JOHN STEINBECK BIOGRAPHY RESEARCH ACTIVITY SHEET
Please use your best search efforts on the web to answer the questions below. You can use your iPad and work independently. This is due at the end of class.
When you are done finding all of the answers, CREATE A TIMELINE using at least 10 events and dates in Steinbeck’s life. Create the timeline on the back of the 3rd page.
1. In which state was John Steinbeck born?
2. What is the year of his birth?
3. List two countries where his parents and their families are from.
a. b.
4. How many children are in his family?
5. When did he graduate high school?
6. There were several events that happened in Steinbeck’s life in 1937. List four of them:
a.
b.
c.
d.
7. Which university did he attend?
8. What city did Steinbeck move to so he could pursue his writing career?
1
9. When did Steinbeck marry his first wife? What was her name?
10. What did Steinbeck do during WWII?
11. List two countries Steinbeck traveled during WWII.
a. b.
12. As a young man, Steinbeck worked on local ranches, which formed the basis for many of his novels. Because of this, his novels were mostly about (2 answers):
a. b.
13. Steinbeck wrote a series of “California Novels” centered around the experience of workers during the Great Depression. These novels would include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. Grapes of Wrath
14. Who was “Charley” in Steinbeck’s life?
15. Steinbeck moved back to California and endeavored to begin his writing career scoring success with which novel?
16. For which novel did Steinbeck win the Pulitzer Prize?
2
17. All of Steinbeck’s novels are considered novellas, or short novels, EXCEPT which one?
18. Where is the setting for most of Steinbeck’s books?
19. What did Steinbeck receive in 1962 and why?
20. Who was his second wife and when did he marry her?
21. Did he have a third wife? If so, who?
22. How many children did he have?
23. Which president was a personal friend with Steinbeck?
24. What did this president do for Steinbeck?
25. What did Steinbeck do for this president?
26. Where and when did Steinbeck die?
27. Where are his ashes placed? 3