Objectives
- Students will understand the struggles migrants like the Joad family faced.
- Students will place characters from the novel into historically accurate post-novel situations.
Overview
Hope and despair are overarching themes in The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck wanted to show the strength and resolve of migrants like the Joads. But, in the end, is the reader left with hope because the Joad family has persevered and survived? Or are they left with despair that the system and even Mother Nature continue to beat them down.
Relevant Sections
Materials Needed/Preparation
- The Grapes of Wrath
- Re-read the relevant sections
- Consider the activity Eulogies as a precursor
Estimated Time
1 class period
Procedures
Warm up
Re-read chapters 1, 29, and 30.
- In notes or on the Epilogue Organizer answer the following:
- ~What obstacles are present in these chapters?
- ~How does the family react? How do other people react?
- ~Is there hope in these scenes?
- ~~Why?
- ~~How does Steinbeck convey that there is hope?
- ~Is there despair in these scenes?
- ~~Why?
- ~~How does Steinbeck convey that there is despair?
Options
Post novel scenes
- Choose one to three characters
- ~Write a brief scene (or a few scenes) describing what happened to the characters after the end of the novel.
- ~Be sure to include reasons why the characters ended up the way they do in your scene(s).
- ~~Include themes and antagonists from the novel.
- ~~Be aware of and include historical events that may shape the characters’ outcomes.
- ~~Is the outcome hopeful? Or hopeless?
Create a presentation
- Research images of migrants during the Great Depression, use them to represent the Joads and other migrants.
- Add text to the images in the style of a “Where are they now?” movie epilogue.
- ~Briefly describe what happened to the characters after the novel completes.
- ~Briefly give reasons why.
- ~Include themes and antagonists from the novel.
- ~Be aware of and include historical events that may shape the characters’ outcomes.
- ~Is the outcome hopeful? Or hopeless?
Post Activity/Takeaways/Follow-up
Takeaways
- This activity challenges students to take into consideration history and the broader themes of the novel and to develop their own ideas on how the Joad family fared.
Assessment
- Assess students based on how accurately their epilogues adhere to the themes of The Grapes of Wrath as well as the historical timeline of the period.
Common Core State Standards Met
- Reading Standards for Literature 6-12
- ~Key Ideas and Details: 1, 2, 3
- ~Craft and Structure: 4, 5, 6
- ~Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 7, 9
- ~Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity: 10
- Reading Standards for Informational Text 6-12
- ~Key Ideas and Details: 1,2,3
- ~Craft and Structure: 4,5,6
- ~Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 7,8
- ~Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity: 10
- Writing Standards 6-12
- ~Text Types and Purposes: 2
- ~Range of Writing: 10
- Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12
- ~Comprehension and Collaboration: 1, 2, 3, 4
- ~Presentation and Knowledge of Ideas: 4
- Language Standards 6-12
- ~Conventions of Standard English: 1, 2, 3
- ~Knowledge of Language: 3
- ~Vocabulary Acquisition and Use: 6
- Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6-12
- ~Key Ideas and Details: 1, 2, 3
- ~Craft and Structure: 4, 6
- ~Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 8, 9
- ~Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity: 10
- Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6-12
- ~Text Types and Purposes: 2
- ~Production and Distribution of Writing: 4, 5
