Goo Goo Avenue Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan for "Goo Goo Avenue"
by Monique Aycock and Dr. Lovelace

Introduction to Lesson

P.A.S.S. objectives
Language Arts: The learner will

I.A.3.	Use synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and multiple meaning words correctly.
I.B.1	Read and comprehend both fiction and nonfiction that is appropriately designed for the second half of Grade 4.
V.A.2.	Select a focus and an organizational structure based upon purpose, audience, length, and required format and write one or more drafts by categorizing ideas, organizing them into paragraphs, and blending paragraphs into longer text.

Social Studies: The learner will

III.A.	Identify major historical individuals and groups from Oklahoma and the United States and describe their major contributions.
III.B.	Describe major political, economic, and social events involving Oklahoma, including its settlement.

Teacher's purposes for the lesson
Review synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and multiple meaning words. Review the difference between abstract and concrete nouns using vocabulary from the story. Discuss how differences in cultures can result in conflict using Goo Goo Avenue as an example. Review the composition process (rough draft) by having students write historically accurate paragraphs about things they might have seen and heard if they had walked down Goo Goo Avenue in August 1901.

II.

Objectives

A.	Given a list of seven words from the story, the learner will correctly sort the words into two groups, abstract nouns and concrete nouns.
B.	The learner will correctly define and illustrate each of the following terms using words from the story: synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and multiple meaning words.
C.	Having read the story and discussed the settling of Lawton, the learner will write a descriptive paragraph explaining what s/he might have seen and heard while walking down Goo Goo Avenue in Lawton in August 1901. The paragraph will contain a topic sentence and at least four supporting sentences that incorporate sensory information. The completed paragraph will be written in standard English.

III.

Procedures

Materials: Pencils, paper, transparency modeling concrete and abstract nouns, copy of practice page for concrete and abstract nouns (including review of antonym, synonym, homonym, and multiple meaning words), copy of the story

Anticipatory set

1.	Key vocabulary and concepts: culture, famous, Goo Goo Avenue, saloon, tent city, wild
2.	Methods Show students a transparency of photographs of famous and wild historical figures from the founding of Lawton in 1901 (Geronimo, Quanah Parker, "Building a Saloon", Mattie Beal.). Compare these with photographs from teen magazines of famous modern entertainers (graphically illustrate the words wild and famous). Explain to students that these pictures show people from different cultures. Sometime people from different cultures clash because their ways are different. Play the recording of the song "Just Because She Made Them Goo Goo Eyes."
3.	Student purpose statement: "Today you are going to learn more about the founding of Lawton so you can understand how our city started. People from many different cultures came to Lawton. Sometimes they did not get along. They had to learn to live together in peace. You are also going to review concrete and abstract nouns (including review of antonym, synonym, homonym, and multiple meaning words) and write a paragraph based on what you might have seen and heard on Goo Goo Avenue."

Lesson activities

1.	Input Use transparency to help students review concrete and abstract nouns.
2.	Modeling Model a sample item from the practice page for the abstract/concrete noun sort and for antonym, synonym, homonym, and multiple meaning words.
3.	Guided practice Divide students into learning teams. Have teams complete the practice page for concrete and abstract nouns (including review of antonym, synonym, homonym, and multiple meaning words. Walk around the room and monitor student performance, assisting as necessary. Then use Buddy Reading (first student reads aloud the first sentence in the story, partner reads aloud second sentence in story, alternating back and forth until they read the entire story aloud) to read the story "Goo Goo Avenue." Pair share for one minute about the different groups of people who settled Lawton and why they might have disagreements.
4.	Checking for understanding Check the practice page, allowing students to share original sentences. Lead a brief discussion about cultural differences that sometimes lead to conflict. Ask, "How should the church people and saloon owners acted?" Brainstorm strategies for conflict resolution.
5.	Culminating activity (independent practice) Ask each student to write a descriptive paragraph for homework explaining what s/he might have seen and heard while walking down Goo Goo Avenue in Lawton in August 1901. The paragraph must contain a topic sentence and at least four supporting sentences that incorporate sensory information. The final draft of the paragraph should be written in standard English.
6.	Sponge activity Divide the class into two teams, then flip a coin to see which team goes first. Each team selects an “entertainer." The entertainer selects one card from the stack of cards placed face down on a desk. Each card names a famous character represented in the Lawton Centennial (Flora, Mattie Beal, Hog Woods, Buffalo Soldier, Quanah Parker, Teddy Roosevelt, etc.) The entertainer will pantomime the character. The student's team will try to guess who the student is portraying. If the team guesses correctly within two minutes, the team receives one point. If the team is unable to guess, the other team is allowed to try. The team that earns the most points is the winner.

IV.

Closure

A.	Summary of what has been learned Have students complete a One-Minute Writing in their learning journals summarizing what they learned during today's lesson about English (concrete/abstract nouns, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and multiple meaning words, writing descriptive paragraphs), Oklahoma history (Lawton's Tent City), and conflict resolution.
B.	Transfer Students will proofread each other's descriptive paragraphs in class tomorrow, identifying concrete/abstract nouns, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, multiple meaning words, and sensory descriptions.
C.	Student evaluation (Authentic assessment: checklist) Was every learner able to correctly sort seven words from the story into two groups, abstract nouns and concrete nouns? Was every learner able to correctly define and illustrate each of the following terms using words from the story: synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and multiple meaning words? Was every learner able to write a descriptive paragraph explaining what s/he might have seen and heard while walking down Goo Goo Avenue in Lawton in August 1901? Did the paragraph contain a topic sentence and at least four supporting sentences that incorporated sensory information? Was the completed paragraph written in standard English? If not, what needs to be re-taught?
D.	Teacher evaluation Reflect on students' mastery of objedctives (including re-teaching), teacher's personal response to the lesson, and changes that should be made before the lesson is taught again.