the
Rhyme
Around
World
Teachers’ Pack |
the
Rhyme
Around
World
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery are proud to present Rhyme
Around the World, a touring exhibition from Seven Stories, The
National Centre for Children’s Books.
The learning team at Shropshire Museums & Archives are delighted to be able to help you get the most from your
free Rhyme Race booklets and museum visit with this teachers’ information pack.
The rhymes featured here are designed to be shared weekly as children work through their Rhyme Race booklets.
In this pack you will find a large versions of each rhyme and an accompanying illustration, a map showing the
country of origin of each rhyme and suggested classroom activities.
All of the suggested activities are linked to the EYFS prime areas of learning and associated early learning goals.
Why rhymes?
• Reading and writing rhymes develops literacy, communication and language skills.
• Listening to and sharing rhymes ignites an interest in literature and develops children’s confidence in their
own abilities.
• Discovering rhymes from world cultures helps children to experience and value linguistic diversity.
Rhymes are worn, remade and polished, just like a favourite pair of shoes. The version you know may not be the
version written here. Encourage parents and grandparents to come in to school and share the rhymes and songs
from their childhood. We hope you enjoy sharing your versions of these and other rhymes with your class.
Rhyme Around the World |1
As I was going out one day
As I was Going out One Day has eight syllables per line. The number
of syllables gives the poem its distinctive rhythm. Count out the syllables
with claves or shakers. Explore other examples of syllabic verse and try
to create your own nonsense verses using different parts of the body with 6, 7
or eight syllables per line.
Sing – ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ and talk about different
parts of the body.
Try to finish these rhymes and create your own:
‘As I was going to the shops
My feet ran off to buy some socks…….
Or
‘As I was walking down the street
My tum decided I should eat………
Continue the rhyme using only eight syllables per line.
Stuart Macfarlane, Spike Milligan, Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear and
Ogden Nash have written some very funny nonsense poems.
Here is a funny nonsense poem by Spike Milligan to share:
On the Ning Nang Nong by
Spike Milligan
On the Ning Nang Nong
Where the cows go Bong!
And the monkeys all say BOO!
There’s a Nong Nang Ning
Where the trees go PING!
And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.
On the Nong Ning Nang
All the mice go Clang
And you just can’t catch ‘em when they do!
So it’s Ning Nang Nong
Cows go Bong!
Nong Nang Ning
Trees go ping
Nong Ning Nang
The mice go clang
What a noisy place to belong
Is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!
Rhyme Around the World |2
Image by Piet Grobler
A
s I was going out one day is a nonsense poem; a poem which is
deliberately topsy-turvy, a little bit strange and often very funny! The
suggested activities encourage children to use past, present and future
forms and to develop their own narratives.
The North Wind Doth Blow
T
his chilly rhyme can be used as a stimulus for classroom work about
weather, the months of the year and the changing seasons. The
suggested activities guide children to make sense of their physical world
and find out about the environment. Creative activities and action rhymes
encourage co-ordination, control and movement.
Create a winter’s day in class. Cut out tissue paper leaves. Pretend
to be the cold north wind and use straws to blow the leaves along.
Listen to the tune at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtunLSfVTQc
Try this action rhyme to accompany the poem:
The North Wind Doth Blow – blow across your hands.
And we shall have snow – wiggle your fingers like the falling snow
And what will the Robin do then, poor thing? – give yourself a cuddle to
keep warm
He’ll sit in the barn and keep himself warm and hide his head under his wing,
poor thing – pretend your arm is your wing and hide your head under it.
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Find out what happenes to birds in the winter time and what
Robins like to eat. Make a pinecone bird feeder to take home.
Steps:
You will need dried pine cones, bird seed, raisins, peanuts, grated cheese, suet
or lard, a mixing bowl, scissors and string.
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Allow the lard to warm up to room temperature, break it up into small
pieces and share it out between mixing bowls.
Add the other ingredients to the mixing bowl. Squash everything together
with your fingertips until all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Tie the string around the top of your cones and pack the bird food
mixture around the cones until it looks like a ball.
Place the bird feeders in a fridge for about an hour to set and then hang
them up in the garden.
Image by Clara Vulliamy
Little Miss Muffet
C
hildren may be familiar with the traditional version of this rhyme and
will enjoy the funny variation in the American version. The simple
technology experiment suggested could be demonstrated in class to
help children explore and make observations about the world around them
What are curds and whey?
In the cheese making process, milk is separated into solids (curds) and liquid
(whey), usually with aid of a coagulant (a substance which causes a chemical
reaction like vinegar or lemon juice). The curds are slippery and white, the
whey looks like cloudy, yellowish water.
Make your own curds and whey in this simple experiment.
You will need:
2 clear plastic cups
Full fat or semi skimmed milk
White vinegar/lemon juice – 5ml or 1 teaspoon
Strong paper towels or cheesecloth
Tray or sink
Measuring spoon
Remember – vinegar will irritate sensitive skin and tissue.
Do not rub your eyes whilst handling vinegar and wash hands
after the experiment.
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Continued on next page...
Little Miss Muffet
What is happening?
Method:
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Pour the milk into a glass so that it is ¼ full. Allow the milk to warm
up to room temperature.
Carefully look at the milk and describe what you see.
Add 5ml (1 teaspoon) of vinegar/lemon juice to the milk.
Wait about 5 minutes.
Taken from www.letstalkscience.ca
Other activities to try:
Swirl the milk around and look at the sides of the glass.
What do you see? How has the milk changed?
Use the paper towels or cheesecloth as a strainer to separate the
curds and whey.
Squeeze most of the liquid out of the curds.
Milk is a mixture and contains water, sugar (lactose), protein, fats and
minerals. The vinegar helps to curdle the milk. Curdling happens when
the solids in the milk (the proteins and fats) clump together and form a new
substance, which are called curds. The curdling is the result of a chemical
reaction between the vinegar (acid) and the fats and proteins. You can
separate the curds out of the milk by pouring the clumpy mess through a
filter like a strong paper towel or piece of cheesecloth. The liquid that passes
through the paper towel or cheesecloth is called whey.
Little Miss Muffet met a grasshopper in America and a spider in
England. Choose a country and research a mini beast native to that
country. Miss Muffett might meet a glow worm in China or a stick
insect in Africa.
Print out the pictures and ask children to arrange and caption the
pictures to make a story sequence.
Rhyme Around the World |5
Image by Clara Vulliamy
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Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree
T
his rhyme has a simple tune which is perfect to learn and share.
The creative activity suggestion encourages children to explore a
variety of materials and to experiment with colour.
Listen to the song here www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2VitpGRalw
A kookaburra is a large Kingfisher native to Australia & New Guinea. The
call of the Kookaburra sounds like echoing human laughter.
Ann James has created this beautiful painting using pastels and
watercolour paints. Use the template and colour the Kookaburra
in. Remember to use some blues and greens for the leaves of the
gum tree and the Kookaburra’s striking blue wing feathers.
Create an acrostic poem using the word KOOKABURRA describing
this iconic bird.
Image by Ann James
Listen to a Kookaburra here www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA0-YAoo9Q
Eucalyptus oil can be easily purchased and has a very pungent
smell. Pass around some eucalyptus oil and pretend to be in the
forests of Australia.
A Gum Tree is a common name for a tree from the family Eucalypts.
Eucalyptus trees constitute over 75% of the tree population in Australia and
are an important part of its national identity. The bluish green leaves carry
the medicinal properties of the tree and are the sole food for koala bears. The
volatile oil contained in the leaves has many medicinal uses and on warm days
gives the forests a blue green haze.
Rhyme Around the World |7
Colour in the
Kookaburra
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Mosquito One, Mosquito Two
T
his Trinidadian Clapping rhyme introduces linguistic diversity.
It’s fun to clap along to and provides some great opportunities for
mathematical development.
Trinidad is the larger of the two main islands and various landforms which
make up Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad has a very diverse population and
is sometimes known as the ‘rainbow island’ or more fondly “a callaloo” a
local dish made by blending a range of delicious ingredients. Ask children
to create their own callaloo by drawing the food they would like to
blend into a yummy meal.
Ten Green Bottles
Five little ducks went Swimming One Day
Try some other clapping rhymes:
Pat-a cake, pat-a-cake baker’s man
A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
Petrima Wright has created this colourful picture reflecting the
imagery of the rhyme using torn paper collage. Create a torn
paper picture in class inspired by the rhyme and the vibrant
colours of Trinidad.
Image by Petrima Wright
Use fingers to count how many mosquitos feature in the rhyme.
Use the printable mosquito cards to help the children count along
with the rhyme and see how many different ways they can find to
make ten. Place the cards in order and say which number is one more or
one less than a given number. Use the cards to solve problems, including
doubling, halving and sharing.
Try some other counting rhymes:
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