Flannery O'Connor Southern Literary Tour

Learner Description

This m-Learning activity was created for high school English Language Arts students as part of a post-graduate EdTech program at BSU.

Explore Savannah

Overview

As part of our Flannery O’Connor unit, we’ll be touring her birthplace of Savannah, Georgia where we’ll visit:

• the house in which she grew up;
• the historic church she attended;
• the O’Connor Collection at the Georgia College and State University Library where we’ll peruse her published and unpublished works, as well as sit in on a lecture of O’Connor’s first novel, Wiseblood; and finally,
• her family farm of Andalusia and the cemetery where she and her family are buried in Milledgeville.

Instructions

On our literary adventure, you’ll be engaging in just-in-time mobile learning, any web-enabled device will do, to discover even more about this famous Southern writer. Follow the prompts at each tour stop to uncover the seemingly ordinary surroundings which led to the creation of her extraordinary works and respond accordingly. *Note: all mobile-friendly links on this page will open in a new browser window.

Before we begin, go to this padlet to engage in a "3-2-1-Bridge" thinking activity.

Tour Stop 1:

Flannery O’Connor’s birthplace: 207 East Charlton Street Savannah. On the map you’ll see historic Forsyth Fountain in Forsyth Park, 30 acres of land open to the public and just a few blocks from her home which Flannery O’Connor would have visited as part of the backdrop to her neighborhood.

Go to this padlet to engage in one of our “See, Think, and Wonder” thinking routines about her house, Forsyth Park, and Fountain.

Tour Stop 2:

St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Savannah where Flannery O’Connor and her family attended church. Investigate its history.

Tour Stop 3:

Georgia College and State University where Flannery O’Connor earned her undergraduate degree. Learn about its history here. O’Connor was a Social Sciences major. What kinds of careers and salaries might this major offer?

Tour Stop 4:

Andalusia Farm where Flannery spent part of her teenage years and then the last years of her life writing and raising peacocks. Both Flannery and her father died of complications with Lupus. As we make our way to the family farm outside of Savannah, please watch this video to learn about Lupus.

Upon completion, you'll participate in a "Colour, Symbol, Image" thinking routine, using your device to capture the images that you’ll then record on this padlet. Read others’ responses before closing the site.

Final Thoughts

As we end our tour about this remarkable author, please engage in our "Connect, Extend, Challenge" thinking routine and post to this padlet.