- Hand out copies of the poem “The Butterfly” to students.
- Read the poem aloud as a class. Discuss the following questions:
- Who do you think wrote this poem?
- What experiences do you think generated this poem?
- To what is the poem referring?
- How does this poem make you feel?
- Introduce the book “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” Children’s Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp. Discuss with students the information found in the “Epilogue” of the book (pp. 101-103) and the back cover.
- Discuss with students their feelings and thoughts about what has been read.
- Assign a poem to each student to read from “I Never Saw Another Butterfly. “
- After several silent readings, ask students to see if they can find any examples of hopes, dreams and/or fears in their child’s poem.
- After the students have read the poems and feel comfortable with it, each student should discuss his or her poem with another classmate.
- Assign students the task of choosing colors, phrases, and textures that they believe represent their poem.
- Discuss the vocabulary that leads students to make specific choices.
- Watch video on creating mixed media compositions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OZg4t8o-AM
- Give the students many sheets of colorful paper, glue, scissors, additional print outs of their poems, and other recycled odds and ends.
- Cut colored paper, notebook paper, newspaper quotes, quotes from their poems, and other items into thin strips
- Glue little scrap pieces of paper and poster board, paper towels and notebook paper, onto a piece of drawing paper working to create symmetry in their design, while still representing their poem
- After the glue dries, brush on some colored chalk to create an interesting effect with the different layers of materials.
- Connect the layers to the many layers of emotions the children felt while in Concentration camps, as previously discussed.
- Then go in and add pencil or colored pencil to some of the area created to add more interest, also add the words cut from magazines, newspapers, and print outs.
- Students can layer more chalk or colored pencil in some areas and add written words as well.
- After completed, they will cut their paper into a shape of a butterfly.
- Butterflies will be displayed in the front entry way to reflect the differences in every person and the hope that shines through despair.
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