Lesson: Hickory’s New Home

In the summer of 2023, I attended the Folk Dance Camp at the Kentucky Dance Institute for the first time. KDI is a special place full of some of the most wonderful and welcoming people you could meet. While there, I danced with the author of the book that inspired this lesson, Memory Grems. She is a fantastic dancer and through her book, Hickory’s New Home created a cozy little world based on the familiar nursery rhyme “Hickory Dickory Dock”. My students love this lesson each year, and especially love searching for all the details within the illustrations, which almost tell their own story.

I use this lesson at the beginning of 1st grade as a refresher on movement composition and barred instruments, as well as an introduction into rhythmic composition alone and in small groups.