Lesson Plan

                                              A "YOU" ROSE
                                     Lesson plan for The Blue Rose
                                        Gerda Weissmann Klein
                                              2008 edition

Objectives (With slight variations, can be used for all grades):

•    Students will embrace Jenny’s unique differences
•    Students will embrace their own unique differences
•    Students will illustrate their unique selves through art

Time and Materials:

•    One or two class periods
•    Various art materials for creating “YOU” roses

Loving The Blue Rose:

After sharing Jenny’s story in The Blue Rose, lead students in a discussion of what makes Jenny such a unique individual. Lead questions can be:

•    “After hearing Jenny’s story, what do you remember about her most? Why?”
•    “What are some words that describe Jenny?”
•    “What is her disposition, or attitude, toward people and the world around her?”
•    “What are some character traits that Jenny has that you admire and want in your own life? Why?
•    “What are some unique things about Jenny that make her different from others?”

Answers will vary according to the age group, but students’ responses might include the following:

•    Jenny was born on the 4th of July;
•    her birthday is always a national holiday;
•    she has both brown hair and brown eyes;
•    she cried more than most babies;
•    Jenny worries;
•    she sees things with different eyes;
•    she has an awkward dance;
•    Jenny will blossom in her own time.

Identifying With The Blue Rose

•    After hearing and discussing Jenny’s unique qualities, talk to students about how each of us is unique. Have students list at least 5 things about themselves that they feel make them special.
•    Invite students to ask their parents or guardians about what they were like as little babies too.
•    Did they have a special dance as a little child?
•    Or did they get called names when they were younger too, like Jenny?
•    Tell students that, like Jenny, we’re all special and rare roses.

Making The "You" Rose

Remind students that Jenny is like a rare blue rose. They, too, are rare roses.
This art project allows students to create a unique rose that represents them.
It helps students focus if they can see a model of this art project,
so the teacher can make his or her own rose first.

There are so many different ways to do this art project:

•    Use crayons and paper and have students draw their own rose, coloring it with their favorite colors. They could be rainbow roses, polka-dot roses or any combination the student likes.
•    The teacher could make lots of old magazines available and students could cut out pictures and their "You" Rose could be a collage of images they feel describe something about themselves.
•    Students could bring in old photographs (or copies of them) and make the petals of their rose
•    out of the photographs. The rose could even be 3 dimensional this way.

Writing A Name Poem

To add a simple writing activity with this art project, have students write a common name poem that is placed with their art picture. The teacher could write as a model one with students about Jenny.

        J - Joyful
        E - Endearing
        N - Nice
        N - Neat
        Y – Young

______________________________________________________________________________

Written by Jeff Sapp and Kate Esposito
Teacher Education Department
California State University, Dominguez Hills