Yes, Sustainable Poppies are Real!
Ottawa Catholic School Board students in grades 5-8 are creating sustainable poppies they will wear on Remembrance Day 2022 and then be planted in gardens across the region. The seed poppies will spend the winter decomposing, and in the spring, they will germinate, blossom, and create a symbol of hope.
What’s the Science Behind a Sustainable Poppy?
When creating the paper poppies, students will add oriental poppy seeds – a species safe for Canadian garden.
Partnerships Make Anything Possible
The Seed Paper Poppy Project is the brainchild of Fanshawe College in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Legion and now the Ottawa Catholic School Board.
Deep Learning In Action
Not only will students be learning about the poppy’s history and the importance of Remembrance Day, but they will also learn about environmental sustainability, science, social studies, literacy, arts and beyond. This Deep Learning project is an authentic example of how learning can activate the brain while engaging the heart.
How?
Teachers received lesson plans (created by Fanshawe College) that included step-by-step instructions: how to make the seed paper, a pattern of the poppy, a guide to assemble the poppy, a video/slide presentation highlighting the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrea, and the history of the poppy and its symbolism. You can check out the Fanshawe College website for more details.