Hemmig, Robert. Migrant camp, wide shot. 1940. Photograph. American Folklife Center. https://www.loc.gov/item/toddbib000387/.
This source will be used within a unit on Of Mice and Men. It will help students build context and create a mental image of what a labor/migrant camp looks like in the book. This photo will be paired with an excerpt from the book when Lennie and George talk about their dream and living off the fat of the land. Students will discuss the differences of hope versus reality in the book and what workers may have experienced living in a migrant camp such as the one in the photo. Teachers can use a rotating fishbowl discussion format for this lesson.
This picture was taken during the Dust Bowl in rural America. No date of publication is given.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/toddbib000387/
- What can this image tell us about the lives of migrant workers during the Dust Bowl?
- What struggles or hardships are present in the photo?
- How do pictures like this help us understand history instead of just reading about it in a book?
Extension Questions
- What connections can we make between this source and our text?
- If you were a farmer, what might you think of this camp? What if you were a worker? Why would those perspectives be different or the same?
ELA Standard
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9–10.1.c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
Social Studies Standard
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9–10.6. Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
- To employ the rotating fish bowl strategy, place five desks in the inner circle, with 4 students seated. All other students are seated in an outer circle, listening and taking notes. As students have something to contribute, they take the open seat in the inner circle and the student to their left exits the fish bowl. Teachers can use 2–3 slips of paper and have students write their names on each. As students enter the circle, they put a slip of paper in the cup. This helps ensure all students are held accountable and that those who like to talk are limited. The teacher should serve more as a moderator if students are able to maintain the discussion independently. If students need additional support, provide sentence starters such as “I think ____ because _____,” “Why did you say ____” to respond to a peer, or “What about ___” to pose a general question to the discussion group.
- Here are some questions to guide student discussion:
- How does this image relate to Of Mice and Men?
- What are some differences between what George and Lennie hope for (their dream) versus what you see in this picture?
- How does Steinbeck’s portrayal of the setting/characters reflect what we see in this picture?
- How does this picture help you understand what the characters are going through in Of Mice and Men?
- Once the discussion is over, have students write a reflection of the experience of the rotating fish bowl and of the primary source. This will help all students make sure they are able to share their thoughts, even if they did not participate in the discussion. However, the lesson focuses on the speaking and listening skills demonstrated in the discussion, so that should be kept in mind when assessing. This means that while it is important for all students to have the opportunity to share their ideas and thinking, they need to do so orally, as that is what the standard calls for.
- A Connecting Read-Write-Think lesson can be found here: Banned Books
Lange, Dorothea. Privy in cheap migratory camp. San Joaquin Valley, California. 1936. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017769626/.