Objective: Students create a mixed-media collage of a friendly scarecrow.

“The earth has rained and snowed, and blossomed and wilted and yellowed and greened and finds itself all around him. His hat has housed mice, and his arms have rested birds. A Morning Glory is held tight to his legs and a worm is living in his lapel. There is nothing else a person might want, and the scarecrow knows this.”

SCARECROW –by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Scarecrow is an enchanting and beautifully illustrated picture book about the beauty of leading a simple life and being appreciative and content. It is about a kind and gentle scarecrow who finds good things in his world; the friendship of the birds and animals, along with the joy and happiness of the seasons. In this lesson plan, students explore use of texture by putting together a mixed-media collage using paint, paper, fabric and buttons.

Background:
Show students how to paint a simple sunny morning background in shades of yellow and orange.

Scarecrow:
Begin by creating the foundation with a burlap face, colored paper hat, painted shirt and overalls. The shirt is made by painting a strip of paper in plaid, polka dots or stripes. Here, the overalls, hat detail and bird beaks are all made out of painted paper scraps. Of course, construction paper works as well. The “straw” hair and hand are created out of 1/4 in. strips of pale yellow construction paper folded accordion style to create a fun texture and dimension. Glue just under the bottom of the hat and inside edge of the sleeve. For the face, use mismatched buttons and construction paper details.

Crows:
Crows are made out of construction paper and google eyes. Glue the wing down on the body with just a dot of glue and let unglued part add dimension to the bird.

Grade Level: 1st – 3rd grade
Time Required: 2 45-min. class periods
Vocabulary:
Mixed-media
Foundation
Accordian style
Dimension
Texture

National Core Arts Standards
Creating: #2, 3
Presenting/Producing: #5, 6
Responding: #8, 9
Connecting: #10
http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/

Materials:
Faber-Castell Connector Paint Box
Brushes round and fat
Pencils
Scissors
Faber-Castell 9x12 Watercolor Paper
Faber-Castell Construction Paper
Google Eyes
Burlap, buttons