History of Scarecrows

Scarecrows have been around since ancient Greek times! Their version of a scarecrow was a wooden frame covered with nets to protect their huge wheat fields that grew along the Nile River. Farmers would hide among the wheat in hopes of catching the quails that were feasting in their fields. About 2500 B.C, Greek farmers carved wooden poles into the image of one of their many gods who they thought would scare birds away and protect their vineyards. Scarecrow images evolved over time until farmers in the Middle Ages started using old clothing and stuffed shirts and pants into something that resembled a man. Birds figured it was a real person so they stayed out of the fields. BUT, the trick is to move the scarecrow every few days or the birds will soon figure out it’s not a real person and they won’t be scared any longer! Nowadays many farmers use sparkly strips of colored ribbon that blow in the wind and reflect sunlight to deter birds from eating their crops.

Scarecrows have become a Symbol of Fall

Somewhere along the line scarecrows became associated with fall and the harvest. Decorations fill homes and stores and there are often Scarecrow making contests held all over. Scarecrows can be menacing or even pretty cute! The birds don’t know the difference! We love to incorporate scarecrows as one of our classroom learning themes and have created several products based on this symbol of fall.

How about a Song about Scarecrows?

My Colorful Scarecrow uses color words in the song so it fits right in at the beginning of the school year. It is sung to the tune “The Itsy, Bitsy Spider” and comes with a mini-movie that has the pages of the book turning as we sing the lyrics. Show this on a big screen and your students will be happily singing along in no time! Lots of “colorful” activities are included in this packet. View the song right now! Click MY COLORFUL SCARECROW to find it at our TPT store.

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

You may be lucky enough to have a Pumpkin Patch close enough to take a field trip to and pick up those cute child-sized pumpkins! If you can’t get to one you can take a “virtual” trip with this fun product. It has a song, easily sung to the tune Here We Go “Round the Mulberry Bush. If you can’t sing it comes with a mini-movie where the pages of the book turn while we sing the lyrics. Show it on a big screen and your students will see the lyrics as they sing along. It is another exposure to print! Click PUMPKIN PATCH to link to it.

How about about some Math practice with 10-frames?

Ten-frames are very useful tools for students developing number sense and place value. Ten-frames provide a strong visual representation of number and how numbers work and relate to each other. This packet provides colorful ten-frames using acorns, pumpkins, and leaves with mats, number cards, recording sheets and much more. There are 3 BUMP games that are so much fun to play. EDITABLE versions are included so you can change the numbers to meet the learning levels of your students. Full instructions explain how to play this popular skill-building game. Click 10-FRAMES to see it at our store.

Here’s a FREEBIE

Our No Prep Readers are popular with Kindergarten teachers. Simply print, fold, and your students will be reading these one-page practice readers. This Scarecrow reader is part of a bigger set of 10 readers. Click SCARECROW FREEBIE and Set of 10 READERS to see these beginning readers perfect for fall.

The post Scarecrows – A Great Learning Theme for Fall appeared first on JK Curriculum Connection.