TITLE: Nursery Rhyme Mania
AUTHOR: Carolyn Cregor, Natrona County Schools, Casper, WY
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 4-6; reading, English, social studies,
art
OVERVIEW: Many upper elementary students do not know
nursery rhymes, a basis for literature. Nursery rhymes can
also be used for many creative activities.
PURPOSE: To learn nursery rhymes through many creative
activities.
OBJECTIVES: Main objectives - Students will be familiar
with many different nursery rhymes. Secondary objectives -
Some knowledge of rhyming patterns and rhyming. Cooperative
learning skills. The 4 W's and H of newspaper articles.
Data need in advertisements. Performance and presentation
skills. Creative ideas. The correlation of nursery rhymes
to current events, history, and other literature and media.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS: Teacher - nursery rhyme books or
library access for students; optional - newspapers,
computer(s), newspaper writing computer program, paper for
printing newspapers. (Save political cartoons, comics, and
other items relating to nursery rhymes) Students - pencil,
paper, drawing paper and crayons or other art media,
costumes and props.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Have the class brainstorm nursery rhyme titles and
list them.
2. Each person selects a nursery rhyme to say from
memory.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES: Draw your nursery rhyme; act out
your nursery rhyme and include your name and different
ideas, but using the same rhyme pattern (discuss rhyming
patterns and rhyming words); write a modern day nursery
rhyme; write a nursery rhyme about a book or tv character or
a famous, historical, or political person; write and draw an
advertisement for a product or business using your nursery
rhyme (present to the business - they love it); invite an ad
write to speak and share class ideas; have a local radio
station do nursery rhyme ads; make up a story about a
nursery rhyme character (using the present, past, future,
other characters, etc.); write a newspaper article and/or
make a political cartoon about a nursery rhyme character;
publish a nursery rhyme newspaper (study newspaper writing
and format - there are some good computer newspaper
programs); find nursery rhymes used in other ways (political
cartoons, comics, ads, literature)
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1. Present rhymes and discuss.
2. Display drawings and nursery rhymes.
3. Present rewritten rhymes and perhaps printed copies
for all.
4. Present advertisements orally and display drawn ones.
5. Publish a nursery rhyme newspaper.
6. Display other uses of nursery rhymes.
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