Activity Overview
John Steinbeck is well-known for painting detailed pictures with his words. Choose some selections from the novel where Steinbeck uses detailed descriptions of the landscape. Choose six lines from the description that are especially vivid. Use Storyboard That’s Photos for Class search function to find pictures that highlight the images captured in these lines. Then, create a storyboard for your selection!
Cell 1
“The surface of the earth crusted, a thin hard crust, and as the sky became pale, so the earth became pale, pink in the red country and white in the gray country.”
Cell 2
“The tractors came over the roads and into the fields, great crawlers moving like insects, having the incredible strength of insects.”
Cell 3
“And the crops changed. Fruit trees took the place of grain fields, and vegetables to feed the world spread out on the bottoms: lettuce, cauliflower, artichokes, potatoes - stoop crops. A man may stand to use a scythe, a plow, a pitchfork; but he must crawl like a bug between the rows of lettuce, he must bend his back and pull his long bag between the cotton rows, he must go on his knees like a penitent across a cauliflower patch.”
Cell 4
“The moving, questing people were migrants now. Those families which had lived on a little piece of land, who had lived and died on forty acres, who had eaten or starved on the produces of forty acres, had now the whole West to rove in… Behind them more were coming.”
Cell 5
“And all the time the fruit swells and the flowers break out in long clusters on the vines. And in the growing year the warmth grows and the leaves turn dark green.”
Cell 6
“Over the high coast mountains and over the valleys the gray clouds marched in from the ocean. The wind blew fiercely and silently, high in the air, and it swished in the brush, and it roared in the forests.”
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Choose lines from the book that show describe the landscapes in detail. Write these in the description boxes.
- Using Photos for Class, choose pictures that highlight the images captured in these lines. Drag them to the correct cell.
- Save and Exit
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 5 Points | Emerging 3 Points | Beginning 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | The descriptions are clear and at least two sentences. | The descriptions can be understood but it are somewhat unclear. | The descriptions are unclear and are not at least two sentences. |
| Illustrations | The illustrations represent the descriptions using appropriate scenes, characters and items. | The illustrations relate to the descriptions, but are difficult to understand. | The illustrations do not clearly relate to the descriptions. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
| Conventions | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are somewhat correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly incorrect. |
Activity Overview
John Steinbeck is well-known for painting detailed pictures with his words. Choose some selections from the novel where Steinbeck uses detailed descriptions of the landscape. Choose six lines from the description that are especially vivid. Use Storyboard That’s Photos for Class search function to find pictures that highlight the images captured in these lines. Then, create a storyboard for your selection!
Cell 1
“The surface of the earth crusted, a thin hard crust, and as the sky became pale, so the earth became pale, pink in the red country and white in the gray country.”
Cell 2
“The tractors came over the roads and into the fields, great crawlers moving like insects, having the incredible strength of insects.”
Cell 3
“And the crops changed. Fruit trees took the place of grain fields, and vegetables to feed the world spread out on the bottoms: lettuce, cauliflower, artichokes, potatoes - stoop crops. A man may stand to use a scythe, a plow, a pitchfork; but he must crawl like a bug between the rows of lettuce, he must bend his back and pull his long bag between the cotton rows, he must go on his knees like a penitent across a cauliflower patch.”
Cell 4
“The moving, questing people were migrants now. Those families which had lived on a little piece of land, who had lived and died on forty acres, who had eaten or starved on the produces of forty acres, had now the whole West to rove in… Behind them more were coming.”
Cell 5
“And all the time the fruit swells and the flowers break out in long clusters on the vines. And in the growing year the warmth grows and the leaves turn dark green.”
Cell 6
“Over the high coast mountains and over the valleys the gray clouds marched in from the ocean. The wind blew fiercely and silently, high in the air, and it swished in the brush, and it roared in the forests.”
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Choose lines from the book that show describe the landscapes in detail. Write these in the description boxes.
- Using Photos for Class, choose pictures that highlight the images captured in these lines. Drag them to the correct cell.
- Save and Exit
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 5 Points | Emerging 3 Points | Beginning 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | The descriptions are clear and at least two sentences. | The descriptions can be understood but it are somewhat unclear. | The descriptions are unclear and are not at least two sentences. |
| Illustrations | The illustrations represent the descriptions using appropriate scenes, characters and items. | The illustrations relate to the descriptions, but are difficult to understand. | The illustrations do not clearly relate to the descriptions. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
| Conventions | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are somewhat correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly incorrect. |
How Tos about The Grapes of Wrath Text Imagery
How to Teach Students to Identify Imagery in Literary Texts
Introduce the concept of imagery by explaining how authors use descriptive language to create sensory experiences for readers. Share examples from 'The Grapes of Wrath' to help students understand how words can paint pictures in their minds.
Model how to spot vivid descriptions
Read a passage aloud and pause to highlight phrases that appeal to the senses. Encourage students to listen for words that help them see, hear, feel, smell, or taste the scene.
Guide students in annotating imagery
Have students underline or highlight sentences in the text that use strong descriptive language. Ask them to jot notes about which senses are engaged by each image.
Facilitate group discussion about imagery’s effect
Organize students into small groups to share and discuss their chosen examples of imagery. Prompt them to explain how these images affect their understanding or emotions as readers.
Encourage creative responses to imagery
Invite students to draw, collage, or storyboard one vivid scene using details from the text. This helps them connect visually and deepen comprehension.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Grapes of Wrath Text Imagery
What are some vivid examples of landscape imagery in The Grapes of Wrath?
John Steinbeck uses powerful imagery in The Grapes of Wrath to describe the landscape, such as crusted earth turning pale, tractors crawling like insects, and gray clouds marching over valleys. These details help readers visualize the setting and feel the harsh reality faced by the characters.
How can students use Storyboard That to illustrate scenes from The Grapes of Wrath?
Students can select vivid lines from the novel, use Photos for Class within Storyboard That to find matching images, and arrange them in a storyboard. This visual activity helps deepen understanding of Steinbeck's descriptive language and the novel's themes.
Why does Steinbeck use detailed imagery to describe the landscape?
Steinbeck's detailed imagery immerses readers in the setting, conveys the characters' struggles, and highlights the environmental and social challenges of the Dust Bowl era. It also evokes empathy and a sense of realism.
What is the best way to teach imagery from The Grapes of Wrath in a high school classroom?
The best approach is to have students identify descriptive passages, discuss their meaning, and create visual representations like storyboards. This method encourages close reading and helps students interpret and appreciate literary imagery.
How does imagery in The Grapes of Wrath support theme development?
Imagery in The Grapes of Wrath reinforces themes such as hardship, migration, and resilience. Steinbeck’s vivid descriptions connect the land’s condition to the characters’ journeys, making abstract themes more concrete for students.
More Storyboard That Activities
Grapes of Wrath
- _MG_0201a • markbyzewski • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
- Drought • Bert Kaufmann • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
- Field of Sourgrass • }{enry • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
- 'Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California' • National Media Museum • License No known copyright restrictions (http://flickr.com/commons/usage/)
- Picking cotton Peoria AZ • Mennonite Church USA Archives • License No known copyright restrictions (http://flickr.com/commons/usage/)
- Tractors • Phil_Parker • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
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