Rebus Writing Using Nursery Rhymes and a Book

Texas State Standards Addressed: TEKS 117.15 Music 4.1C - Identify music forms by listening; 4.2B - Sing songs of diverse cultures; 4.5A/B -Perform music diverse cultures.  Duration: 2-3 days

Technology-Specific TEK: www.enchantedlearning.com  SEE Rebus Rhymes "Sing a Song of Sixpence" and  www.songsforteaching.com SEE Languages, Special Education Songs, Nursery Rhymes, and Diversity-Multiculturalism options www.readwritethink.com   http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson273/rebus_books.pdf  Rebus Book List site

Materials: pencil, paper, colored pens, colored pencils (remind students to use hand sharpeners for colored pencils which usually turn to wax in electric sharpeners) Books: The Bag I'm Taking to Grandma's, "El Chocolate" song in Lirica Infantil con Jose-Luis- Orozco V. 1 c1997, Jose-Luis Orozco, All Rights Reserved (I own the music book and cassette editions which are written in English and Spanish. He is a Texas songwriter, guitarist, and singer who has appeared at the Texas Library Association yearly conferences).

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebus Main Entry: re·bus  Pronunciation: \ˈrē-bəs\ Function: noun Etymology: Latin, by things, abl. plural of res thing — more at real Date: 1605: a representation of words or syllables by pictures of objects or by symbols whose names resemble the intended words or syllables in sound; also : a riddle made up of such pictures or symbols

http://www.storygames.com/TeachManPF/Rebus.html   Back to Reading Activities  Rebus model of story writing - Use KidPix or HyperStudio to create your own rebus (See Hermit Makes New Friends) Copyright ©2001 Alloy 21-07 C.A. All rights reserved.

Main Objective/Goal: After the Teacher and class sings and evaluates a nursery rhyme rebus-song, TSW (the student will) design a rebus based upon The Bag I'm Taking to Grandma's, identifying which 5 items are most important for them to take on their trip to their relatives' or friends' home.    

Anticipatory Set: TT (The Teacher) introduces a rebus nursery rhyme to class by asking "Can anyone predict what a rebus might be?" Assure the students that no answer is wrong...We are only guessing using our imaginations. After wait time and 4-5 "guesses", TT defines a rebus as a Latin derivative meaning "things" and notes that in times past, signs about upcoming events did not include words--only pictures were used. 

Day 1: Choral and echo-singing is deployed in nursery rhyme, students voluntarily predict and place cut-out symbols to be inserted in the Enchanted Learning site teacher-prepared, fill-in-the-pictures overhead transparency. TS lists the word, rebus, in their vocabulary notebooks, illustrating it in their own fashion and writing a sentence that makes the word meaningful to them.

Day 2: 3 student volunteers are asked to read The Bag I'm Taking to Grandma's to class. Other class volunteers are asked to give examples of personal experiences when visiting someone.

Days 2 & 3: TS writes and designs an original rebus and volunteers are asked to share their stories with the class.

Assessment: TT observes students each day, making notes in Assessment folders for those who improve their understanding of writing/  reading or those who need more feedback in certain areas.    

Enrichment: TT displays Chocolate song on blackboard, whiteboard, or overhead projector, asking students to choral-read using music notations already learned. I used chalkboard, noting CHO  CO  LA  TE (in this pattern). Then, we sing the song in tandem.    

Adaptations: TT asks Spanish speakers to share another easy Spanish song with class. The Learning Resource person works with the teacher to adapt rebus story to appropriate format for students who learn in different ways.  Re-teaching with Learning Styles in Mind: Chocolate Song--TT passes out Hershey chocolates (indiv. wrapped miniatures) and TS creates a rebus for the song using the chocolate wrappers to stand for cho co la te after singing Uno-dos-tres CHO, etc.