Flanders Fields Poppies
Learning Targets
I can...
- Create an original Flanders Fields Poppies using painting techniques learned in class
- Use color combinations (complementary, analogous, primary), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and texture (actual, visual, implied) inspired by French Humanitarian (1878-1961) Madame Anne Guerin
- Use landscape techniques (perspective, layering, spatial awareness) and design principles (proportion, composition, balance) based on Commemorative Activism
- Define Landscape (a genre that depicts natural scenery such as mountains, trees, rivers, and forests)
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Poppy Field Near Argenteuil (1873) Claude Monet
2. Read The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael And Her Tribute To Veterans by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh
3. Discussion Questions "How did Anna Guerin's idea for an Inter Allied Poppy Day differ from Moina Michael's initial Victory Emblem concept in the United States? In what ways did her plan create a charity model by paying French widows and orphans to manufacture artificial poppies? What strategies did Madame Guérin use to pitch the poppy flower to the veterans organizations of different nations? Why did her distribution of French-made poppies phrase out as Allied nations like the United States and Australia set up their own local veteran factories? What does her travel record reveal about her personal commitment to the Allied cause? How did her prewar work promote French culture in Great Britain help build the networks she later relied on for her humanitarian campaign? Why was Madame Guerin's name lost to history for a century compared to other wartime figures?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use ruler, compass, straightedge to draw the scenery (background, foreground, middle ground) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
2. Add details (buildings, animals, plants, landscape) within the positive space (foreground, middle ground, flowers) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
3. Use oil pastels to outline the positive space (foreground) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Flanders Fields Poppies for Assigned Tables
2. Poppy Field (Giverny) (1890-1891) Claude Monet
3. Discussion Questions "How do modern grassroots research projects help to uncover identities of women lost to history? How does Madame Anne Guerin's personal legacy fit into Remembrance Day? How does the historical narrative of the remembrance poppy flower vary across different countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia? How do poppies represent world history, gratitude, and peace to various people? Did you know poppy flowers are France's official national symbol of remembrance for veterans? Did you know the blue cornflower, bleuet de France, is the flower for war victims? Did you know a French woman named Madame Anna Guerin helped turn red poppy flowers into a global symbol of remembrance? How did her experiences shape her career as an educator and public speaker? How did John McCrae's iconic poem In Flanders Fields inspire Madame Guerin to transition from handing out charity buttons to distributing artificial flower boutonnieres?"
Lesson Activities
1. Add patterns (swirls, clouds, stars) into the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
2. Use color combinations (analogous, complementary, primary) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
3. Use primary colors (red yellow blue) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Flanders Fields Poppies for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (watercolor, paint brushes, water buckets, oil pastels)
Lesson Activities
1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow, shadow) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
3. Add details (animals, buildings, flowers) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Flanders Fields Poppies
Artist Examples
Student Examples
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