Lesson Plan: The Lima Co. Memorial

Primary Subject:Visual Arts

Secondary Subject: Language Arts

Secondary Subject: Social Studies

Grade Levels: Grades 8-12

Academic Content Standard: Examine and explain the circumstances that influence artists to create monuments (memorials).

Visual Arts: Objectives: The student will:

                                         Examine the elements of art found in a given art work.

                                         Reflect on the emotion(s) evoked by a given art work.  

Context: The Lima Company Memorial was created by Westerville, Ohio artist, Anita Miller. The eight panels are life-size portraits of twenty-three Marines who were a part of the 3-25^th Marine Company which is based in Columbus, Ohio. These men lost their lives in 2005 while fighting in the Iraq war during the Iraqi Freedom Campaign.

Procedure #1:  On 3’x 5’ index cards, write the Elements of Art (One element per card). The elements can include: Line (vertical, horizontal, curved etc.), Space (positive, negative, background, foreground), Posing of figures (action , at rest), Color,( primary, secondary, warm, cool, neutral), Lighting (aerial, side, bottom) Shape (organic/natural, inorganic/man-made) Texture (real or implied, ie…slick, smooth, rough, bumpy, gritty, sticky), Perspective (linear, vanishing point, 2 point, 3 point).

Turn the cards upside down. Individual students (or small groups), will draw an element card from stack of cards.

Students will observe the memorial. Whole group discussion focuses on where the various elements are found in the paintings, each individual (or small group) will report on the element from their card.

Procedure #2:  Students will brainstorm in small groups on the different emotions that may be felt when viewing The Lima Co. Memorial. (For example: pride, anger, revenge, guilt, sorrow, shame, patriotism, fear.)

Students will create a thumbnail drawing that depicts one of these emotions. This drawing will be the basis of a work done in the classroom.

Language Arts Objectives: The student will:

                                            Gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a given work.

                                            Write and use different process elements.

Procedure #1:  Small groups (or individual students), will reflect on the following questions, (one question per individual or small group). Whole group discussion follows after students have had time for reflective study.

             #1. What kind of personalities do you see in the paintings? How did the artist capture the personality of each man?

            How are they different from each other? How are they the same?

            #2. If you could choose one person in the painting that you could talk to, which one would you choose and why?

            What questions would you ask that person?

            #3. The paintings are carefully arranged in a circle. Why did the artist choose to have the paintings displayed this way?

            The men are life size. What feeling does this create  for the viewer?

            #4. Aside from the paintings, what else do you see in the memorial area? (This should include in front of and behind

            the paintings.) What do these items symbolize? Why were these things included?

            #5. Creating these paintings took a little over two years. What was the artist’s purpose in creating them?

            Do you think she was able to accomplish her purpose?

             #6 This is a mobile monument. The Lima Co. Memorial will move from city to city. Why?

            Where should the paintings be exhibited? Why?

Procedure #2:   Using information gathered during the whole group discussion, students will write about the emotions that may be felt by the viewer as they observe the

 Lima Co. Memorial Paintings . (For example: pride, anger, revenge, guilt, sorrow, shame, patriotism fear.) For many people, the painting is a starting point for healing. Who and how?

Social Studies Objectives: The student will:

                                             Explain a given work in terms of historical, cultural,

                                             social and political influences evident in the work.

                                             Analyze the causes, consequences and possible

                                             solutions to persistent, contemporary and emerging

                                             world problems.

Procedure #1:      In small groups, students will brainstorm a list of facts that they know about the war in Iraq.  After viewing The Lima Co. Memorial, students will search the for evidence of the social, cultural, historical and political influences found in the paintings.

Procedure #2:  Prior to the viewing of The Lima Co. Memorial, students will conduct research on the Vietnam Wall Monument. In an essay, students will compare and contrast the two monuments.

            Points to think about:

There are obvious differences between the two monuments. What are they? What are the similarities?

How do the two monuments “put a face” on the men and women who served in these conflict? How are they the same; how are they different?