John Steinbeck
Lesson plans and teaching resources

|Biography and Background| |Cannery Row| |East of Eden| |The Grapes of Wrath| |Of Mice and Men| |The Pearl| |The Red Pony|

Biography and Background

John Steinbeck: The California Novels
Click on the titles at the top of the page to find summaries, list of characters, and a very helpful map of the regions mentioned in the novels.

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Cannery Row

Cannery Row
Commentary and discussion questions.

A Teacher's Guide to the edition of Cannery Row
Introduction, teaching suggestions, and follow-up activities. Access requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.

East of Eden

East of Eden
A thorough site including prereading activites, quizzes and summaries.

Road Signs Mini Poster, East of Eden
Students select road signs related to characters in the novel and write an explanation.

The Grapes of Wrath

Links for The Grapes of Wrath are on a separate page.

Of Mice and Men

Links for Of Mice and Men are on a separate page.

The Pearl

The Pearl
This SCORE guide presents five activities in which students investigate different aspects of the novel.

The Pearl
This reading group guide includes background and 10 questions for discussion and/or writing.

The Pearl
Vocabulary, reading quizzes, essay prompts, allusions, and a link to the text of the novella.

The Pearl
This 7-page document addresses 21 vocabulary words drawn from the book. Adobe Reader or compatible application required for access.

The Pearl
A variety of post-reading activities, organized by level of difficulty.

The Pearl Digital Booktalk
This short video can serve as a prereading activity.

Teacher's Guide to The Pearl
Summary, analysis, and teaching suggestions. Requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

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The Red Pony

Teacher's Guide to The Red Pony
Summary, analysis, and teaching suggestions. Requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.