Introduction

Humpty Dumpty. Jack Be Nimble.  Old Mother Hubbard.  Remember them?   They populate the nonsensical, rhythmic world of nursery rhymes (usually called "Mother Goose" rhymes here in the US)--those chants, proverbs, street cries, riddles, counting, singing, and finger games of ancient and often unknown origin that play so important a role in the development of young children. Often called "the first poetry of childhood", Mother Goose rhymes are fun to explore, and can be used, in different and meaningful ways, with children in the early childhood years (ages birth-8).

Join your classmates as you explore the history of these rhymes and discover their significance.  Tryout links to other sources of information and enthusiasm about these rhymes. Then, using your new knowledge (with a dose of memories from your childhood), select an assignment from the choices offered here that will enable you to creatively examine these rhymes in depth and in a manner interesting to you.  Get ready to celebrate Mother Goose!
 

Let’s explore the world of nursery rhymes!  Browse through the options table below by clicking on the underlined choices in the box.  Select only one assignment from the choices presented.  Prepare your project and be ready to present to class on the assigned date.  You may use classroom space as necessary for any displays.  These assignments will immerse you, in varying degrees, in the lore of nursery rhymes.  The choices allow you to explore the rhymes from many different perspectives.  Many of these activities could be adapted for use in primary classrooms.  But you'll experience them here first. 

Following the list of choices, you will reach a description of the grading of this project.  Because the projects vary in complexity, not all are equal in the total number of potential points available to them.  You will have the opportunity to make a selection that meets your interests and awards you for successful completion of that choice.

Many of the potential assignments put you directly in Mother Goose Land, that easy-to-imagine place where cows jump over the moon, where eggs do test the laws of gravity by sitting on walls, and where a "merry old king"  keeps the realm in order on a daily basis.  It is a land of joy, of song, but...at times...concerns too.  A place seemingly so real, yet visited by children by generations through the best of all portals...the imagination.

Now travel into that land...read on below...and find an assignment that both challenges and interests you!!
 
 
 

                   *** Do you have your own idea?  E-mail me before you proceed.***
                                                         ad3@umail.umd.edu
 
 

Designers/Artists 

1a.  You are the most sought after residential architect in “Mother Goose Land”.  Create a model of a home you 
       are building for one of your clients.  Display the model for us to see, and write a description of the house for 
       a real estate listing. (II)

2a.  You are the curator of the “Mother Goose Museum”.  You are charged with the mission of traveling 
        through Mother Goose land and collecting the most famous rhyme-related objects for a spectacular show 
        that is to be  staged at your museum.  Prepare a “catalog” of your show of these ten objects.  Be sure to 
        include museum information, descriptions, any pertinent history of the objects, “photos”, etc.  Create a 
       display for these objects in class and provide me with two copies of your catalog. (I)

3a.  Select a nursery rhyme and create your own illustration for it.  Display on poster board for all to see.  Total 
        impact matters. (II)

1b.  Dramatize a nursery rhyme.  Create your own scenery, costume, and props.  Perform for class.  (III)

2b.  Dress up as a nursery rhyme character.  Write a brief one-page autobiography of yourself and how/why 
        you became famous in your land.  Provide two copies of this autobiography for me.  (III)

3b.  WMGL television station hires you as the anchor for its nightly news broadcast.  You are an established 
        media star with previous experience in reporting local news as well as sports, weather and feature 
        commentary.  You have taken this position with station WMGL W(Mother Goose Land) with the agreement
        that you will anchor the entire news production, including redesigning the news set.  Provide a videotape 
        (up to 5 minutes) of your first broadcast.  You may bring your news set to class.  We'll watch your broadcast 
        in class. (I)

4b.  You are a troubadour, a traveling minstrel.  As you wander throughout Mother Goose Land, you begin to 
        hear many songs that sound suspiciously like nursery rhymes set to music.  Are these characters 
        ego-centric or  what???  Entertain us with a concert of all these songs you hear.  You may use instruments
        and props to assist you.  Encourage us to join in.  Provide me with two copies of your musical "program". 
       (II)

1c.  Prepare a “Mother Goose Land” newspaper.  Include features one might find in any newspaper: headlines, 
       “photos”, sports, hard news, news in brief, human interest, entertainment, interviews, crime reports, 
       comics, want-ads, real estates, etc.  The choices are yours to make since you are the Editor-in Chief.  Provide
       me with two copies of your newspaper.  (I)

2c.  Rewrite a rhyme as a short story.  Expand upon the rhyme, letting us know more about characters, setting, 
        and plot.  Be as creative as you like.  The structural elements of your story should follow all grammatical 
        rules for composition.  Read to class and provide me with two copies.  (II)
 
 

1d.  Create a nursery rhyme game, perhaps a board game, for example, but the assignment is limited only by 
        your  imagination.  Bring the game to class and demonstrate how to play it.  Provide me with a copy of the
        game’s rules  and leave the game with me so that I can look it over for grading considerations.  (II)

2d.  Create a “Jeopardy” game board (using poster board) of at least five nursery rhyme related categories.  Just
        as in “Jeopardy”, the answers should appear on your board.  There should be five answers for each category,
        ranging in value from 10 points to 50 points (easiest to hardest).  Display your board for us to see.  We’ll 
        provide questions for a few of your answers.  Provide me with one copy of your board (but in a smaller size) 
        as well as a copy of the accurate “questions”.  The overall appearance of your board is important:  size, 
        color, etc.  Make it uniquely your own.  (II)

1e.  Survey 25 people to determine which and how many nursery rhymes they can recite (relatively accurately) 
        from memory.  graph and illustrate your data.  Write a 0ne-two page summary of this experience and your 
        conclusions. You may decide to ask your subjects other questions related to rhymes.  You are the 
        researcher here; be creative  and thoughtful with this project.  Provide me with two copies of your report 
        and leave your data chart for me to see.  (II)

2e.  Select one nursery rhyme and examine the illustrations accompanying that rhyme in at least six different
        collections.  Compare and contrast these various artistic interpretations of this single rhyme.  What 
        meanings, if any, do the illustrations seem to be giving to the rhyme beyond the literal understanding of the
        words.  What characterization is shown?  Are other stories told within the illustrations?  How do styles, 
        media vary?  Present your analysis and conclusions in a detailed paper and be sure to include the 
        illustrations referred to in the report. Share your findings in class; leave the report with me.  (II)

3e.  Interview 3-5 people who were born and lived their early years in another country. Collect "nursery rhymes" from them. How do these rhymes reflect their own culture and differ from rhymes you know? How are their rhymes also similar to rhymes with which you are familiar? Are any characters similar? Is there, for exmaple a Humpty Dumpty type character in their country's collection of rhymes? Consider both the content (subject matter) and structure of their rhymes. Record these rhymes, in writing, on tape, etc and present creatively and attrictively in class. Accompanying this document should be a two page analysis of your findings and this experience. I am interested in your conclusions about the "role" of "nursery rhymes" throughout the world. Visually highlighting your findings and the culture examined will add appeal to your project. Further research into multicultural rhymes, on line and in the library will add extra dimension to your project. (I)

1f.  You are the head chef of a gourmet restaurant in Mother Goose Land.  Create a menu for your restaurant, 
      making  sure all items on the menu are mentioned in or related to nursery rhymes.  Provide me with two 
      copies of your menu. Prepare one dish from your menu and bring to share with your classmates.  (I)

2f.  Report card time: you are a primary teacher in Mother Goose Land School.  Create report cards for children
       in your class.  You’ll need to search through rhymes for clues to characters personalities for this one.  Be 
       creative with the format of your report cards.  There should be at least six children in your class (it’s not a 
       very large school).  Provide me with a copy of the report cards for each child.  (I)

3f.  A report has just been put on your desk.  You are the Police Chief of Mother Goose Land, just returned 
       from vacation in the nearby Enchanted Forest.  While you were away (it was a long vacation)  incidents of
       crime, both petty and serious, increased in Mother Goose Land.  Share this report with us.  The report does 
       include the investigator's summary and conclusions regarding her findings.  I can't quite remember the 
       investigator's name, but it is sure to be included in the report.  Present a summary in class and leave two 
       copies of the report with me.  Of course the investigator may also have to provide you with a chart showing 
       the findings. (I) 
 

The Official Home of the Mother Goose Society 

 Rebus Rhymes
 
The Real Mother Goose
 
Mother Goose Rhymes: Examples of Use in a Primary Class
 
The Mother Goose Pages

I.  Collections

Here are some examples of collections of Mother Goose nursery rhymes ( multiple rhymes in one book).  These collections vary in the quantity of rhymes presented, in tone, and in style.  Use criteria presented in class to help you think about these books' organization and potential use.  Perhaps you'll discover a favorite here.  This is a representative, but by no means,  complete listing of collections.
 

Collector/Editor/Publisher                         Title

Bayley, Nicola                                                  Nicola Bayley's Book of Nursery Rhymes
Chorao, Kay                                                      The Baby's Lap Book
Christensen, James C.                                  Rhymes and Reasons
Crane, Walter                                                   Traditional Nursery Rhymes
de Angeli, Marguerite                                   Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes
Demi                                                                   Dragon Kites and Dragonflies (Chinese rhymes) 
Denton, Katy McDonald                              A Child's Treasury of Mother Goose 
De Paola, Tomie                                              Tomie de Paola's Mother Goose
Edens, Cooper                                                 The Glorious Mother Goose
Eisen, Amand                                                  The Classic Mother Goose 
Foreman, Micheal                                          Micheal Foreman's Mother Goose
Griego, Margot et. al                                      Tortillitas Para Mama (Latin American rhymes)
Hague, Micheal                                               Teddy Bear's Mother Goose
Hildebrant, Tim and Greg                            Mother Goose A Treasury of Best Loved Rhymes
Kroll, Virginia                                                   Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill ( African rhymes)
Long, Sylvia                                                       Sylvia Long's Mother Goose
Lansky, Bruce                                                   The New Adventures of Mother Goose
Lobel, Arnold                                                    The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose 
Opie, Iona                                                          Here Comes Mother Goose
Opie, Iona and Peter                                      Tail Feathers From Mother Goose
Penny, Ian                                                          Ian Penny's Book of Nursery Rhymes
Rifkin, June                                                      The Everything Mother Goose
Sabuda, Robert                                                Moveable Mother Goose
Sutherland, Zena                                            The Orchard Book of Nursery Rhymes 
Wright, Blanche Fisher                                The Real Mother Goose
Tripp, Wallace                                                  Granfa Gig Had a Pig and Other Rhhymes Without Reason

See also other collections including those illustrated by Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenway, Martin and Alice Provensen, and Tasha Tudor. 
 
 

II.  Single Rhyme Picture Books

The  following picture books are among those that present one nursery rhyme.  You will discover that some are traditional interpretations, and others offer "expanded" or "fractured" looks at well-known  rhymes.  Now can you select a rhyme and write "the rest of the story"?

Author                                                                Title

Ahlberg, Janet and Allen                             Each Peach Pear Plum
Aylesworth, Jim                                              The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock
Bolam, Emily                                                   Mother Goose Math
Choldenko, Gennifer                                    Moonstruck The True Story of the Cow Who Jumped Over
                                                                              the Moon
Chichester, Emma                                         Little Miss Muffet's Count Along Surprise 
dePaola, Tomie                                               The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog
Cowell, Cressida                                             Little Bo Peep's Library Book
Eagle, Kim                                                        Hey Diddle Diddle
Greenberg, David T.                                      Whatever Happened to Humpty Dumpty
Hale, Mary                                                        Mary Had a Little Lamb (illus. Tomie dePaola)
                                                                              Mary Had a Little Lamb (photos by bruce McMillian)
Hennessey, B.G.                                             The Missing Tarts
Kemp, Moira                                                    Humpty Dumpty
Kirk, David                                                        Humpty Dumpty
Melling, David (illus)                                     Over the Moon 
Miranda, Anne                                                To Market, To Market
Most, Bernard                                                 Four and Twenty Dinosaurs
O'Malley, Kevin                                              Humpty Dumpty Egg-Splodes
Spier, Peter                                                       London Bridge is Falling Down
                                                                              To Market, To Market
Trapanzi, Iza                                                    Mary Had a Little Lamb
 

 
 

III.  Historical Resources

Are you curious?  Do you want to learn more about Mother Goose?  The following books give helpful information about the history and origins of the rhymes.

Author                                                               Title

Baring-Gould, William and Ceil               The Annotated Mother Goose
Christensen, James C.                                 Rhymes and Reasons
Delamar, Gloria T.                                         Mother Goose From Nursery to Literature
Montgomery, Michael and Wayne                                      Over the Candlestick
  Opie, Iona and Peter                                     The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes
 

IV.  Ideas for the Classroom

Do you want to go beyond reciting nursery rhymes in your classroom?  Here are some ideas !

Author                                                                Title
                                               
Barton, Bob                                                      Mother Goose Goes to School
Mayer, Marianna                                            The Mother Goose Cookbook
 

V.  AV

King Coles Party, A Wee Sing Production 
Mother Goose Video Treasury, Volume 1-4, J2 Communications 
Numerous tapes, CD's, and records capture the "music" of Mother Goose.
 

These are open-ended assignments.  They vary in complexity and in the time necessary to research, plan, create, and prepare.  I have placed the numbered choices of assignments in each of the three categories below.  Possible total points vary slightly since not all assignments are equally as demanding.  You can also find the category that each assignment corresponds to written in parenthesis at the end of the assignment.  
 
 

Category	I	II	III
Possible Total Points	17-20	16-18	15-17
Choices in This Category	2a, 3b, 1c, 3e, 1f, 2f, 3f	1a, 3a, 4b, 2c, 1d, 2d, 1e, 2e	1b, 2b

 

Images were taken from:

Blue Mountain Cards      http://www.bluemountain.com

Mother Goose Rhymes   http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/LS/PreK/MotherGoose/.