Nursery Rhymes, 
What do they REALLY mean?
  
WebQuest designed by 7^th Grade Language Arts Teachers Alison Padegimas,
Janice Root and Shannon McNeice, Library Media Specialist  

Introduction       The Task      The Process      Evaluation     Conclusion

Introduction: Nursery Rhymes are taught to children from the time they are toddlers.  It is believed that their catchy and rhyming sounds help young children learn to speak and read.  Where do they come from?  Why have they lasted so long? Is there more to them than cutesy rhymes?

The Task: Your task is to review and investigate the origins of a nursery rhyme.  As a class, your job is to create a picture book that includes the information you discovered.  You will also use your data to write an essay discussing using nursery rhymes with children.

The Process:

1.    Use this sheet to review nursery rhymes: "Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt."  
    Find the ANSWERS at these two sites:

                   Nursery Rhymes - See Verses and Variants
                   Enchanted Learning Nursery Rhymes

2.  Choose one nursery rhyme from the provided list and investigate its origins using the sites below:

                    Nursery Rhymes and their Probable Histories
                    Origin of Nursery Rhymes
                    Nursery Rhymes - See Verses and Variants
                    Nursery Rhymes Lyrics and Origins
                    All Info About Nursery Rhymes:  

3. Create a page for the online class picture book using your nursery rhyme .

            A. Split the page in half horizontally - In Word - choose Page Setup - Horizontal 
      B. On one half of the page draw/create an appropriate, colorful picture to illustrate your    
           nursery rhyme.  
    C. On the other half of the page, write the nursery rhyme and underneath it, write a        
           paragraph which explains the history behind your rhyme.

4. What does research show? After reading both of these web sites, please list three reasons for teaching children nursery rhymes.  Use complete sentences and proper grammar.
       On Reading Nursery Rhymes with Children
        Why Use Classic Nursery Rhymes

5. Read the class book online at the Virtual Library.  

6. Write your essay.

Evaluation:

Your grade for the page in the book and your essay is determined by your score on 2 Rubrics:
         Writing Rubric
        Artwork Rubric

Conclusion:

Using the information collected by your class during the investigation, write an essay stating whether or not you think nursery rhymes are appropriate for young children.  

Answer Key for "Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt"