World War II: Lesson 7

LESSON SEVEN

War Art

Dorsal Gunner by Paul Goranson
Source: Courage Remembered

Grade: ten
Time: One period (70 minutes)

Digital Collections Used:: Courage Remembered: The World Wars Through Canadian Eyes

Handout:: Handout 1 - "War Art Chart"; Evaluation - "Canadian War Art Evaluation" and "Canadian War Art Self-Evaluation"

Expectations:
Students will:

use the Internet to access artwork.
critically analyze artwork for similar images or themes.
create a drawing for submission to the Royal Canadian Legion.

Preparation:

Ensure that Internet access is available for the first half of period.
Make a copy of Handout 1 for each student in the class.
Either provide markers/pencil crayons or inform students to bring artistic materials in advance. Other options for making art would be paint, paper-maché, etc.
Provide blank 8 ½ x 11" paper for students.

Lesson Plan:

Students examine all 17 works of W.W.II artwork in Courage Remembered.
Students do a think-pair-share (See Teaching Strategy below.) on how those works are similar and different. Are any images or themes common? They then use their ideas to create a three column chart comparing elements of style: Similar, Different, and Interesting. Brainstorm some ideas or suggestions for essential components of their piece of art.
Individually, they each create an example of war art similar to those they examined. Artwork should honour the contribution of veterans and be in good taste. When completed, send artwork to local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion as a "thank you".

Teaching Strategy:: Think-Pair-Share - Students use both critical thinking skills and co-operative skills. Give the class a question, and have students think about it on their own for two minutes, then have them form into pairs and discuss the question together. Solutions are recorded on paper and later Shares with the class as a whole.

Evaluation Opportunities:

students complete self-evaluation reflection
teacher evaluation of art work (rubric)

War Art Chart

Compare the seventeen examples of Canadian W.W.II art. In the table below, list some ways that their styles are similar, different, or interesting to you.

Similar	Different	Interesting

Canadian War Art
ARTWORK EVALUATION

	Insufficient (1)	Satisfactory (2)	Good (3)	Excellent (4)
Consistency of Style	Artwork has no resemblance to those examined.	Somewhat consistent with those examined.	Mood is consistent with the artwork examined in class.	Style effectively mirrors those of the war artists.
Appropriate Content	Choice of content is inappropriate or vulgar.	Choice of content is reasonable for W.W.II artwork.	Choice of topic is accurate and in good taste.	Content relates directly to unit and displays empathy.
Power of Image	Image is poorly chosen; has no impact.	Shows some emotion or elicits a minor emotional response.	Artwork has a noticeable message or elicits an emotional response.	Very powerful imagery; has a strong, clear message.
Visual Attractiveness	Poor use of colour or sloppy design.	Good effort; could use better colours, more shading, etc.	Artwork is attractive.	Artwork is extremely attractive with effective use of colour.
Attention to Detail	Very little attention to detail.	Shows an effort to include minor details.	Has action or detail taking place in the background.	Entire picture is extremely detailed yet maintains clear focus.

Mark: __________
20

CANADIAN WAR ART
SELF-EVALUATION

Name: _________________

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Partially Agree	Disagree
I paid close attention to the styles of the artwork on the internet.
My artwork was similar in style to those on the internet.
The topic I chose is appropriate for this course.
I think my portrayal of the war is very accurate.
I worked hard to create an attractive piece of art to my best ability.

What I learned most from this project:

What would I change or improve upon next time: