When you hear the word SCARECROW what do you first think of?

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One of the most famous Scarecrows in North American popular culture is Ray Bolgers character in the movie version of The Wizard of Oz, which is depicted in the two pictures above. He was a lovable scarecrow who travelled with Dorothy and her crew in the hopes of securing a brain.

What is a scarecrow?

In fact, a scarecrow is a device traditionally a human figure or mannequin dressed in old clothes placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.

As a group, look at the accompanying pictures of scarecrows and create a list of words that describe scarecrows.

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What descriptions did you all agree on? Were there any terms you didnt agree on? Explain.

In the song Im going to play for you, the word SCARECROW is used as a metaphor. What is a metaphor?

C:\Users\Nanci\Music\itunes\Itunes music\Melissa Etheridge\iTunes Originals - Melissa Etheridge\17 Scarecrow.m4a

Follow the song with the lyric sheet. Consider the artists use of the scarecrow metaphor and write down what you think the artist meant the scarecrow to represent.

Discuss.

Take the sheets back and introduce the film-The Laramie Project. Give the students the background on the film again and point out the description of Matthew as a scarecrow by the boy who found Matthew tied up to a fence. Explain that we will return to the song after the film is done.

Scarecrow by Melissa Etheridge

Showers of your crimson bloodSeep into a nation calling up a floodOf narrow minds who legislateThinly veiled intoleranceBigotry and hate

But they tortured you and burned youThey beat you and they tied youThey left you cold and breathingFor love they crucified you

I can't forget hard as I tryThis silhouette against the sky

Scarecrow cryingWaiting to die wondering whyScarecrow tryingAngels will hold carry your soul away

This was our brotherThis was our sonThis shepherd young and mildThis unassuming oneWe all gasp this can't happen hereWe're all much too civilizedWhere can these monsters hide

But they are knocking on our front doorThey're rocking in our cradlesThey're preaching in our churchesAnd eating at our tables

I can't forget hard as I tryThis silhouette against the sky

Scarecrow cryingWaiting to die wondering whyScarecrow tryingAngels will hold carry your soul away

I search my soulMy heart and in my mindTo try and find forgivenessThis is someones childWith pain unreconciledFilled up with father's hateMother's neglectI can forgive, but I will not forget

Scarecrow cryingWaiting to die wondering whyScarecrow tryingRising above all in the name of love love love

References

1. Lesley Brown (ed.). (2007). "Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles". 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2. Hartshorne, Henry. (1881). "The Household Cyclopedia of General Information". New York: Thomas Kelly.

3. http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2005/08/30/wizardoz_wideweb__430x406.jpg

4. http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/oz/images/vc55.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/oz/ozsect2.html&usg=__KSVg5I29JQ1YyTOxupuAP6Gn050=&h=801&w=640&sz=76&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=5e5HQp8_fDJAoM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dscarecrow%2Bwizard%2Bof%2Boz%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

5.