English 1 - Of Mice and Men 1

Today was a good day.  We finished the first chapter from Of Mice and Men, and discussed the major themes introduced in that chapter.  We also discussed Steinbeck's writing style and elements of effective story telling.  In the last few minutes, we reviewed important information for tomorrow's field trip.  And speaking of the field trip, I can't wait.  It's going to be a great day, and I'm very excited about this opportunity.  As I was telling the students today, this is a rare experience.  This is the first year we are able to have this, and only a few classes are able to enjoy this.  I hope the kids understand that.  Just in case you are wondering, here's a brief description of the day's activities.

1. 6:30 - Leave Redwood.
2. 9:30 - Stop in Soledad for a break and tour through the Old Downtown.
3. 10:30 - Arrive in Salinas at the Steinbeck House.  We have a tour through the house, where Steinbeck wrote many of his early books.
4. 11:00 - Convene at the National Steinbeck Museum, where we also will have a tour and explore the various exhibits available.
5. 1:00 or so - Head for Cannery Row, where students will have lunch and some free time.  There is a Steinbeck exhibit there as well, that we will see, but I also want to give the students some time to simply explore and enjoy the area.
6. 3:30 - Leave Cannery Row.
7. 7:00 - Or hopefully a little earlier, arrive at Redwood.

This should be a good day.  I'm glad it's finally here.