Feathers of a Phoenix: Making Art to Remember

Learning Goals

Students will understand how symbols are used to represent ideas like hope and renewal. 

Students will consider how art can help people express feelings after difficult events. 

Students will create a collective artwork that honors someone or something meaningful to them. 

Students will explore the role that art played in helping young people process difficult emotions in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

Vocabulary

America’s Camp: A summer camp that ran from 2002-2013 for children who lost parents or loved ones in the 9/11 attacks. 

Phoenix: A bird from Greek mythology that is reborn repeatedly, symbolizing hope, renewal, and new beginnings. 

Supplies

Colored pencils, markers, scissors and any other art supplies available in the classroom.

Feather template (download)

Chart paper or posterboard with the outline of the Phoenix (download). 

Note: 25th anniversary lesson plans focus on how the world continues to be impacted by 9/11 and ways different communities chose to respond. If you'd like to build foundational knowledge about what happened on 9/11, we suggest using this lesson plan to prepare your students.  

Activity

1. Begin by asking students “What is a phoenix? What does it symbolize?” Share that in Greek Mythology, the phoenix is a creature that lives forever, reborn again and again, making it a powerful symbol of hope and renewal.  

2. Tell students they’ll be examining an artwork called The Feathers of a Phoenix, which was created as a tribute. What does it mean to pay tribute to someone or something? 

3. Show the students an image of The Feathers of a Phoenix. Begin with the zoomed-out image of the full artwork, and progress to the more detailed image as you move through the inquiry. Lead a discussion based on the following questions: 

   • What stands out to you about this artwork? What else do you see? 
   • Does this look like the work of one artist or many artists? What makes you say that?  
   • Based on the colors, details, and design, how old do you think the artist(s) might have been? What makes you say that? 

4. Share that in the summer of 2006, artist Traci Molloy and the campers of America’s Camp, a non-profit for children who lost loved ones on 9/11, created this papier mâché sculpture entitled Feathers of a Phoenix.  At the camp, children spent time together in a safe and caring environment, where they could relax, make art, and share their feelings with others who had similar experiences. Each camper created an individual feather on the phoenix to express how they were feeling or honor someone important to them – often a parent or loved one who had died. 

5. Ask students: 

   • Why do you think Traci Molloy chose the shape of a phoenix for this art project? 
   • How is this artwork helping to honor or remember 9/11? 

6. As a class, brainstorm important experiences you have shared together. It could be something happy or something challenging. Then explain that you will work together to create your own phoenix based on that experience. Each student will design one feather to show their thoughts or feelings. When all of the feathers are put together, they will form one phoenix that tells a collective story.  

7. Distribute a feather outline to each student.  

8. Instruct students to draw a picture or write words about the shared experience they want to honor. Encourage them to use any of the arts supplies available in the classroom when designing their feather.  

9. When students have finished designing their feather, ask them to cut it out of the template and attach it to the Phoenix outline. 

10. Close the activity by asking students the following questions: 

    • How does art help us process our feelings about an event or experience? 
    • As they examine their artwork, are there any themes or connections they notice?