To make students aware of how the Middle Ages may have influenced children's literature, to improve vocabulary, to practice creative writing and critical thinking skills.
Teacher asks students to try to remember the first time they heard or read about kings.
If they cannot, read one or two nursery rhymes that mention kings and suggest that many of them might have first heard about kings while being read to by their parents before they themselves could read. Question them as to how many rhymes they can remember that mention kings or queens or something else having to do with the Middle Ages. Have them speculate on just how many there might be. Discuss why there are so many, whether or not they may have originated in the Middle Ages, and whether or not they are realistic in light of what they have already studied about life in the Middle Ages. They may also analyze the rhymes to determine if they are funny or violent, or just plain silly.