Lesson Plan example for adults learning English as a Second Language (best for intermediate level). The lesson plan includes opening discussion, vocabulary and phrase guide, post-episode questions, dialogue for pronunciation practice, closing discussion, a group activity, and tutor's notes.
Interactive Powerpoint_How to Master effective communication
Golden Girls Lesson plan
1. The Golden Girls is a sitcom about four women: Dorothy, Rose,
Blanche, and Sophia. They’re all living together in Miami, Florida.
Every episode features a slice of their lives—from every day life to
special situations.
Last week, we watched an episode of the Golden Girls. We’ll be
watching another once again this week! Like last week, we’ll be
watching the episode without any subtitles. Before we begin
watching the episode, let’s talk about last week a little bit and
how watching the episode went for you!
1. One a scale from 1-5, (1 being not at all and 5 being very
well), how well did you understand the episode?
2. What was your favorite part in the episode?
3. Was there anything you disliked about the episode?
1. If not, then describe something that you found difficult to
understand while watching the episode.
4. Of all of the episodes that we have watched so far, which
has been your favorite. Why?
Page 1
2. Today…
We’ll be watching another episode of
The Golden Girls! This episode is from
Season 4 of the show and was the 91st
episode of the show.
The title is “Two Rode Together”
Like last time, think about the show
before you read the synopsis. Using
what you know so far, what
you remember from the
last episode, and from the
title, what do you think
the episode will be
about? Why do you
think so?
Page 2
3. Synopsis of “Two Rode
Together”
“Dorothy takes Sophia to Disney
World for “quality time,” but all
Sophia wants to do is ride Space
Mountain; meanwhile, Blanche and
Rose team up to write a children's
storybook..”
The other characters
in this episode are
Sam (played by
Freddie Jackson)
Page 3
4. Vocabulary
1. Backup - an alternative, something that you have in case your original plan
doesn’t work
2. Grown apart - to stop being close to someone naturally—there’s no
arguments involved, it’s just very natural
3. Be around - to be nearby, to be available
4. [They’re] gone - a way of saying that someone has died
5. Spend time with - to do things with someone, to talk with people
6. Shaken up - to be upset, to be nervous
7. Running short - to be low in quantity
8. Flown in - for a plane to arrive
9. Stay close with someone - to have a good relationship with someone
10. Clear across the country - To go across the country completely
11. Quality time - Important time that is special
12. Freeze in my memory - To remember something
13. Sentiment - a view or attitude towards something
14. Fable - a story usually involving the use of animal characters that teaches
some lesson
15. Defenses are down - when someone/something is vulnerable
16. Take advantage - when you recognize that someone is weak and use this
against them
17. Okey-dokey - a way of saying “okay!”
18. Mediocre - not very special/interesting
19. Toupee - a wig that goes on the top of someone’s head
20. Feats - accomplishments
21. Magnificent - very special/incredible
22. Monograms - the first letters of your first and last name printed upon
objects
23. Ran off - to disappear/leave quickly
24. Get anything out of this - to learn something/gain something from a situation
25. Cabin - a (typically) wooden house that is considered to be very
comfortable
26. Florida keys - islands around Florida
27. Brochure - a publication that provides information about vacations
28. Bored to tears - to be so bored that you feel miserable
29. Going away - to leave/go somewhere
30. Pulled this one - to do something to someone unexpectedly
Page 4
5. 31. Resort - a luxurious hotel that involves a lot of amenities and special
services
32. Goons - criminals
33. Lanyards - bands of fabric worn around the neck that have something
connected to them at the end (e.g. keys, an ID, etc.)
34. Against my will - when you don’t want to do something
35. How it was - to describe what something was like in the past
36. All of a sudden - indicates that something happened surprisingly
37. Reservation - a confirmation of something
38. Arrangements - plans
39. You bet - a way of saying “yes!” or “absolutely!”
40. Suspicious - when something isn’t as it seems
41. Cab - a car that will take you somewhere for a price
42. Pick me up - to have someone join you for something
43. Cabbie - person that drives a cab
44. Doodling - drawing without thought/purpose
45. Multicolored - has multiple colors
46. Get something out of [one’s] head - to not think about something
47. Earplugs - (usually) rubber bits that you can put into your ears in order to
block out sound
48. Best seller - a book that sells very well and makes a lot of money
49. Teaming up - to join someone on a particular project
50. Fresco - Italian painting
51. Journal - book where you write about your life/other personal events
52. Classic - refers to a nostalgic/fond thing
53. Making [it] up - saying something/coming up with an idea without any
thought/planning
54. Reread - to read again
55. Slides - electronic presentations of information
56. Got the spirit - to have enthusiasm/excitement
57. Sketch - a quickly made drawing
58. Pals - friends
59. Coming along - to join someone in going somewhere
60. Chalk it up - to give credit to someone/something
61. Synergism - interaction between two people
62. Generated - to have created
63. Engaged - to get someone excited/interested in something
64. Occur - to happen
65. Criticize - to point out the flaws in something
66. Collaborating - to work with others
Page 5
6. 67. Get beyond - to solve a problem
68. Egos - self-confidence (with a negative context)
69. Minor - not important/very small
70. Drop dead - an insult
71. Needs work - when something can be improved
72. Beanie - a wool hat
73. Refuse - to reject/say “no”
74. Try me - to challenge someone
75. See it [one’s] way - to understand someone’s views/ideas
76. Lousy - bad/not good
77. Morgue - a place where corpses are kept
78. Stand it - to endure something
79. Flash before [one’s] eyes - to see/remember everything very quickly
80. Take [one’s] side - to agree with someone
81. Straight - without stopping
82. Solitaire - a card game played on your own
83. Make a move - take your turn in a game
84. Tune out - to ignore something/not listen
85. Getting on [one’s] nerves - to annoy/bother someone
86. Out of here - to be somewhere else
87. Saloons - place where you can buy alcohol/listen to casual music
88. Joints - usually a restaurant/bar
89. Quality time - time spent with people you care about
90. Unfinished business - things you haven’t been able to do
91. Lightning bugs - bugs whose bodies flash light
92. Spectacular - incredible/amazing
93. Suffocated - made unable to breath/not given space
94. Beat [it] to death - to do something so often it loses any importance
95. Come through - to finally do something
96. Lapse - a pause
97. Read it and weep - a teasing way of revealing the truth to someone
98. Fairy tale - a fantasy story
99. Pick up [a thing] - to get something
100. Consolation - something that offers comfort to someone else
101. Crushed - ruined/interrupted
102. Doused - to soak/make something extremely wet
103. Half bad - when something is “okay”—it is not good but not bad
104. Salvage - to save something
105. Postcards - cards send from vacations
106. Lets up - stops
Page 6
7. Pronunciation
Read the dialogue from the episode we just watched with a
partner. After reading it once, switch your roles and read
the dialogue again.
Dorothy: Ma, I’ve been looking everywhere for you! We
really need to talk. Ma, why are you trying so hard to ruin my
weekend?
Sophia: You don’t get it, do you? This weekend could have
been a lot of fun until you decided we were going to have
quality time!
Dorothy: Is that so horrible? Ma, all I wanted to do was have
us finish unfinished business and say things to each other that
we’ve never said before!
Sophia: Dorothy, this isn’t “On Golden Pond”.
Dorothy: I know, Ma.
Sophia: And you’re not Jane Fonda.
Dorothy: All right! You’ve made your point.
Page 7
8. Sophia: Quality time has to come naturally. It happens when
you’re not thinking about it—like when we’re cutting
vegetables together, that’s quality time!
Dorothy: I was hoping for something a little more magical.
Sophia: Let me tell you a little story. When I was a kid in
Sicily, I loved lightening bugs. I’d stand out in the field and
watch them light up the night sky. That was magical, that was
spectacular. I liked them so much I’d catch them in glass jars
so I could watch them light up whenever I wanted. They
always died.
Dorothy: I see what you mean. They needed their freedom.
Sophia: No, they needed their air! I always forgot to punch
holes in the lid. The point is, it’s the same with all magical
moments. You can’t capture them forever, no matter what
those camera companies tell you!
Dorothy: So what you’re saying is, Ma, that like a lightning
bug, I put you in a glass jar and, waiting for you to light up, I
nearly suffocated you.
Sophia: Jeez, Dorothy, you sure know how to beat a
metaphor to death.
Dorothy: Ma, I love you.
Page 8
9. Sophia: I love you too, Pussy Cat. Just promise me you’ll
never make me do this again for the rest of my life.
Dorothy: Okay, but only if you promise you’ll live forever.
Sophia: Ok, I promise!
Dorothy: How can you make a promise like that?
Sophia: Hey, if I don’t come through, what are you going to
do to me?
Page 9
10. Discussion
The episode we’ve just watched covers
a couple of topics that I’m interested in
exploring, so let’s discuss!
1. Can you think of any fables that you
were told as a kid? Share one!
2. What are ways that you show
people that you love them and care
about them?
3. Why do you think that the funeral
prompted Dorothy to want to
spend so much time with Sophia?
4. How could Blanche and Rose have
been better partners when working
on their book?
5. Are there any memories of your
family you would like to share?
What makes the memory so special?
Page 10
11. Activity: A Trip to Disney World
Congratulations! You’re going on a trip
to Disney World! It’s time to plan out
our vacation so we can enjoy ourselves!
Together, we’re going to plan out a
single day of our vacation. We’ll figure
out which park we would like to go to,
what rides we’d like to ride, and more!
Page 11
12. Some Quick Vocabulary to Warm
Up!
Theme Park - A place where you can go on
rides/do activities that are focused on a
specific theme or topic
Rollercoaster - A train of cars that runs
fast along a metal or wooden track
Carousel - A rotating platform with seats
for riders that are shaped like horses or
other animals
Waterslide - A slide filled with water than
usually ends in a pool. You can either sit
directly in the slide or you might ride in a
tube.
Fireworks - Colorful explosions that are
used at night to entertain people
Page 12
13. Dark Ride - A slow-moving train that
moves through a dark building, usually
passing by various scenes to view.
Mascots - People who wear colorful
costumes and pretend to be the character
FastPass - A system that allows you to
reserve a time to ride a specific ride.
Getting these helps you get to the front of
the lines!
Line/Queue - Where you must wait before
you can ride a ride
Log Flume - A log-style train that floats
through the water and goes down hills to
splash water on riders
Free Fall - Ride that lifts and drops riders
on a track
Page 13
14. Step 1: Choose a Park!
Disney World currently has 5 different theme
parks that we can visit. Let’s take a look at them and
decide where we’ll spend out day!
Page 14
The Magic Kingdom:
This is the classic park at Disney World.
There are all kinds of attractions from
thrilling rides to exciting shows. We can
also meet various characters and get
great photos!
EPCOT:
EPCOT is the land of science and technology.
Rides and shows here are all about science
and the future! There is also the World
Showcase, full of restaurants and attractions
based on countries around the world!
Animal Kingdom:
Animal Kingdom celebrates the wonderful
world of, well, animals! If you like safaris
and seeing all kinds of interesting and
fantastic creatures, this is the park for
you!
15. So, where would you like to
go?
Page 15
Hollywood Studios:
Hollywood Studios is the land of movie
magic! Here you can experience your
favorite films up close and personal
while celebrating the wonderful art of
making a film!
Typhoon Lagoon:
Typhoon Lagoon is the place to go if
you’re looking to cool off and enjoy some
wild water rides! If wild rapids aren’t
your speed, however, you can always
relax by the water.
16. Step 2: How Long Will We Stay?
Are we going to be in the park all day long? Or will
we only go for a short while and then do something
after?
Park Hours
- The Magic Kingdom (9:00am-10:00pm)
- If we decide to buy a special ticket, we can
also stay until 1:00am!
- EPCOT (9:00am-9:00pm)
- Hollywood Studios (9:00am-9:00pm)
- Animal Kingdom (9:00am-8:00pm)
- Animal Kingdom has “extra magic hours”,
meaning that we can get an extra hour in the
park from 8:00am-9:00am
- Typhoon Lagoon (10:00am-5:00pm)
A Magical Idea!!!
We can also always pay an extra cost so that way we
can visit multiple parks in the same day!
Page 16
17. Step 3: What Will Do at the Park?
Now that we’ve chosen a park, let’s decide on some
rides to go on and shows to see! We also should
decide if we want to buy any FastPass tickets!
Our Rides
We should ALSO choose what to eat! Let’s choose a
restaurant and look up the menu so we can figure out
what we’ll want to have:
Our restaurant:
What we will have:
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh
Eighth
Ninth
Tenth
Page 17
18. Step 4: What Will We Buy?
The best part about vacation is buying souvenirs for
our family, friends, and ourselves. Imagine that we
have $500.00 to spend. What should we buy? We
can use Disney’s websites to get an idea of how
much things might cost.
Item Price
Total Amount Spent:
Page 18
19. Step 5: Are We Doing Anything
After?
Disney doesn’t have only theme parks and rides.
There are two other places that we can visit that
have shops and restaurants for us to visit.
or should we go back to the
hotel and rest?
Page 19
BoardWalk:
Set against the water, you can walk along
and visit the many shops and restaurants
that are offered.
The BoardWalk is open 6:30am-2am
Disney Springs:
Welcome to “Downtown” Disney! Disney
Springs has a great deal of fantastic shops
and restaurants to enjoy!
Disney Springs is open 10:00am-12:00am
20. Homework
Pick one of the following writing prompts.
Prompt 1: What Happens Next?
Imagine that you are a writer for The Golden Girls. In a
paragraph, describe how you would continue the story.
For example, do Blanche and Rose make a book about
Rose’s poems. How does the rest of Dorothy and
Sophia’s visit to Disney go? Feel free to be creative!
Write your paragraph on a separate piece of paper and
bring it to next class. Try to use some of the idioms
we’ve discussed in lessons.
Prompt 2: Critique
Write a review of the episode that you just watched.
There’s a lot to talk about: what you liked, what you
disliked, what you found confusing, what parts of the
story you found interesting, etc. Try to reference
specific parts from the episode in order to help readers
of your review understand your thoughts more clearly.
Your review can be as long as you wish, but try to make
it at least a paragraph. At the very end of your review,
rate the episode on a scale of 5 stars. (1 means you
disliked it, 2 means it was “ok”, 3 means you liked it, 4
means you REALLY liked it, and 5 means you thought it
was amazing.)
Page 20
21. Tutor’s Notes…
Page 1
Read these out loud with your learner. It’s good practice for
pronunciation. Reading reading out loud will also help auditory learners
along with visual learners.
Page 2
Answers will vary. Try to encourage learners to give an explanation
beyond a few simple words. Remind learners who say “I don’t know” that
it’s okay to be wrong, they’re only guessing!
Page 3
Another good page for having learners read aloud for pronunciation
practice. If needed, you can explain that the other important characters
listed on this page are different that the 4 main characters. The 4 main
characters are known as “recurring characters”, meaning that they will
continue to be in the show. The characters listed on page 5 will only show
up in this episode. They may return for a future episode, but not very
often.
Page 4-6
Have this page handy for your learner while you watch the episode. It
has a lot of vocabulary and phrases defined that learners may not have
heard before. This will be helpful regardless of whether or not you use
subtitles during the viewing.
Page 7-9
Take this page slowly! Take you time to discuss intonation with the
dialogue delivery. Remember to have learner’s and their partner switch
characters so that they read the dialogue twice—each learner will read
for Barbara and for Dorothy.
Page 10
Answers to these questions will all vary. Encourage learners to
think creatively and critically to these answers! Make sure to also
encourage learners to explain their thoughts regarding their answers.
Page 21
22. Page 11-19
Split students into groups according to class-size and equip them with
internet access so that they can google the information they’ll need to
plan their “trip”. Websites of interest include:
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/
• https://www.shopdisney.com/disney-parks/
This activity may take a while, so be sure to plan enough time into the
lesson. If there is time at the end, have students share with the other
groups about their plans!
Page 22