Dear Group 2, Well done and thanks for your lesson. I can see you were very invested with it and it brung back some fond memories of Humpty. I never really understoond this nursery rhyme. But seeing Humpty fall always gave me a sick joy :),
Not an easy task to do all my posts in one day. I am writing a lot. And for 10 percent it’s probably not worth it but I love writing and doing reflections. To bad blogging is worth less than essay and the other stuff. :)
Anyway, group 2 (which I think was group 3 in the actual presentation), very good lesson plan and ideas. Very good presentation my favourite part was seeing how the teacher uses her expressions to change the Humpty Dumpty story. Very fun and cool. I know students will enjoy doing that and its important having a teacher who is also doing it so passionately.
I like the comic strip and story book idea. It would be fun using this stuff in drama and acting out the stories the students make. I am taking Educ drama and lessons like “twisted rhyme” (also readers theatre from group 3) I can see myself using in my teaching drama activity.
p.s. What are some other nursery rhymes you would recommend for twisted rhyme? And why?
God Bless, Drive safe, and see you all next classs. Good thing we have this blog because it shows how engaged I really am. Sometimes, in class its hard to say everything. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m not shy to express my ideas and stuff, but its been a long 12 months of PDP and I am feeling very internal and more reflective. Besides, LA is a subject that gives me some anxiety like Math. Social Studies is my favourite subject to teach.
Ashok K. God Bless, Apologies for my rant. I loved this class and I think it shows with the hard work I have put into these posts...
July 6th-2009 “Twisted Nursery Rhymes” by: Rose, Crystal and Lisa. This was also a very interesting and fun lesson. They presented many ways in which this lesson can be taught and adapted to different learners which I found very helpful. Great organization and lots of fun activities. Great lesson! Leah
I liked how this lesosn talked about differentaited learning. You could tell you guys put alot of hard work into this lesosn and it was neat. There was alot of information in the beginnig and definitions. I think it is Crystal who sang, you are super enagaging and the song was really fun. Kids will love you!
I thought that the introduction was very good and detailed. I really liked your Flannel Board; it was great for visual learners. Where did you get that from? This lesson was great for multiple intelligence, and I think that it is great that students can choose how long they want their comic strips to be, this doesn’t pressure those lower students to have to write novels. It’s a fun comprehension activity. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
A Twisted Nursery Rhyme Lesson introduction- The introduction explain how nursery rhymes being very fun and silly to engage students. This lesson also enables students to be very creative. Great review activity with vocabulary- diddle, fiddle, sport. This gives a great opportunity for students to learn new vocabulary. Rose good job, modeling how to use the characters and telling the rhyme. Crystal the singing was very engaging!. I can see how this lesson can be super fun for primary grades. The visual, tactical, and oral aspects from this lesson fits the needs to different learning styles.
Very thorough- the comic strip also allows ESL and visual and struggling writers to feel comfortable to write their thoughts. Great lesson, lots of useful ideas I can bring into my primary classroom.
I found this lesson to be very inclusive. The use of the felt board, singing, reading, and the comic strip addressed all sorts of learners. I especially liked the comic strip because it would be helpful for both ESL, visual, or struggling learners because they could focus on the drawing if writing was too difficult. Very good lesson. Especially the singing :)
Hi Lejla you asked where I got the flannel boards from... I got them from a garage sale and she had millions... but I think she got them from a place called The Story Teller. I haven't tried looking it up on line or anything... maybe I could do that for the resource share! cheers, Crystal
This was a great activity and I really liked the felt chart.
Question: I think the history aspect of the nursery rhymes would be far too in depth for students in grade 2. Do you think the nursery rhyme could be just as beneficial without teaching its history?
I agree with Alanna, the history behind the nursery rhyme was very complicated and doesn’t need to be included. The lesson was fun, the detail in the resources made the lesson genuine and I thought the singing was great.
Clearly you ladies put a lot of work into this lesson, it showed! I think this is an activity that children would really enjoy because it allows them to express their creative, silly side in a constructive way. The lesson had many components to it and it was very well scaffolded. The felt board was a great touch. I know I could never get enough of those as a kid I also thought Crystal did a great job with her “Throw it out the window” song. Crystal, you were so animated and into it that the rest of the class had no choice but to join you in your enthusiasm. I also liked the variety of ways you students could create their finished product. It really addressed the different learning abilities in a casual manner. Well done!
Again, another really great lesson. The quote I liked most, coming from Rose, was "nursery rhymes of the past are rap songs of today." On that note, I'm not too sure that I would bring in a rap song, even if it was clean for such a young grade. That's just me, I just think they are still innocent little children at this age.
It definitely showed that you gals put a lot of time and effort into the lesson, with the flannel board and the pre-made book ACTUALLY made & coloured. WOW! Especially considering that all of us are taking more than one class, with assignments due.
I really liked the flannel board idea. I remember really liking the flannel board when I was growing up. I also appreciated the tie in with history and I don't think it's ever too early to be teaching it. Of course, at this age, it may just be "Did you know that Humpty Dumpty was about a king?" but that may be enough, just to connect children with something that happened in real life. It may be a nursery rhyme, but it is based on something that actually happened.
After the lesson, I liked the discussion we had about nursery rhymes from various countries and truly accommodating the different cultures in one's individual classroom. I think it would make the children from that particular part of the world feel important.
Hi ladies, Great lesson. I feel that I have to agree with Darcy and Alanna about the history for grade 2s... I wonder if they will be able to understand/sit still for long enough?
Your lesson was inclusive, fun and I loved the felt board. Crystal, you have a great singing voice - are you a music teacher?!
Hi Jacqueline I just got a full time job as a music teacher up in Penticton. We are moving up there at the end of July. It is really exciting!
In terms of the history aspect of the lesson... I am in full agreement with Mr. Grant and Alana. I would not go into all of the detail about the history... like Tracy said I think the deepest I would go would be to tell them that Humpty Dumpty was written about a king... but then it would also be interesting to see what ideas they could come up with to explain where it came from. Crystal
This was a great lesson. The felt board is a great way to make things visual. The comic book allows students to write a little or write a lot based on their ability level. This is useful for differentiation. Overall, very engaging lesson!
This lesson was really engaging and fun. It incorporated all learning styles – from the flannelboard to the song at the end. I think this was important because this way all students would be able to participate in the lesson. I really liked the comic strip idea at the end of the lesson. This would probably be a nice change of pace for the students from the regular “read a book and respond to it” situation. I think I would definitely take some of these ideas and include them in my classroom!
I think the lesson was engaging and had an enough details about nursery rhyme. I liked the felt board idea and singing. These visual and auditory approaches were excellent way to draw attention from students. I can see that the lesson addressed the different learning styles. Great Job!
In hind sight I can see that the history is not necessary for Grade 2’s. The history was more for your information, as teachers. If I were to have any history, I would keep it very brief and simple; I believe I did say that in class: “a sentence or two”. I like the idea of tying it to rap music. Depending on the direction of the learning, the interests of the students and so many other factors it would become a judgment call. For some children this would not connect but to a boy who is not interested in nursery rhymes but is in rap music it might be the very thing to get him to connect to reading. In terms of an older student, perhaps grade 6-7 who has lower reading skills, it may be useful to bring in the rap music lyrics of their favourite rapper (with clean lyrics!), and explore what they are saying, and compare that to the nursery rhyme. It might be worth a try, after all interest is one of the keys to success in reading.
I was so happy to be able to illustrate the book. I spent many years teaching art. We have been so academic I felt like that part of me was withering away! Good news it is still there just waiting for a classroom to flourish in. I am sure we all have things that have been put on hold just hovering at the surface waiting for a classroom.
First of all I think Crystal should become a singer on Broadway. I can totally envision her in a musical like Annie Get Your Gun! I also liked the felt board. I want one! I think having visual, tactile and musical parts of a lesson are not only engaging but help the students make many connections to deepen their learning.
I liked your ‘twisted nursery rhymes’ lesson idea! It was fun and engaging and a great re-invention. I think kids would really get involved in this lesson and I can envision their little senses of humour really coming through in their writing. Their rhymes would be very entertaining to read! I also like how you incorporated music into the language arts lesson. Crystal, you are so enthusiastic and animated when you teach! Kids are going to love being in your class!
Much like little boys seem so drawn to the Captain Underpants series, this is a fantastic way to hook kids into reading for sheer fun! Crystal, you made that lesson such a joy to be part of - well done! The musical component would also draw in the kids, and keep them engaged. I really liked this!
This was an interesting lesson. I especially liked the song! I like the idea of the students coming up with alternate endings to traditional stories and having the chance to illustrate their work. I suppose also, if you were doing such an activity with an older group, you could add more lines and shrink the illustration area, so that the students would be practicing their writing skills more.
Dear Group 3, I just wanted to write a quick little note to say that I thought you did a great job in presenting a very fun and entertaining lesson. I have always been a fan of nursery rhymes and fairy tales, but my favorites have always been those that have been twisted- not only to read but to get students to write. The singing was great and I just want to give Crystal all of my respect because a) I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing that in front of my peers and b) you showed me how powerful and useful engaging students in song can be. You have a wonderful voice. The last thing that I just wanted to mention was that a great adaptation to your lesson could be to read a published twisted nursery rhyme after all of the students have finished composing there own. I have actually purchased a book called “What really happened to Humpty” told from the perspective of Joe Humpty. Not only is it very creative and comical but it could act as a great closure for your lesson. Well done ladies, P.S. Since your lesson I have realized that I don’t know the history behind these tales. However, the discussion about “ring around the rosey” and its connection to small pox I no longer think of that nursery rhyme in the same ‘happy light’. :)
I was asked was what other nursery rhyme I might like to teach using this lesson format and why. I thought that “Hey Diddle, Diddle” has such potential: the nonsense words, a cow jumping over a moon, a dish running away with a spoon! I am also, quite convinced that my dog regularly laughs at/with us. We often say to the dog “If only you could talk!” This rhyme as a launching pad for writing is rich but it also a study of the early forms of language, which could again be tied to rap music as a form of communication that has its own vocabulary. Even J.R. R. Tolkien used this one in his novel Lord of the Rings in a song.
I really appreciated the work that obviously went into this lesson-your research and and interest in the subject matter were evident. I was really intriuged at the cross curricular nature of your lesson as well-there was music, reading, writing, visuals, etc. I can see how this would engage students of many levels, and how students who wished to take the activity to another level would be able to do so, but all students would have success. I like the idea of working with nursery rhymes because of the phonemic awareness activities possible, and the possible familiarity with the subject matter already.
I have always enjoyed the idea of using existing works of literature as inspiration for children's writing. Not only does it allow them to engage in writing that they may already love, it also shows them that they can do what "real" authors do as well. Great lesson, ladies!
Thank you for a fun and engaging lesson. I liked that you had pre-made your book as a demo- I found that, although time consuming, being able to show the finished product is an excellent tool for doing a project in any classroom. Well done Crystal for your singing in front of the class!! The song was fun, and tied into "changing the ending" - I really liked it! I also liked your use of Nursery Rhymes as a starting point, because kids are usually familliar with these stories from a young age, and might enjoy the opportunity to change them. Well presented, good visuals.
The twisted nursery rhymes was a great idea. In my practicum I did a similar lesson to this and we looked at the book The Stinky Cheese Man. I remember really loving that book as a child and how it flipped such common stories that we all grew up knowing. Kids really like silly and I think this lesson allows then to explore their imaginations. Crystal- great enthusiasm with the singing!
Group 2: Twisted Nursery Rhyme I really enjoyed this lesson, and I am always jealous when someone can really sing! You guys gave a well thought out lesson with good progression all the while addressing several learning styles – not an easy feat. I agree with some of the others about omitting the history of the rhyme for a primary grade lesson. I can see this adapted to work with intermediate grades too and including the history for that level would be interesting to that age. I would love a copy of your lesson plan if you can post it or send it to me taniasymons@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Dear Group 2,
ReplyDeleteWell done and thanks for your lesson. I can see you were very invested with it and it brung back some fond memories of Humpty. I never really understoond this nursery rhyme. But seeing Humpty fall always gave me a sick joy :),
Not an easy task to do all my posts in one day. I am writing a lot. And for 10 percent it’s probably not worth it but I love writing and doing reflections. To bad blogging is worth less than essay and the other stuff. :)
Anyway, group 2 (which I think was group 3 in the actual presentation), very good lesson plan and ideas. Very good presentation my favourite part was seeing how the teacher uses her expressions to change the Humpty Dumpty story. Very fun and cool. I know students will enjoy doing that and its important having a teacher who is also doing it so passionately.
I like the comic strip and story book idea. It would be fun using this stuff in drama and acting out the stories the students make. I am taking Educ drama and lessons like “twisted rhyme” (also readers theatre from group 3) I can see myself using in my teaching drama activity.
p.s. What are some other nursery rhymes you would recommend for twisted rhyme? And why?
God Bless, Drive safe, and see you all next classs. Good thing we have this blog because it shows how engaged I really am. Sometimes, in class its hard to say everything. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m not shy to express my ideas and stuff, but its been a long 12 months of PDP and I am feeling very internal and more reflective. Besides, LA is a subject that gives me some anxiety like Math. Social Studies is my favourite subject to teach.
Ashok K.
God Bless, Apologies for my rant. I loved this class and I think it shows with the hard work I have put into these posts...
July 6th-2009
ReplyDelete“Twisted Nursery Rhymes” by: Rose, Crystal and Lisa.
This was also a very interesting and fun lesson. They presented many ways in which this lesson can be taught and adapted to different learners which I found very helpful.
Great organization and lots of fun activities.
Great lesson!
Leah
I liked how this lesosn talked about differentaited learning. You could tell you guys put alot of hard work into this lesosn and it was neat. There was alot of information in the beginnig and definitions. I think it is Crystal who sang, you are super enagaging and the song was really fun. Kids will love you!
ReplyDeleteI thought that the introduction was very good and detailed. I really liked your Flannel Board; it was great for visual learners. Where did you get that from? This lesson was great for multiple intelligence, and I think that it is great that students can choose how long they want their comic strips to be, this doesn’t pressure those lower students to have to write novels. It’s a fun comprehension activity. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
ReplyDeleteA Twisted Nursery Rhyme Lesson
ReplyDeleteintroduction- The introduction explain how nursery rhymes being very fun and silly to engage students. This lesson also enables students to be very creative. Great review activity with vocabulary- diddle, fiddle, sport. This gives a great opportunity for students to learn new vocabulary. Rose good job, modeling how to use the characters and telling the rhyme. Crystal the singing was very engaging!. I can see how this lesson can be super fun for primary grades. The visual, tactical, and oral aspects from this lesson fits the needs to different learning styles.
Very thorough- the comic strip also allows ESL and visual and struggling writers to feel comfortable to write their thoughts. Great lesson, lots of useful ideas I can bring into my primary classroom.
I found this lesson to be very inclusive. The use of the felt board, singing, reading, and the comic strip addressed all sorts of learners. I especially liked the comic strip because it would be helpful for both ESL, visual, or struggling learners because they could focus on the drawing if writing was too difficult.
ReplyDeleteVery good lesson. Especially the singing :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Lejla you asked where I got the flannel boards from... I got them from a garage sale and she had millions... but I think she got them from a place called The Story Teller. I haven't tried looking it up on line or anything... maybe I could do that for the resource share!
ReplyDeletecheers, Crystal
July 7, 2009 5:22 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great activity and I really liked the felt chart.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: I think the history aspect of the nursery rhymes would be far too in depth for students in grade 2. Do you think the nursery rhyme could be just as beneficial without teaching its history?
I agree with Alanna, the history behind the nursery rhyme was very complicated and doesn’t need to be included. The lesson was fun, the detail in the resources made the lesson genuine and I thought the singing was great.
ReplyDeleteClearly you ladies put a lot of work into this lesson, it showed! I think this is an activity that children would really enjoy because it allows them to express their creative, silly side in a constructive way. The lesson had many components to it and it was very well scaffolded. The felt board was a great touch. I know I could never get enough of those as a kid I also thought Crystal did a great job with her “Throw it out the window” song. Crystal, you were so animated and into it that the rest of the class had no choice but to join you in your enthusiasm. I also liked the variety of ways you students could create their finished product. It really addressed the different learning abilities in a casual manner. Well done!
ReplyDelete"A Twisted Nursery Rhyme" - Lisa, Crystal & Rose
ReplyDeleteAgain, another really great lesson. The quote I liked most, coming from Rose, was "nursery rhymes of the past are rap songs of today." On that note, I'm not too sure that I would bring in a rap song, even if it was clean for such a young grade. That's just me, I just think they are still innocent little children at this age.
It definitely showed that you gals put a lot of time and effort into the lesson, with the flannel board and the pre-made book ACTUALLY made & coloured. WOW! Especially considering that all of us are taking more than one class, with assignments due.
I really liked the flannel board idea. I remember really liking the flannel board when I was growing up. I also appreciated the tie in with history and I don't think it's ever too early to be teaching it. Of course, at this age, it may just be "Did you know that Humpty Dumpty was about a king?" but that may be enough, just to connect children with something that happened in real life. It may be a nursery rhyme, but it is based on something that actually happened.
After the lesson, I liked the discussion we had about nursery rhymes from various countries and truly accommodating the different cultures in one's individual classroom. I think it would make the children from that particular part of the world feel important.
** felt board ** not flannel ... oops! =)
ReplyDeleteHi ladies,
ReplyDeleteGreat lesson. I feel that I have to agree with Darcy and Alanna about the history for grade 2s... I wonder if they will be able to understand/sit still for long enough?
Your lesson was inclusive, fun and I loved the felt board. Crystal, you have a great singing voice - are you a music teacher?!
Hi Jacqueline
ReplyDeleteI just got a full time job as a music teacher up in Penticton. We are moving up there at the end of July. It is really exciting!
In terms of the history aspect of the lesson... I am in full agreement with Mr. Grant and Alana. I would not go into all of the detail about the history... like Tracy said I think the deepest I would go would be to tell them that Humpty Dumpty was written about a king... but then it would also be interesting to see what ideas they could come up with to explain where it came from.
Crystal
This was a great lesson. The felt board is a great way to make things visual. The comic book allows students to write a little or write a lot based on their ability level. This is useful for differentiation. Overall, very engaging lesson!
ReplyDeleteThis lesson was really engaging and fun. It incorporated all learning styles – from the flannelboard to the song at the end. I think this was important because this way all students would be able to participate in the lesson. I really liked the comic strip idea at the end of the lesson. This would probably be a nice change of pace for the students from the regular “read a book and respond to it” situation. I think I would definitely take some of these ideas and include them in my classroom!
ReplyDeleteA Twisted Nursery Rhyme Lesson
ReplyDeleteI think the lesson was engaging and had an enough details about nursery rhyme. I liked the felt board idea and singing. These visual and auditory approaches were excellent way to draw attention from students. I can see that the lesson addressed the different learning styles. Great Job!
In hind sight I can see that the history is not necessary for Grade 2’s. The history was more for your information, as teachers. If I were to have any history, I would keep it very brief and simple; I believe I did say that in class: “a sentence or two”. I like the idea of tying it to rap music. Depending on the direction of the learning, the interests of the students and so many other factors it would become a judgment call. For some children this would not connect but to a boy who is not interested in nursery rhymes but is in rap music it might be the very thing to get him to connect to reading. In terms of an older student, perhaps grade 6-7 who has lower reading skills, it may be useful to bring in the rap music lyrics of their favourite rapper (with clean lyrics!), and explore what they are saying, and compare that to the nursery rhyme. It might be worth a try, after all interest is one of the keys to success in reading.
ReplyDeleteI was so happy to be able to illustrate the book. I spent many years teaching art. We have been so academic I felt like that part of me was withering away! Good news it is still there just waiting for a classroom to flourish in. I am sure we all have things that have been put on hold just hovering at the surface waiting for a classroom.
First of all I think Crystal should become a singer on Broadway. I can totally envision her in a musical like Annie Get Your Gun! I also liked the felt board. I want one! I think having visual, tactile and musical parts of a lesson are not only engaging but help the students make many connections to deepen their learning.
ReplyDeleteI liked your ‘twisted nursery rhymes’ lesson idea! It was fun and engaging and a great re-invention. I think kids would really get involved in this lesson and I can envision their little senses of humour really coming through in their writing. Their rhymes would be very entertaining to read! I also like how you incorporated music into the language arts lesson. Crystal, you are so enthusiastic and animated when you teach! Kids are going to love being in your class!
ReplyDeleteMuch like little boys seem so drawn to the Captain Underpants series, this is a fantastic way to hook kids into reading for sheer fun! Crystal, you made that lesson such a joy to be part of - well done! The musical component would also draw in the kids, and keep them engaged. I really liked this!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting lesson. I especially liked the song! I like the idea of the students coming up with alternate endings to traditional stories and having the chance to illustrate their work. I suppose also, if you were doing such an activity with an older group, you could add more lines and shrink the illustration area, so that the students would be practicing their writing skills more.
ReplyDeleteDear Group 3,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to write a quick little note to say that I thought you did a great job in presenting a very fun and entertaining lesson. I have always been a fan of nursery rhymes and fairy tales, but my favorites have always been those that have been twisted- not only to read but to get students to write. The singing was great and I just want to give Crystal all of my respect because a) I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing that in front of my peers and b) you showed me how powerful and useful engaging students in song can be. You have a wonderful voice. The last thing that I just wanted to mention was that a great adaptation to your lesson could be to read a published twisted nursery rhyme after all of the students have finished composing there own. I have actually purchased a book called “What really happened to Humpty” told from the perspective of Joe Humpty. Not only is it very creative and comical but it could act as a great closure for your lesson.
Well done ladies,
P.S. Since your lesson I have realized that I don’t know the history behind these tales. However, the discussion about “ring around the rosey” and its connection to small pox I no longer think of that nursery rhyme in the same ‘happy light’. :)
I was asked was what other nursery rhyme I might like to teach using this lesson format and why. I thought that “Hey Diddle, Diddle” has such potential: the nonsense words, a cow jumping over a moon, a dish running away with a spoon! I am also, quite convinced that my dog regularly laughs at/with us. We often say to the dog “If only you could talk!” This rhyme as a launching pad for writing is rich but it also a study of the early forms of language, which could again be tied to rap music as a form of communication that has its own vocabulary. Even J.R. R. Tolkien used this one in his novel Lord of the Rings in a song.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the work that obviously went into this lesson-your research and and interest in the subject matter were evident. I was really intriuged at the cross curricular nature of your lesson as well-there was music, reading, writing, visuals, etc. I can see how this would engage students of many levels, and how students who wished to take the activity to another level would be able to do so, but all students would have success. I like the idea of working with nursery rhymes because of the phonemic awareness activities possible, and the possible familiarity with the subject matter already.
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed the idea of using existing works of literature as inspiration for children's writing. Not only does it allow them to engage in writing that they may already love, it also shows them that they can do what "real" authors do as well. Great lesson, ladies!
Thank you for a fun and engaging lesson.
ReplyDeleteI liked that you had pre-made your book as a demo- I found that, although time consuming, being able to show the finished product is an excellent tool for doing a project in any classroom.
Well done Crystal for your singing in front of the class!! The song was fun, and tied into "changing the ending" - I really liked it!
I also liked your use of Nursery Rhymes as a starting point, because kids are usually familliar with these stories from a young age, and might enjoy the opportunity to change them.
Well presented, good visuals.
The twisted nursery rhymes was a great idea. In my practicum I did a similar lesson to this and we looked at the book The Stinky Cheese Man. I remember really loving that book as a child and how it flipped such common stories that we all grew up knowing. Kids really like silly and I think this lesson allows then to explore their imaginations. Crystal- great enthusiasm with the singing!
ReplyDeleteGroup 2: Twisted Nursery Rhyme
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this lesson, and I am always jealous when someone can really sing! You guys gave a well thought out lesson with good progression all the while addressing several learning styles – not an easy feat. I agree with some of the others about omitting the history of the rhyme for a primary grade lesson. I can see this adapted to work with intermediate grades too and including the history for that level would be interesting to that age. I would love a copy of your lesson plan if you can post it or send it to me taniasymons@hotmail.com. Thanks.