Fall Project for Second Grade
- Second graders can learn about the different types of trees growing in their area while creating a decorative fall garland to decorate their classroom or home. Have kids collect a variety of fallen leaves. Trace the outline of each leaf on similarly colored construction papers and draw veins with crayons or markers. Cut out the leaves and staple or glue to a long piece of yarn. Alternatively, make several garlands, each with the same leaf type in the colors of the natural fall leaves. Use this opportunity to teach kids that all trees do not lose their leaves or change color. Have the kids discuss the variety of leaf sizes, textures and veining and write a brief description of the characteristics of the various trees.
- Talk about how farmers use scarecrows to keep the crows from eating their harvest of crops in fall. Use a paper template for a scarecrow along with paper articles of clothing. Print out the templates and have kids color or paint their scarecrow's facial features and clothes with crayons, markers, watercolors or tempera paints. Cut out and glue the finished clothing onto the scarecrow, adding some straw or raffia around the arms, legs and head for texture. Attach the scarecrow to a large craft stick or dowel to place in a potted plant at home. Encourage the kids to create a brief story about their scarecrow and the crop it protects.
- Use fallen leaves to make a decorative fall wreath to decorate the home. Let the second grade kids trace the leaves onto foam craft sheets in the colors of the leaves. Cut the inner circle from a paper or Styrofoam plate and glue the leaves around the outer circle, overlapping and mixing the colors to create an attractive arrangement. Glue a raffia or ribbon bow to the bottom and glue a loop of ribbon to the top back to hang. Kids can add veining details to the leaves with markers or pens, if desired. Discuss what happens to the trees after the leaves fall and have kids write a story, poem or report about the steps.
- Collect freshly fallen leaves to make leaf impressions and create a collage of fall leaves. Place the leaf, face up, on a hard, flat surface. Lay a piece of paper on top of the leaf and rub a crayon, in the color of the leaf, over the surface, extending the color beyond the edges of the leaf. The actual outline of the leaf and veins will be darker than the rest of the image. Cut out each image with decorative edge scissors, including some of the colored area outside of the leaf as background color. Glue the leaves onto a large piece of construction paper or decorative paper for a colorful collage. Alternatively, the 7- and 8-year-olds will enjoy creating a journal with the individual images and information about the trees.
