Of Mice and Men​ Essay Assignment  

 
Part One 
● Respond in one page or more: 
○ How does ​Of Mice and Men b ​ y John Steinbeck reflect the 
history of the time period? 
■ Discuss a message Steinbeck is trying to persuade 
the reader to believe/understand. Pick either ethos, 
logos, or pathos to prove how you see this message 
being sent. 
 
○ Use at least three textual references 
■ At least one direct quote 
■ Cite properly with page number and author last 
name. Example (Steinbeck 1).  
 
 
Part Two  
● Pick a modern text (song, poem, book, movie, TV show etc.) 
that was published or created in the last twenty years (school 
appropriate). 
 
● Using the text you chose, respond to:  
○ How does this text represent the time in which it was 
published?  
○ What message is this text trying to send? Use either 
ethos, logos, or pathos to prove how you know.  
○ Use at least two pieces of textual evidence from your 
chosen text.  
■ Paraphrase or quote directly 
 
 Rubric
A B C D F
Categories

Clearly related
Related several Concepts not
several Concept Concepts do not
concepts to well related to
Ideas concepts to answered answer
answer answer
answer questions questions
questions questions
questions

Varied &
purposeful Awkward
Reads smoothly,
beginnings, Repetitive, phrasing,
Transitions
Sentence Missing Flows, Some disjointed, First Draft
flow,Varied &
Fluency purposeful
transitions, awkward Tough to Quality
constructed phrasing read-a-loud or
beginnings
sentences understand
and/or variation

No Errors: Very Few Some Errors: Many Errors:

spelling, Errors: spelling, spelling, spelling,
grammar, grammar, grammar, grammar,
Rough Draft
Conventions punctuation, punctuation, punctuation, punctuation,
Quality
caps & caps & caps & caps &
paragraph paragraph paragraph paragraph
structure structure structure structure

Main Idea, Missing Main

Main Idea, Main Idea, Main Idea,
Supporting Idea and/or
Organization Supporting Supporting Supporting
Details, Supporting
Details Details Detail
Conclusion Detail

Very Strong-> Strong-> Mildly->

Is-> Convincing,
Convincing, Convincing, Convincing,
Writer's voice
Writer's Writer's voice Writer's voice Writer's voice Rough Draft
heard, Passion,
Voice heard, Passion, heard, Passion,
Wit, Humor,
heard, Passion, Quality
Wit, Humor, Wit, Humor, Wit, Humor,
Unique
Unique Unique Unique

Correctly Mostly Somewhat Barely

understands understands understands understands Does not use
rhetoric and rhetoric and rhetoric and rhetoric and rhetoric or prove
Rhetoric proves proves proves proves existence of
existence of existence of existence of existence of ethos, pathos, or
ethos, pathos, or ethos, pathos, or ethos, pathos, or ethos, pathos, or logos
logos logos logos logos

Grade