means of earning his keep. In Burns' case he earned most of his money, sparse though this was, from farming. This is why he is also known as the "Ploughman Bard". It was while he was ploughing one of his fields that he disturbed a mouse's nest. It was his thoughts on what he had done that led to his poem, "To A Mouse", which contains one of his most often quoted lines from the poem. I am sure that you will recognize it, probably not from the Scottish words, but from the translation, lines 4 and 5 from verse 7.” The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley,

4. Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast, O, what a panic is in your breast! You need not start away so hasty With hurrying scamper! I would be loath to run and chase you, With murdering plough-staff. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion And fellow mortal! I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal; What then? Poor beast, you must live! An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves Is a small request; I will get a blessing with what is left, And never miss it. Your small house, too, in ruin! It's feeble walls the winds are scattering! And nothing now, to build a new one, Of coarse grass green! And bleak December's winds coming, Both bitter and keen! You saw the fields laid bare and wasted, And weary winter coming fast, And cozy here, beneath the blast, You thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel plough past Out through your cell That small bit heap of leaves and stubble, Has cost you many a weary nibble! Now you are turned out, for all your trouble, Without house or holding, To endure the winter's sleety dribble, And hoar-frost cold. But Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leaves us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy! Still you are blest, compared with me! The present only touches you: But oh! I backward cast my eye, On prospects dreary! And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear!

5. Brief History of Migrant Farmers After WWI, many factors lead migrant agricultural workers to head to California from Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. Here are 6 of factors: 1-Recession=drop in market price This also impacted farmers They had to increase production to earn the same income 2-Many farmers bought more land, and invested in expensive farm equipment to help them through the recession, but it also caused them to go into debt.

6. Brief History of Migrant Farmers 3-1929 – Stock Market Crash To pay off their debt, farmers went to the bank for $$$, but the banks could not provide them with money! 4-Many farmers had no option but to sell their farms, leaving them unemployed. 5-1933-Peak of unemployment (Great Depression)

7. Brief History of Migrant Farmers 6 th and final factor-Dust Bowl: As a combined result of drought and increased farm activity, the once fertile soil of the farms turned into very dry desert-like land. Obviously, these are not ideal conditions for farming, so hundreds of thousands of farmers, without jobs, without farms, and with little money, had no choice but to leave their homes and seek better living conditions. Many moved to California and found life as a migrant farmer to be extremely difficult. They endured the hardship in order to save money in hopes of one day owning their own farm.

8. Setting – California’s Salina’s Valley Even today, farmers hire temporary workers to harvest the crop.

9. About the author: John Steinbeck Born in Salinas, California in 1902. Most famous works include The Pearl The Grapes of Wrath East of Eden Of Mice and Men He won a Nobel Prize in 1962 Died in 1968

10. Discussion The mouse in Robert Burns’ poem carefully planned for the winter, but his world was literally turned upside down by a plough. Sometimes, no matter how well we plan or prepare for something, it doesn’t turn out the way we anticipated. Think about an experience in your life that didn’t turn out the way you had planned.