Ms. Noodlehead Has Georgia On Her Mind Study Guide

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MS. NOODLEHEAD HAS GEORGIA ON HER MIND STUDY GUIDE
By Cathy Kaemmerlen

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Nancy Noodlehead is all set to take Georgia students on a rah rah trip of the 13th colony, and make Georgians proud of the peanut, poultry, peaches, and Vidalia onion capital of the world.  She takes us on a 45 minute tour of the Peach State and teaches us to celebrate the wonders of Georgia through facts, fun, geography, folklore and legends, Georgia historical (and hysterical) characters, landmarks, symbols, and festivals.  Lots of audience participation as we all learn to join Ray Charles and have Georgia on our minds.

ARTIST BIO
Cathy Kaemmerlen, author, actress, historical interpreter, playwright, and storyteller, is known for her variety of characters, one-woman shows, and for bringing history to life.  A performer and “creator of shows” since she can remember, she has toured in schools coast to coast, since receiving a BA in English/elementary education from UNC-Charlotte, and a MFA in dance performance/choreography/theatre at the University of Wisconsin.  She tours some 20 current shows which she wrote, through the Georgia and South Carolina Touring Arts Rosters, Fulton County Teaching Museums, G.E.T. Programs in the Schools, and through her own production company, Tattlingtales Productions. She is the author of four books and many plays, including one commissioned by the DeKalb Historical Society. Most recently she was commissioned by the Plains Chautauqua Society to write and appear in the one-woman show:  The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail.

BACKGROUND  OF ART FORM

Telling stories is an oral tradition, dating back to when mankind first developed a language or form of communication. Storytelling is a universal way of passing down information to be saved and remembered and individually interpreted for years to come.  It is an interactive art form in which the storytellers’ passion for the story, material, and information, is passed on to the audience, who sorts through, interprets, stores, and synthesizes what is heard.

PREPARE

Teachers, please read this to your students. 

Today we’re going to enjoy a show that celebrates our state, Georgia, the largest state east of the Mississippi River.  We’re going to learn stories about famous Georgians, our state symbols, state legends, geography, and landmarks.  We will all want to go exploring afterwards to see for ourselves how Georgia is the peanut, poultry, peaches, and vidalia onion capital of the world.

Warm Up Questions to set the stage for engaging students:
What are Georgia’s best products?
What are Georgia’s state symbols?
What parts of Georgia that you’ve visited make the state worth visiting?
What are some of the counties, cities, landmarks, geographical regions, that make up Georgia?

Warm Up Questions for meeting the Georgia Performance Standards for “Listening/Speaking/Viewing”:
Describe the perfect audience.
What are some of our class rules for being good listeners?
How do we show someone we appreciate their visit to our school or classroom?
How does being part of an audience help make you a good citizen?
What are some examples of bad audience behavior or attitudes?
How does a negative audience member effect your enjoyment of a show or performance?
How would this make the performer feel?
How do we want the performer to feel when they leave our school or classroom?

Reflect and Do: Post Performance Activities
–Come up with as many creative uses for the Georgia peanut as you can think of.
–Create some commercials to help keep Georgia on everyone’s mind.
–Make up your own WHADDYA KNOW ABOUT….quizzes and work in teams to research the answers.
–Discuss what makes Georgia such a great state and what can we do to keep it that way.
–Research and make presentations about other Georgia historical figures like:  Mary Musgrove, Martha Berry, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Lillian Carter,Ted Turner, Hank Aaron,  Nathanael Green, Margaret Mitchell, Barrington King, Button Gwinnett, Elijah Clark, Chief JamesVann, Tomochichi, Alexander Stephens, Sequoyah,  Crawford  Long, Joel Chandler Harris, Rebecca Latimer Felton, Juliet Gordon Low, Dr. Martin Luther King.

 Vocabulary

James Oglethorpe:  founder of state of Georgia
Okefenokee Swamp: famous Georgia swamp near the Georgia coast
Ware County, Georgia:  largest county in Georgia
Obediah Barber:  legendary Okefenokee Swamp Man
Nancy Hart:  Revolutionary War heroine
State song:  GEORGIA ON MY MIND written by Stuart Gorrell/Hoagy Carmichael
State crop:  peanuts
State vegetable
:  vidalia onions
State nickname:  The Peach State
State mineral:  staurolite (fairy crosses)
State tree:  live oak
State motto:  wisdom, justice, moderation
State bird:  brown thrasher
State flower:  Cherokee rose
State fruit:  peaches
State fish: largemouth bass
State insect:  honeybee
State reptile:  gopher tortoise
State gem:  quartz
State agriculture:  poultry capital of the world

RESOURCES (MUSIC AND BOOKS):
MY GEORGIA by Glen Blankenship and Judy Greene
GEORGIA VOYAGER MAGAZINE\
WIERD GEORGIA by Jim Miles
THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES by Joseph Bruchac
A TREASURY OF GEORGIA TALES by Webb Garrison
THE GEORGIA ONE DAY TRIP BOOK by Jane Ockershausen
STORIES OF GEORGIA by Joel Chandler Harris
www.gastateparks.rog
www.sos.state.ga.us/
GEORGIA ON MY MIND:  official state travel guide
www.50states.com/georgia.htm
Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
A HISTORY OF GEORGIA by Coleman
THE TREE THAT OWNS ITSELF by Hammer and Karwoski
A TREASURY OF GEORGIA TALES by Webb Garrison
EVERY CLICHÉ IN THE BOOK by Peggy Rosenthal and George Dardess
SCHOLASTIC DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS
THE WORDSMITH DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS
THE VERY BEST OF RAY CHARLES:  GEORGIA ON MY MIND (cd)
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS COLLECTOR’S EDITION (Midnight Train to GA.)
ALAN JACKSON’S A LOT ABOUT LOVIN’ (Chattachoochee) cd
WILLIE NELSON’S STARDUST  (GA On My Mind) cd
THE CHICKEN DANCE

STATE SONG:  Georgia on My Mind:
Melodies bring memories,
That linger in my heart
Make me think of Georgia.
Why did we ever part?
Some sweet day when blossoms fall
And all the world’s a song,
I’ll go back to Georgia,
‘Cause that’s where I belong.
Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through,
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.
Georgia, Georgia, a song of you.
Comes as sweet and clear as
Moonlight through the pines.
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you.
Georgia, Georgia, no peace I find.
Just an old sweet song keeps
Georgia on my mind.

WORDS TO EATING GOOBER PEAS:
Chorus:  Peas, peas, peas, peas,
Eating goober peas.
Goodness how delicious,
Eating goober peas.

Verse 1:  Sitting by the roadside on a summer day,
Chatting with my messmates,
Passing time away,
Lying in the shadow
Underneath the trees,
Goodness, how delicious
Eating goober peas.

Verse 2:  When a horseman passes,
The soldiers have a rule,
To cry out at their loudest,
“Mister, here’s your mule,
But another pleasure
Enchantinger than these,
Is wearing out your Grinders,
Eating goober peas!

Verse 3:  Just before the battle,
The General hears a row,
He says, “The Yanks are coming,
I hear their rifles now.”
He turns around in wonder,
And what do you think he sees?
The Georgia Militia,
Eating goober peas!

Verse 4:  I think my song has lasted
Almost long enough,
The subject’s interesting,
But rhymes are mighty rough,
I wish the war was over
When free from rags and fleas,
We’d kiss our wives and sweethearts
And gobble goober peas!

CHARACTER EDUCATION:
This show utilizes the following character education words:  self-respect, civility, authority, pride, environment, democracy, dependability, honor, loyalty, motivation, reliability, accountability, cooperation, fairness, justice, determination, allegiance, perseverance, dedication, creativity, honesty, initiative, sportsmanship, service, patriotism, productivity, patience, accomplishment.

QCC’s:  Grade 3 Language Arts: 25, 34; Social Studies: 9, 10; Character Education:  1, Citizenship

Georgia Performance Standards:  grade 2 social studies