Poppy Art Lesson Remembrance Day Art Memorial Day Art Project Writing Reading K3

This Poppy Primary Art Lesson is a cross-curricular art, reading and writing resource for Kindergarten to Grade 3. Students use a step-by-step guided art tutorial to draw and paint a poppy while learning about its symbolism of love, peace, courage and remembrance.

It is made for Remembrance Day or Memorial Day lessons. Along with the artwork, students build early literacy skills through reading comprehension, sight words, vocabulary, opinion writing and reflection, connecting art to emotion, gratitude and remembrance.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE)

• Teacher Guide: Poppies with lesson objective, background information and teaching instructions
• Lesson Plan and step-by-step art tutorial in both PDF and PowerPoint versions
• Background Knowledge for Students, simplified history of the red poppy and In Flanders Fields by John McCrae
• Anchor Chart Ideas titled Poppies Remember, with color symbolism (red for love, courage and remembrance, black for loss and memory, green for hope and growth)
• Discussion Prompts on remembrance, peace, emotion in art and symbolism
• Art Vocabulary List: symbolism, contrast, texture, warm colors, shape, composition, emotion
• About Poppies as a Symbol reading passage
• How to Draw a Poppy step-by-step student page
• Art Rubric, four levels, assessing creativity, craftsmanship, responsibility and project criteria
• Puzzle Hook Activity, a cut-and-assemble prediction puzzle to introduce the lesson
• Remembrance Day Reading Comprehension page with questions
• Memorial Day Reading Comprehension page with questions
• Word Bank of Tricky Words (memorial, tradition, veteran, ceremony, sacrifice)
• Sight Word Tracking List with teacher instructions for pre-reading, treasure-hunt and review activities
• Opinion Writing Activity on whether special days to honor soldiers are important
• Poppies Write and Draw reflection about visiting a memorial or ceremony
• The Message Artist Reflection, where students explain what they want viewers to feel or think
• Additional drawing and art activities to extend the lesson or use as fast finishers

HOW TO USE IT

Begin with the Picture Puzzle Hook and discussion prompts, then read the short non-fiction text together. Guide students through the step-by-step art process using wax crayon and watercolor paint. Afterward, students complete the writing reflections, reading comprehension and vocabulary pages, and you can extend with Elements of Art worksheets or display the poppies with artist statements and the bulletin board sign.

Students learn the symbolism of the poppy, practice fine motor skills and color mixing and blending, express emotion and gratitude through art, and build reading comprehension and sight word recognition. The project can be completed over 1 to 3 class sessions, depending on how many literacy components you include.

FAQ

What grade levels is this best for?

Kindergarten to Grade 3, with adaptable discussion and writing tasks for different ability levels.

How long does it take?

The art project can be finished in one 45 to 60 minute lesson, or extended over several days with the reading, writing and reflection pages.

What materials do I need?

Wax crayons or oil pastels, white cardstock or heavy paper, watercolor or tempera paint, paintbrushes and water.

Can I use it for both Remembrance Day and Memorial Day?

Yes. It includes readings, word banks and KWL charts for both holidays, so it works for classrooms in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.

How can I display the artwork?

Create a Remembrance gallery wall with the bulletin board signs, pairing the poppies with artist statements and gratitude writing pages.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist and educator who has been featured on NBC LX News and was the featured educator on the cover of OCO Magazine (October 2025). She designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this resource for classroom, homeschool or personal educational use, and print and project it for student learning.

YOU MAY NOT: share it with other teachers or post it online. Each educator must purchase their own license.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic