John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl

Website Evaluators

Roslyn Gerken - Lincoln High School, New Jersey
Jill Vickers - Ticonderoga Middle School, New York
Randall Heeres - Northern Michigan Christian High School, Michigan

Website Reviers and Compilers

Charles R. Sanders - San Pedro High School, California
Kathy Stein - San Pedro High School, California

Site Ratings

1 = Poor     2 = Fair     3 = Good     4 = Excellent

California Cyberguide:  The Pearl
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/pearl/pearltg.html

This "nicely organized site" aligns its activities with the California Language Arts Standards.  The summaries are "helpful for quickly learning what is available" throughout the dense site.  Not only does the site offer five great activities that center around The Pearl, but the links to John Steinbeck and the Pacific Grove region are "simply wonderful."  The evaluation criteria given for each lesson is "icing on the cake." 
Overall Rating:  4

John Steinbeck Page
http://ocean.st.usm.edu/~wsimkins/steinb.html

Though you may tap your toes while this page downloads, you will be rewarded with quite a variety of material on John Steinbeck.  Teachers will find the "author's philosophy laid out concisely," along with photos, the Nobel Prize acceptance speech, "concordances, and a study guide."  There are "great projects suggested for students," and several "questions geared specifically for their studies...to enhance critical thinking, and (to) explore ideas through writing exercises and research activities."  One link takes students to "a list of characters and chapter summaries from The Grapes of Wrath, with dust jackets, photos, movie posters and maps."
Overall Rating:  4

Center for Steinbeck Studies
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/steinbec/srchome.html

The Center for Steinbeck Studies provides a series of links, in three categories, for an "entertaining" look at the life, works, and themes of John Steinbeck.  The "chronology" links include "details from Steinbeck's writing life;" the "country" links contain "text summaries, a...map and photos;" and the "performance" links list some of the author's "films and theater openings throughout his career," along with "CD-ROM versions of (his) novels, especially for the classroom."
Overall Rating:  3

Voices from the Dust Bowl
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/tshome.html

If your class is doing an in-depth study of the "everyday life of the 'Okies' displaced by the Dust Bowl phenomenon," this site offers "strategies and examples developed...for integrating" this collection of "recordings, photographs, manuscripts, and publications," into the classroom.  The site is "well-organized, visually attractive and fast."
Overall Rating:  3

The California Novels - Steinbeck
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck/index.html

The strength of this site lies in its many links to the life and works of John Steinbeck.  A searchable directory catalogs everything from "color photos of Cannery Row" to a "Jungian psychological perspective on Steinbeck's work."  Of special interest to students may be the "chapter summaries of eleven of Steinbeck's major novels," with sublinks for each.
Overall Rating:  2

John Steinbeck Reading List
http://educeth.ethz.ch/english/readinglist/steinbeck,john.html

This site is limited in scope but does have some "critical essays, background information, and the geography of John Steinbeck's work," along with "a great greeting photo," and "'Partner' classes where teachers may arrange to have their class studying and corresponding with another class."  One link offers a "hard-hitting" essay on good vs. evil.
Overall Rating:  2