A Book by Mordecai Gerstein (Updated)

Communal Literature  

A book by Gerstein, Mordicai - Roaring Brook Press, p2009, c2009--E--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.8 A young girl living in a book tries to find a story of her own while figuring out what a reader is and thinking about the stories of her family members.

Rationale: Communally known literature helps create a society. If a student does not have an awareness of classic and traditional literature his/her understanding of contemporary literature is less. Gerstein has used communal characters in the Inspiration Book, communal characters that children need to know to fully understand and appreciate this book and others.

A Book generated many ideas for me, too many ideas, and I needed to sort them out or have a whole booklet about ideas using just this one book. Several ideas that I could have used, but didn’t with A Book include these two ideas from Six Traits Gurus http://sixtraitgurus.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/a-book/

• Introduce book and story genres: such as fairy tales, classics, mysteries, etc.

• Select one character’s story to “tell”—e.g. the father says his story is about “a loving father who is a hard-working circus clown.” Write and illustrate his story.

But, I did choose to use these ideas from the Six Traits Gurus website:

• Create a scavenger hunt to see who can identify the most characters referenced in the book such as Mother Goose and Hansel and Gretel.

• Play charades to identify the characters or the names of the rhymes or stories.

• Create short playlets for the rhymes illustrated in the book.

• Write a reading autobiography.

in Grades 3-6  we play with the nursery rhymes and songs via a scavenger hunt, charades, and skits; and in Grades 5-8 students write their own reading story or reading autobiography.

Grades K-3--Dear Mother Goose

Background: The first communal literature for children is Mother Goose rhymes and an assortment of songs. Too often contemporary children come to school with no knowledge of the Mother Goose rhymes. Several of my kindergarten and first grade teachers incorporate Mother Goose rhymes as part of their reading instruction on a regular basis. One has even selected what she considers her favorites and the most popular, written them on chart paper, and posts a different outside her classroom door each week . As students gather for the day, one or two take the Reading Wand and practice reading/reciting the rhyme from left to right. The children think the activity is marvelous and that they are very big stuff showing off their new reading skills.

It is that idea that I promote with the primary grades. Encourage teachers to select rhymes and songs or poems (for 2nd and 3rd grade) they like and want to promote. Make posters (you or your aide could offer to make the posters), and display a different one each week. Each grade could decide on which they will promote, thus creating a spiraling sequential communal Mother Goose rhyme and song collection. While the teachers are making their selections they also review their own knowledge of Mother Goose. After the primary teachers have made their selection, also make a collection of rhymes just for library use.

A NOTE OF WARNING: In this politically correct world, there are people who object to using Mother Goose rhymes--some may be gruesome or gory, some may have a tarnished history that they don’t want young children to know about, some may no longer be “nice.” My comment, “get a life,” and think about the whole picture of forming a community. Don’t over-think Mother Goose. Skip the ones you find objectionable. The kids in PreK-2 grade don’t need to know the political history of the rhymes.

During the class library time, incorporate some of the rhymes in the library lesson when they fit a theme or are otherwise appropriate. Use the corresponding poster. Read the rhyme together as a group or individually. Ask the kids to recite the rhyme. If there is a well illustrated book featuring the single rhyme, include that book in your story hour. Use tales that have been illustrated by one illustrator such as Galdone or Pinkney who have illustrated several individual rhymes or early folktales. You can turn the study of the rhymes into an illustrator study. Or, you could compare illustrations of the same rhyme by several illustrators.

The bibliography below is a basic collection of Mother Goose that your library should have and from which your teachers can select the rhymes they want to use throughout the year. You might even want to have the 398.8 section of the library prominently labeled “Mother Goose” with a sign or picture or stuffed Mother Goose toy.

Teacher Resources:

Growing Readers and Writers with Help from Mother Goose K | Lesson Watch Mother Goose work her magic! This lesson uses nursery rhymes to help emergent readers remember the letters and their sounds and identify word... URL: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/growing-readers-writers-with-83.html

DLTK Growing Together http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/index.htm#Nursery%20Rhymes

ReadWriteThink Acting out with Mother Goose http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/activities-projects/acting-with-mother-goose-30279.html

Titles for Display and/or Check-out:

Arrorro, mi nino : Latino lullabies and gentle games  — Lee & Low Books, c2004 p2009--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.2 An illustrated collection of nursery rhymes, finger plays, and lullabies for children. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at Titlewave.com

Big fat hen by Baker, Keith — Harcourt Brace, c1994 p1999--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.3 A big fat hen counts to ten with her friends and all their chicks.

Good night, sleep tight by Fox, Mem — Orchard Books, 2012--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.4 In this book with rhyming text, Bonnie and Ben's favorite babysitter reads them nursery rhymes before putting them to bed.

Sing with me! by Stoop, Naoko— Henry Holt and Company, 2016. Dewey: 782.42; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.4. Thirteen favorite nursery songs are brought to life.

Miss Mary Mack and other children's street rhymes  — Beech Tree Books, c1990 p1991--796.1; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.5 A collection of children's street rhymes, including "Miss Mary Mack," "A, My Name is Alice," and "One Potato, Two Potato," that includes directions for activities which correlate to a few of the selections.

Three little kittens by Pinkney, Jerry — Dial Books for Young Readers, 2010. Dewey: 398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.5. Presents the classic tale of three youngsters who are careless with their mittens, but who turn out to be good little kittens after all.

To market, to market by Miranda, Anne  — Harcourt, c1997 p2001--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.5 Starting with the nursery rhyme about buying a fat pig at market, this tale goes on to describe a series of unruly animals that run amok, evading capture and preventing the narrator from cooking lunch.

Here comes Mother Goose by - Candlewick Press, p1999, c1999 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 1.6 Presents more than sixty traditional nursery rhymes, including "Old Mother Hubbard," "I'm a Little Teapot," and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," accompanied by illustrations of various animals.

Hickory dickory dock by Baker, Keith — Harcourt, 2007--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.6 Rhythmic text expands on the Mother Goose rhyme, including a variety of animals that react as the clock strikes one through twelve.

Muu, moo! : rimas de animales = animal nursery rhymes — Rayo, 2010--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.6 An illustrated, animal-themed collection of nursery rhymes, presented in Spanish with English translations. .

A pop-up book of nursery rhymes by Reinhart, Matthew - Little Simon, p2009, c2009--398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 1.7 Hey diddle diddle -- Wise old owl -- Five little pigs -- Mary Mary, quite contarary -- Pat-a-cake -- Humpty Dumpty -- Mary had a little lamb -- I'm a little teapot -- Eeny, meeny -- Itsy bitsy spider -- Old Mother Hubbard -- Baa, baa, black sheep -- Twinkle, twinkle, little star -- Hush-a-bye -- Star light, star bright. An illustrated, pop-up collection of familiar Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

Marc Brown's playtime rhymes : a treasury for families to learn and play together. by Brown, Marc Tolon  — LB, Little, Brown and Company, 2013--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.8 Whoops! Johnny -- The counting game -- Do your ears hang low? -- Teddy bear -- The wheels on the bus -- I'm a little teapot -- The itsy bitsy spider -- Little monkeys -- Five little pigs -- The church -- Here is the beehive -- Grammy's glasses -- Little bunny -- Sleepy fingers -- The squirrel -- There was a little turtle -- Little goblins -- Snowflakes -- The snowman. Contains twenty rhymes involving finger play. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at http://www.titlewave.com/list?SID=0dc7b902e903382d0f4648b799faee50

Out came the sun : a day in nursery rhymes — Kids Can Press, 2007--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.8 Familiar rhymes such as "Hickory, Dickory, Dock" and "I'm A Little Teapot" gain a new meaning in selector and illustrator Collins's story in pictures.

Rufus and friends : school days by Trapani, Izar — Charlesbridge, 2010. Dewey: 398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.8. A collection of traditional rhymes illustrated and adapted to a school setting, with hidden objects for the reader to find in the illustrations.

Maria had a little llama = Maria tenia una llamita by Dominguez, Angela N — Henry Holt and Company, 2013--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.9 In this bilingual version of the classic rhyme, Maria takes her llama to school one day.

The McElderry book of Mother Goose : revered and rare rhymes — Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2012. Dewey: 398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.9. An illustrated collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, including well-known ones such as "Hey Diddle Diddle" and "The Queen of Hearts" and less familiar ones such as "Mother May I Go and Swim" and "Ten Little Penguins."

Roll over! : a counting song by Peek, Merle — Clarion Books, c1969 p1981. Dewey: 398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.9. Before going to sleep, a little boy keeps rolling over, and, as he does, the ten imaginary animals that are crowded into the bed with him fall out one after the other.

Over in the meadow : a counting rhyme by Wadsworth, Olive A — North-South Books, c2002 p2003--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.0 A variety of meadow animals pursuing their daily activities introduce the numbers one through ten.

A great big cuddle : poems for the very young by Rosen, Michael — Candlewick Press, 2015. Dewey: 821; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.1. A collection of poems for children by English writer Michael Rosen.

The adventures of the dish and the spoon by Grey, Mini — Dragonfly Books, 2006--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2 Based on: "Hey diddle diddle" from Mother Goose. Having run away together, the Dish and the Spoon from the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle" become vaudeville stars before turning to a life of crime.

Baa, baa, black sheep by Cabrera, Jane — Holiday House, 2015--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2

Based on the nursery rhyme "Baa, baa black sheep" from Mother Goose. In this take-off on the familiar nursery rhyme, Black Sheep graciously offers bag after bag of wool to Miss, who handcrafts mittens, a tea cosy, and more for her friends, then produces a sweater for the shivering sheep when all the wool is gone. Includes music for piano and guitar.

Humpty Dumpty and friends : nursery rhymes for the young at heart — Tundra Books ,Tundra Books of Northern New York, 2010--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2 A collection of nursery rhymes, including "Humpty Dumpty," illustrated by Canadian artist Oleg Lipchenko.

Mother Goose : numbers on the loose by Dillon, Leo  — Harcourt, 2007. Dewey: 398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2. Presents an illustrated collection of twenty-four counting rhymes, from "Baa, baa black sheep" to "Wash the dishes, wipe the dishes.

Tomie dePaola’s more Mother Goose favorites by - Grosset & Dunlap, p2007, c2007 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.3 An illustrated collection of well-known and less familiar Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

Wee rhymes : baby's first poetry book by Yolen, Jane — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013. Dewey: 398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.3. A collection of nursery rhymes, most original but some from Mother Goose, divided into sections celebrating all of the special moments in a baby's day, from wake-up time to bedtime.

Will you be mine? : a nursery rhyme romance — Charlesbridge, 2011. Dewey: 398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.3. An illustrated collection of Mother Goose rhymes, arranged to create a narrative story about a romance between a cat and a poodle.

Just Itzy by Krumwiede, Lana — Candlewick Press, 2015. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. Tired of being called "Itzy Bitzy," Itzy tries to catch his own lunch on the first day of spindergarten to prove he is a big spider, but a girl sitting on a tuffet, a dangerous waterspout, and other nursery rhyme characters get in his way.

Pocketful of posies : a treasury of nursery rhymes — Houghton Mifflin Books For Children, 2010--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4 A collection of classic nursery rhymes, accompanied by illustrations of scenes made from fabric and cloth.

Hey diddle diddle by Bunting, Eve — Boyds Mills Press, 2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.8 A music box band of animals tunes up to play for a young listener.

My very first Mother Goose by -Candlewick Press, 2016 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.8 Jack and Jill -- Hey diddle, diddle -- Little jumping Joan -- The Moon sees me. A collection of more than sixty nursery rhymes including "Pat-a-Cake," "Little Jack Horner," and "Pussycat, Pussycat."

Twinkle, twinkle, little star by Taylor, Jane  — Little, Brown, 2011--821; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.8 Jerry Pinkney illustrates the classic nursery rhyme, following a curious chipmunk through the forest as he notices the sky above, dewdrops on a spider web, the lights of fireflies, and more of the nature around him.

You read to me, I'll read to you : very short Mother Goose tales to read together by Hoberman, Mary Ann - Little, Brown, p2005, c2005--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.6

Humpty dumpty -- Jack, be nimble -- Jack and Jill -- Jack Sprat -- Little Jack Horner and Little Tommy Tucker -- Little Boy Blue and Little Bo Peep -- Little Miss Muffet -- Old King Cole and the cat and the fiddle -- Old Mother Hubbard -- Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater -- Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? -- Simple Simon -- Baa baa black sheep. Presents a collection of short retellings of familiar Mother Goose fairy tales, each told in two voices designed especially for young children and adults to read together.

Big Bad Wolf by Archer, Dosh — Albert Whitman & Company, 2015--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.1 A choking wolf is rushed to City Hospital, and a lost little girl in a red coat has been found, looking for her missing granny. What on earth did the wolf eat?

The cat and the fiddle : a treasury of nursery rhymes by Morris, Jackie — Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2015--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.1 An illustrated collection of forty nursery rhymes.

Over the hills and far away : a treasury of nursery rhymes  — Candlewick Press, 2015--398.8; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.1 A collection of 150 nursery rhymes from around the world, illustrated by more than seventy well-known artists.;Includes bibliographical references (page 160) and index.

Itsy bitsy spider (Urgency Emergency) by Archer, Dosh — Albert Whitman & Company, 2015. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.2. A spider arrives at City Hospital with some strange head injuries. How did this happen? And does it have anything to do with all the water rushing down the water spout?

The real Mother Goose by - Scholastic, p1994, c1994 --398.8  Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.2

Based on the 1916 classic, with pictures by Blanche Fisher Wright." A collection of over three-hundred traditional nursery rhymes such as "Hot-cross buns," "Little Miss Muffet," and "Peter, Peter pumpkin eater."

Mother Goose by Moses, Will - Philomel Books, p2003, c2003 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.3 Folk art paintings accompany this compilation of over sixty of the best-loved Mother Goose rhymes.

Monster Goose by Sierra, Judy — Harcourt, c2001 p2005--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.4 A collection of nursery rhymes, rewritten to feature vampires, ghouls, mummies, the Loch Ness monster, and other fearsome creatures.

Other goose : re-nurseried, re-rhymed, re-mothered, and re-goosed-- by Seibold, J.otto — Chronicle Books, 2010--398.8; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.5 Contains more than thirty illustrated nursery rhymes featuring classic Mother Goose characters with a modern twist, such as Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, and Jack Splat.

Spinster Goose by Wheeler, Lisa — Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 Spinster Goose, the sister of Mother Goose, corrects the bad behaviors of naughty students through a collection of alternatives to classic nursery rhymes.

The great nursery rhyme disaster by Conway, David  — Tiger Tales, c2008 p2009--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6 Little Miss Muffet is bored being in the same old nursery rhyme, so she sets off to explore the other pages of the nursery rhyme book to see what the other characters are up to.

The neighborhood Mother Goose by - Greenwillow Books/Amistad, p2004, c2004 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.7 A collection of nursery rhymes, both familiar and lesser known, illustrated with photographs in a city setting.

Nursery rhyme comics : 50 timeless rhymes from 50 celebrated cartoonists — First Second, 2011--741.5; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8 Presents fifty traditional nursery rhymes in comic book format, with illustrations by well-known cartoonists.

Sylvia Long’s Mother Goose by - Chronicle Books, p1999, c1999 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 4.0 An illustrated collection of familiar nursery rhymes.

Read-aloud rhymes for the very young — Dragonfly Books, 1986--811; Int Lvl: K-3 A collection of more than 200 short poems by both known and anonymous American and English authors.

3-6--Nursery Rhymes

Background: If you have developed a communal Mother Goose program, students in the middle grades will have a good background and they are ready to play with the old rhymes via scavenger hunts, charades, playlets, and some historical background.

Preparation: Explore the website about acting out a story to get an understanding of the importance and validity of using drama for story hours.

How to Act Out a Story K - 3 | Ideas | Tips Help a child make a more personal connection with a book by acting out the story and exploring different characters'... URL: http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/story-a-30564.html

Make character name cards based on the communal K-2 nursery rhymes from the K-2 suggestions.

Gather a collection of collective Mother Goose rhyme books.

Introduction: Can you remember a Mother Goose rhyme that your parents said to you while playing with your toes? (This Little Piggy) Who knows a Mother Goose rhyme about a little boy dressed in blue who fell asleep? (Little Boy Blue) Who knows the name of the girl who was frightened by a spider? (Little Miss Muffet).

These are examples of Mother Goose rhymes that you have probably known since a baby, that you practiced reading in grades K-2. They are rhymes that help give Americans a common early literature. Today we’re going to play with some of those rhymes. You will have your choice of activity. You will be able to either find the rhyme in one of the books on display by using the index or table of contents or pictures. OR, you can try to have us guess the character by acting out the rhyme in charade fashion. OR, you and a friend can create an ad lib play about your characters--I say characters because each of you will have the name of one character and you will need to figure out a way to combine and tell their story without only reciting the rhyme.

I’m going to randomly give each of you a character card. When you receive it, think about the character. Which activity do you want to do?--book search, charade, or playlet. You will have five minutes to work.

Ask for volunteers to share their character or randomly select students. Have fun. Then read the actual rhyme from one of the collections. OR better yet have the partners read the rhyme from

You read to me, I'll read to you : very short Mother Goose tales to read together by Hoberman, Mary Ann - Little, Brown, p2005, c2005--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.6

Humpty dumpty -- Jack, be nimble -- Jack and Jill -- Jack Sprat -- Little Jack Horner and Little Tommy Tucker -- Little Boy Blue and Little Bo Peep -- Little Miss Muffet -- Old King Cole and the cat and the fiddle -- Old Mother Hubbard -- Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater -- Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? -- Simple Simon -- Baa baa black sheep. Presents a collection of short retellings of familiar Mother Goose fairy tales, each told in two voices designed especially for young children and adults to read together.

Related Books for Display, Research, and Check-out:

Drummer Hoff by Emberley, Barbara — Aladdin Paperbacks, 1967--784.4; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 A cumulative folk song in which seven soldiers build a magnificent cannon, but Drummer Hoff fires it off.

Other goose : re-nurseried, re-rhymed, re-mothered, and re-goosed-- by Seibold, J.otto — Chronicle Books, 2010--398.8; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.5 Contains more than thirty illustrated nursery rhymes featuring classic Mother Goose characters with a modern twist, such as Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, and Jack Splat.

Ride a purple pelican by Prelutsky, Jack ( — Greenwillow Books, 1986--811; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.5 A collection of short nonsense verses and nursery rhymes.

Spinster Goose by Wheeler, Lisa — Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 Spinster Goose, the sister of Mother Goose, corrects the bad behaviors of naughty students through a collection of alternatives to classic nursery rhymes.

The great nursery rhyme disaster by Conway, David  — Tiger Tales, c2008 p2009--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6 Little Miss Muffet is bored being in the same old nursery rhyme, so she sets off to explore the other pages of the nursery rhyme book to see what the other characters are up to.

The neighborhood Mother Goose by - Greenwillow Books/Amistad, p2004, c2004 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.7 A collection of nursery rhymes, both familiar and lesser known, illustrated with photographs in a city setting.

Nursery rhyme comics : 50 timeless rhymes from 50 celebrated cartoonists — First Second, 2011--741.5; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8 Presents fifty traditional nursery rhymes in comic book format, with illustrations by well-known cartoonists.

Sylvia Long’s Mother Goose by - Chronicle Books, p1999, c1999 --398.8--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 4.0 An illustrated collection of familiar nursery rhymes.

A child's introduction to poetry by Driscoll, Michael — Black Dog & Leventhal ,Distributed by Workman Pub. Co, 2003--808.81; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 6.5 Colorful illustrations and poems introduce children to poetry, teaching them about the different types of poems and the most popular poets from history; includes a CD with readings of the poems included in the book.

Nursery rhymes by Bodden, Valerie — Creative Education, 2010--398.8; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 7.1 A brief introduction to nursery rhymes with illustrations that examines British and American tales, and discusses the history and common characteristics of nursery rhymes; and includes instructions for suggested activities.

Grades 5-8--The Back Story

Background:  In this politically correct world, there are people who object to using Mother Goose rhymes--some may be gruesome or gory, some may have a tarnished history that they don’t want young children to know about, some may no longer be “nice.” My comment, “get a life,” and think about the whole picture of forming a community. Don’t over-think Mother Goose. Skip the ones you find objectionable. The kids in PrK-2 grade don’t need to know the political history of the rhyme, but the older kids will find the back story interesting. Then they’ll have an opportunity to write their own back story or book biography.

I do this activity at the beginning of the year, especially when I have changed schools or there are many new students. This activity gives me a chance to learn a bit about the students.

Preparation:

Preview the following two websites and decide how much you’d like to share.

Disney’s Truth About Mother Goose Pt. 1 Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Little Jack Horner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeURETLKf68

Pt. 2 London Bridge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8BqHncfuJo

Explore the following website for even more details about London Bridge.

Mother Goose Society http://www.delamar.org/mgs-activ_londonbridge.htm

A computer with internet access and projection capability.

Write the questions listed in the Introduction that students will be reacting to on the white/chalkboard, chart paper or computer.

Introduction: Can you remember a Mother Goose rhyme that your parents said to you while playing with your toes? (This Little Piggy) Who knows a Mother Goose rhyme about a little boy dressed in blue who fell asleep? (Little Boy Blue) Who know the name of the girl who was frightened by a spider? (Little Miss Muffet).

Some of the Mother Goose rhymes have a bit of history and politics in their story. Today we’re going to learn the background of a few by viewing some video clips.

View the clips you have chosen.

The first communal literature is Mother Goose rhymes and an assortment of songs. Can you remember any rhymes your parents or grandparents shared with you? Maybe it was This Little Piggy or Rock-a-by Baby. Today you’re going to write a reading and book biography. Let’s think about what you remember from your earliest childhood.

What rhymes or poems or jingles did you hear?

Why did your parents say or sing them?

Did you have any touch and feel books that you read again and again?

Did you look at magazines or maybe eat or tear them?

Did you go to library story hour?

Did you go to the library?

What was your favorite picture book?

Did you have a favorite video?

Do you remember learning to read?

What books did you check out of your school library?

What types/genres did you like to read?

Do you remember your teacher reading aloud?

What was read? Did your parents read a lot?

What is your favorite book ever?

Did your class study any books?

What were they?

Do you remember reading and or writing or reciting poetry?

What is your favorite library or literature activity?

Is reading hard or easy for you?

Do you like to read aloud?

Others

These are just a few ideas. Tell me what you remember about your book and reading life. It will help me help you find books to read and will give me a clue about what makes you tick.

Allow time for thinking and writing. Allow students to decide whether they would like to compose on paper or the computer. Twenty minutes should be plenty of time, and then you can also ask several of the questions orally and have volunteers answer from their writing.