1-2-3 Come Make Some Scarecrow Craftivities With Me

I really believe that if you give students a simple and quick little craft to attach to their writing prompt, they will be a lot more excited to get down to business. 

With that in mind, I designed "Peeking Scarecrow".

As you can see by the pictures, there are 2 ways to display children's work.  Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board, or look sweet hanging back-to-back from the ceiling.

I've included 24 scarecrow-themed writing prompts for students to choose from. 

Run them off, trim and give students a choice, or toss them in a basket and have them pick one. 

If they are unspired, they have the option to choose another, or swap with a classmate.

Children glue the prompt to their scarecrow and record their final draft on a complimentary color of construction paper.

The packet also includes a sample, so that you can easily whip off an example to share with your kiddos.

For that extra touch of pizzazz, there's a blank border template that students can write inside. Encourage older students to type their final drafts.

Click on the link to view/download the scarecrow writing prompts.  

Thanks for stopping by today.  Happy TGIF.  I'm off to hit some garage sales with my daughter.  Wishing you love and laughter and a happy-ever-after. 

"What you allow, is what will continue." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Scarecrow Craftivities With Me

Since TBT (Throw Back Thursday) has become so popular on Face Book, I decided to share some "oldies" but "goodies" every now and then on my blog as well.  I have loved doing arts and crafts since I could hold a crayon, and began drawing the Flintstones, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck when I was only six-years old. 

The wonderful ability to easily draw all sorts of things, was truly a gift and especially encouraged by my grama Lydia.  She was always buying all sorts of materials for my twin and I to do crafts with. 

My love for art spilled into my classroom, where I incorporated lots of hands-on activities to help teach my students a variety of standards. I call these projects "craftivities".  I'm featuring a few scarecrow favorites in today's article. They were designed prior to all of the software programs, fonts and clip art that I now have at my disposal, but I think you'll still enjoy making some of these cuties from my hand drawn patterns. 

Completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards and hallway decorations, at the same time building a child's self-esteem, as well as strengthening finger muscles and listening and following direction skills.

My Y5's favorite scarecrow craftivity was their "personal scarecrow".  They are "jointed" so you can pose them in different ways.  Be sure and make a sample of yourself to help explain what you want your kiddos to do. 

I did this as a whole-group, listening and following directions activity and included a variety of colored construction paper shapes to use as "patches" for a quick and easy shape review.

I enlarged my students' school photo on the copier.  The picture appeared very pixilated, which added to the awesome scarecrow looking effect.

If you don't have the ability to do this, I've also included a scarecrow head template your children can color, cut and glue.

When I was a freelance writer for Mailbox Magazine, my editor asked me to write a scarecrow poem.  The personal scarecrows were my inspiration.

I've included the poem in the packet, along with a longer version, and hung them under my students' adorable scarecrows. 

We received zillions of compliments on this hallway display, and my Y5's really enjoyed making them. 

Click on the link to view/print the Personal Scarecrow craftivity.

Patrick, the paper chain scarecrow can help your kiddo's countdown to your Halloween party, field trip, or Thanksgiving break. 

Choose 2-colors for the links and review an ABAB pattern, or add a 3rd color to do ABCABC. 

As I tore off a link at the end of each day, we reviewed a variety of math standards like greater and less than as well as subtraction.

You can simply make one to hang in your classroom, or set this scarecrow up as an independent center and have children work on one of their own.

(Assign as many links as are appropriate for your age group.)  To incorporate blends, have students write an sc word on each link.

I think you'll find that if you incorporate a bit of art into your students' writing, they'll get a lot more excited.  An easy way to do this is with a topper or banner. 

In the Happy Harvest banner, students choose a writing prompt, (there are 3 options) complete it and then glue it to the back.  If they don't get down to business and complete the writing prompt, they will not have enough time to do the banner. 

Finally, for a quick, easy and fun way to review 2D shapes, have students make this paper plate scarecrow.  (They look wonderful spinning from the ceiling.) 

Cover more shapes by having students draw or glue colorful "patches" on the scarecrow's hat or around the poem that's featured on the back: 

"Hello little scarecrow with the face so round.  Going no place--stuck in the ground.  Staring at crows without making a sound."

Thanks for visiting today.  The weather is gorgeous so it's time for a break.  I'm going to collect some nature "stuff" for another fun "craftivity" that I'm working on.  Wishing you a fun-filled fall.

" Be a voice, not just an echo." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Fall Writing With Me

Since the "Apple Sense" craftivity was downloaded quite a bit, I decided this format would also work well for Pumpkin Sense.   No matter what grade your students are in, they need to be reminded to use their senses to make their writing "come alive."  The use of adjectives is equally important, and such a simple thing to explain using examples.  I find that if students can add a bit of art to their creations, writing is more fun and completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards that build self-esteem.   

Run off the pumpkin template on orange construction paper.  Students add a bit of color to the the stem, with a green crayon.  You can make this even cuter, by having students trace their hand (with their fingers spread) onto a sheet of green construction paper, trim and glue their "leaf" next to the stem.  Adding a photograph gives things that finishing touch.

Run the "pumpkin guts" off on yellow construction paper.  Students trim and fill in their answers.  Before hand, discuss the 5 senses, as well as what an adjective is, explaining the importance of using both to write better.  

Brainstorm words that can be used to describe a pumpkin using the various senses and write them on the board.   Students can draw from this word bank when they write. 

So that they are practicing starting a sentence with a capital letter, have students write a complete sentence, rather than filling in their answer.  Review proper end punctuation.  To make sure that they use adjectives, encourage students to underline them.

You may want children to write a rough draft, checking to make sure that every noun has a descriptive word before it.  Can they think of a better word to describe what they are seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, etc?  When they are satisfied with their final draft, they can write it on the yellow insert.   Click on the link to view/download the Pumpkin Sense craftivity.

Continuing with adjective practice, I designed a Describing Fall packet. 

Students think of words that describe the various fall themes: school, apples, leaves, pumpkins, spiders, bats, scarecrows, sunflowers, turkeys and Pilgrims, and then fill in the appropriate boxes with adjectives.  Once they have done that, students incorporate several words into 1 or 2 sentences that they write on the back of their worksheet. 

Children can add a bit of color with crayons or markers.  When everyone is done, have them share their work.  I've also included a definition of an adjective anchor chart. Click on the link to view/download the Describing Fall Adjective Writing packet.

If you're looking for more activities involving the 5 Senses you may like Sam's Senses craftivity.  Children cut and glue the labels to Sam the pumpkin man.  What makes Sam special is that his hands are the traced hands of the student.  Click on the link to view/download Sam. 

My Fall Senses, is a quick and easy candy corn graphic organizer that again helps students practice their writing skills.  Click on the link to view download this fall writing activity.

Thanks for visiting today.  I design and write daily, so I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.  Feel free to PIN away.  To ensure that "pinners" return to THIS blog article, click on the green title at the top; it will turn black, now click on the "Pin it" button on the burgundy menu bar.   If you'd like to take a look at all of the wonderful-educational items that I PIN, click on the heart button to the right of the blog. 

"Strength: A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence." -Unknown