A Vigilante Goose, Child Abuse, and First Aid: Nursery Rhymes in the Classroom

Nursery rhymes are oral traditions. Where many of them originated, who created them, and when they came about are often a mystery. Just like the classic Sesame Street episodes released on DVD, many are not politically correct or socially acceptable in today’s society. Having a woman starving and beating her children is not an acceptable form of discipline, in fact, it’s called child abuse. Jack falling and breaking his crown is not really amusing. The rhyme about the goose biting the man’s leg (because he didn’t say his prayers) and his subsequent tumble down the stairs is even more violent. A vigilante goose, who knew?

Nursey rhymes like fairy tales (we’ve all seen or heard about the trial of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf) do have life lessons embedded in them. We just need to look for them. Some lessons are simple while others are more complex and would be more appropriate for high school students. Even those that are not very p.c. can be used to open discussions in the classroom. This is a great teaching tool for parents and teachers. In fact if one wanted to broach the topic of abuse with students the rhyme about the old woman in the shoe would be a good anticipatory set. The rhyme about good ole' Jack and Jill could be relevant to a discussion on first aid.

Students can relate to these rhymes since they have heard them before. It also ties together what they have learned in the past with what they are learning today. There is a connection. Hearing their teacher recite one of these rhymes will definitely get their attention.