CHALLENGING WORDS

autograph
balcony
chandelier
fountain
magnificent
marshmallows
outstretched
sober
stone mason
zinnia

SUMMARY

A young girl in the 1950's south wants to go find someplace special by herself. Her grandmother lets her catch the bus downtown. Yet she has to sit in the back and finally she finds the special place where all are welcome-the public library. Careful, this book is written in dialect!

--- Conversation Questions---

(1) / Explain what makes a place special to Tricia Ann.
(Answer) / Everyone is welcome there.
(Follow Up) / List places that weren't special in the story.
(2) / Imagine you are Tricia Ann, your parents have let you go all by yourself for the day, where would you go?
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / How would you feel on your own?
(3) / Suppose someone had kicked you out how would you respond to that person?
(Answer) / Any logical answer.
(Follow Up) / How would you act if someone new wanted to play with you and your friends?
(4) / Conclude what will happen now that Trisha Anne has found someplace special.
(Answer) / She will be able to read and feel good about it.
(Follow Up) / What do you think Mama Frances will say when Trisha Anne gets home?
(5) / Explain "human being" to me like Trisha Annes' grandmother tells her.
(Answer) / A person, no better, no worse that anyone else.
(Follow Up) / What makes you feel like a special person?
(6) / Name one place where somebody was nice to Tricia Anne.
(Answer) / Outside the hotel, in her hose, on the bus, in the garden, and at the pretzel stand.
(Follow Up) / How were they nice to her?
(7) / Find a sign in the book that makes Tricia Anne sad.
(Answer) / WHITES ONLY, JIM CROW, etc..
(Follow Up) / Now look for a sign that makes her happy.
(8) / Tell me how old the little boy was at the theater.
(Answer) / Six.
(Follow Up) / What made him not talk to Tricia Anne?(his older sister)
(9) / Find what Tricia Anne ate while she was out.
(Answer) / Pretzel.
(Follow Up) / What's your favorite food?
(10) / Hunt for the name of the fountain.
(Answer) / Peace fountain.
(Follow Up) / Do you think the fountain was a peaceful place for Tricia Anne? Why or why not?
Activities
1.  / 1.  Write a sign that you would put up in your place of business in the 1950's. Would you let everyone come in?
2.  / 2.  Draw a picture of Tricia Anne as she found the public library.
3.  / 3.  List why it is important for everyone to be treated equally.
4.  / 4.  Write how you would change things in the 1950's to help people like Tricia Anne.
Introduction
1.  Have a map laid out of the county where you reside. Ask the student to point to someplace special. Have they been there? Why is the place special? Say, today we are going to read a story about a little girl looking for a special place.
2.  Have a purse with a few nickels and a napkin. Ask the child to tell you what he/she thinks is in the purse. Say, today we will read about a girl who travels around the city by herself for a day with only her pocket book.
3.  Bring something from 1950. Ask if they were born in 1950. This thing is much older than they are, but we can still use it. Let's read about a little girl who lives in 1950 and finds someplace special that you can still go today.

Book Title: Goin’ Someplace Special

Author: Patricia C. Mekissack
/ Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
ISBN: 0-689-81885-8 / # of Text Pages: 17 AR: 4.3 LEX: AD550
Building Oral Vocabulary
11 / staggered / 19 / chandelier / 24 / addled
Prediction Questions
9 / Where might Tricia Anne Go?
17 / How does she know Mr. John Willis?
29 / Where is she?

This resource is provided by THE LEARNING CORPS—Barren County Board of Education, an AmeriCorps project funded in part by the Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service.