Lesson Plan Ideas for Teachers
Click here for a sample lesson plan with standards
Andalusia is the picturesque farm where the highly acclaimed American author Flannery O’Connor lived in Milledgeville, Georgia from 1951 until her death in 1964. O’Connor was living at Andalusia when she completed all of her published books of fiction: two novels and two collections of short stories. This 544-acre estate is composed of gently rolling hills divided into a farm complex, hayfields, pasture, ponds, creeks, wetlands, and forests. At Andalusia, O’Connor found the source of many of the settings, situations, and fictional characters that are the signature of her stories.
Published Works
Lesson Plan Ideas
The following ideas based on O'Connor and/or Andalusia could be developed into units of study for most grade levels.
A major American author and her surroundings.
Elements of place, landscape, and agrarian settings in Southern fiction.
Catholic writers in the predominantly Protestant South.
Religious themes in literature.
Historic preservation and architectural restoration.
Raising domestic birds (peafowl, chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, and swans).
Historical interests: plantations, 19th century architecture, dairy farming, cattle production.
Natural history: wildlife, native plants, ecosystems, climax forests, land management.
Environmental interests: urban sprawl, land conservation, endangered species.
Economic interests: women business owners, women writers, farmers, agriculture.
Photography: 19th century houses, early 20th century farm structures, wildlife, rural landscape.
Lesson Plan Resources on the Web
Click here for a complete lesson plan entitled Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find": Who's the Real Misfit for grades 9-12 provided by EDSITEment, a search engine for educational material on specific humanities topics provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Click here for a page sponsored by DePaul University including a lesson plan entitled Story vs. Plot: Creative writing lesson plan for Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People" and "Greenleaf."
Click here for a page sponsored by Georgetown University covering general topics of O'Connor's work and offering classroom issues and strategies, major themes, historical perspectives, along with questions for reading and discussion.
Click here for a summary and discussion questions for the story "Greenleaf" on the Random House Publishers website for high school teachers.
Click here for an interesting exercise in creating literary characters based on O'Connor's techniques in the story "Good Country People" provided by teacher.scholastic.com.
Click here for a lesson plan on "A Good Man is Hard to Find" provided by an online community called Wiki and associated with the University of British Columbia.
Click here for a list of links to essays about Flannery O'Connor and her writing provided by the Special Collections Department of the library at Georgia College & State University.
Click here for an extensive bibliography of Flannery O'Connor criticism provided by the Special Collections Department of the library at Georgia College & State University.
Literary Landmark
In the tradition of William Faulkner’s home (Rowan Oak – Oxford, MS), Carl Sandburg’s home (Connemara – Flat Rock, NC), and Joel Chandler Harris’s home (Wren’s Nest – Atlanta, GA), Andalusia offers a glimpse into the life and times of a great American writer. All over the country, the legacies of famous authors are remembered at historic houses, library collections, museums, and gravesites. With Andalusia, the Flannery O’Connor Collection and Memorial Room at Georgia College & State University, and Memory Hill Cemetery, Milledgeville is fortunate to have all of these commemorative attractions in one community. USA Today in 2000 named Milledgeville one of America’s ten important literary destinations, quite an achievement for a small town in central Georgia. Flannery O’Connor is widely recognized as Georgia’s finest author and one of the most respected fiction writers in American literature. Andalusia has the potential to illuminate in fresh and imaginative ways the life and accomplishments of Flannery O’Connor for teachers, students, scholars, and loyal readers for many years to come.
Visiting Andalusia
The Andalusia farm complex is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment seven days a week. Visitors will see the main house, including O’Connor’s room, the dining room, kitchen, and sitting room. They may also watch the movie adaptation of O’Connor’s story, "The Displaced Person," which was filmed on location at Andalusia by the Public Broadcasting System in 1976. There is also a gift shop in the main house featuring several unique souvenirs along with books by O’Connor and about her work. Visitors are encouraged to walk around the farm complex to see the dairy workers’ house, the barns, water tower, storage shed, and several other outbuildings. Field trip tours can be arranged by calling 478-454-4029 or by sending a message to wiseblood@andalusiafarm.org .
Target Corporation sponsors a program awarding educators grants of $1,000 each to fund a field trip for their students. Perhaps you could get a grant to bring your students to Andalusia! Check out their website here for more information and let us know how we can assist you.
Directions
Andalusia is located on U.S. Highway 441 North (2628 North Columbia Street), a quarter-mile north of the Wal-Mart shopping center in Milledgeville, Georgia. Although the entrance is narrow and easy to miss, the driveway can easily accommodate school buses and motor coaches. There is ample space for buses to circle around in the barn complex area, and there is plenty of room for parking behind the main house.
Other sites of interest in Milledgeville