KS1 - English May Day Books
Learning Objective
Develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics
Resources
Card cut in to leaf shapes from A4 sized card
Glue or tape
String or cord
Hole punches
Ribbon
Pencils
Introduction
Take the children outside and read them the Padstow May Song. Talk to the children about the history of the May Day celebrations in England.
Activity
Write the 15 verses of the Padstow May Day Song on a playground wall, or floor, or have it written on a flip chart. Divide the children in to 15 groups. Give each group the resources, and ask the children to write the title ‘The Padstow May Song’ on one of the paper leaves and each line of the first verse on each of the ‘leaves’, and punch a hole in the bottom of each leaf. With the verses that have a ‘Mr…..’ or ‘Miss…’ ask the children to choose a child in their group and put their name here. Allow the children to explore the school grounds and find an abundant natural item to stick on the reverse of each leaf – daisies, grass, blossom flowers for example, with the glue or tape, and ask them to secure the leaves all together with the ribbon. Come together as a group in a circle and using the leafy May Day books, ask each group to recite their verse.
Extension
Give each child a leaf each and ask them to sit in a quiet spot and ask them to add their own line or verse to the Padstow May Day Song, using their environment as inspiration. The children may read aloud their verse if they wish.
Unite and unite and let us all unite, For summer is acome unto day, And whither we are going we will all unite, In the merry morning of May. Arise up Mr. ..... I know you well afine, For summer is acome unto day, You have a shilling in your purse and I wish it were in mine, In the merry morning of May. All out of your beds, For summer is acome unto day, Your chamber shall be strewed with the white rose and the red In the merry morning of May. Where are the young men that here now should dance, For summer is acome unto day, Some they are in England some they are in France, In the merry morning of May. Where are the maidens that here now should sing, For summer is acome unto day, They are in the meadows the flowers gathering, In the merry morning of May. Arise up Mr. ..... with your sword by your side, For summer is acome unto day, Your steed is in the stable awaiting for to ride, In the merry morning of May. Arise up Miss ..... and strew all your flowers, For summer is acome unto day, It is but a while ago since we hove strewed ours, In the merry morning of May. O! where is St. George, O!, where is he O, He is out in his long boat on the salt sea O. Up flies the kite and down tails the lark O. Aunt Ursula Birdhood she had an old ewe And she died in her own Park O. With the merry ring, adieu the merry spring, For summer is acome unto day, How happy is the little bird that merrily doth sing, In the merry morning of MayThe young men of Padstow they might if they would, Far summer is acome unto day, They might have built a ship and gilded her with gold, In the merry morning of May.The young women of Padstow might if they would, For summer is acome unto day, They might have made a garland with the white rose and the red, In the merry morning of May.Arise up Mr. ..... and reach me your hand, For summer is acome unto day, And you shall have a lively lass with a thousand pounds in hand. In the merry morning of May. Arise up Miss ..... all in your cloak of silk, For summer is acome unto day, And all your body under as white as any milk, In the merry morning of May. O! where is St. George, O!, where is he O, He is out in his long boat on the salt sea O. Up flies the kite and down tails the lark O. Aunt Ursula Birdhood she had an old ewe And she died in her own Park O. Now fare you well and bid you all good cheer, For summer is acome unto day, We call no more unto your house before another year, In the merry morning of May.