Fall Poetry

I use lots of poems with my students and I love teaching with thematic units. Here are 2 of my favorite fall poems combined into an art project.

Gray Squirrel (Author unknown)

Gray squirrel, gray squirrel swish your bushy tail.

Gray squirrel, gray Squirrel swish your busy tail.

Wrinkle up your little nose,

Hold a nut between your toes,

gray squirrel, gray squirrel, Swish your bushy tail

Mr. Oak Tree (author unknown)

Mr. Oak Tree, Mr. Oak Tree,

Leaves float down,

to the ground.

Acorns dropping,

squirrels a-scampering,

all around, all around.

I find that adding actions helps students remember the words to the songs. They also really help ELL students comprehend and remember new vocabulary.

To make the squirrels, I pre-made gray construction paper cylinders and made tracers for the head and paws. The children traced and cut the head and paws and then had to create their own tail by drawing it and cutting it out. Then they glued the entire squirrel together.

I wrote the oak tree poem inside and tree trunk and branches shape. The students added oak leaves and acorns and then added the squirrels.

A note about unknown authors. I always try to give credit where credit is due but sometimes poems are copied and passed around, written out and expanded and the original source is lost. If you wrote any of the poems that I am using. I would like to give you credit so please let me know.