Discovering Great Artists: Elementary Art

This is what our Co-op is doing for art this semester:

Parents: please bring items in blue for particular day.
Teachers: Please read about artist (given in book: isbn 978 0 935607 09 3) in class. I will bring my book each class, if you do not want to buy it!

9/14/2009
Da Vinci/p19
Drawing Things Apart: Draw chosen object from outside first, before taken apart. Include all details. Next, take object apart. Label drawing with tiny arrows.
Bring: something to take apart (orange, old squirt gun, flashlight), white drawing paper,
pencil, eraser, ruler

9/21/2009
Da Vinci
The Last Supper (read Luke22:7-38): Sketch painting, then paint
Bring: white paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, paint brushes
Kim will bring: Examples of the painting, tempera paint

9/28/2009
Da Vinci/p20-21
Da Vinci Invention: Sit down and think of new ideas and inventions. Think of things that can be built and would be a new way of doing something.
Bring: white paper, pencil, eraser, ruler

10/5/2009
Da Vinci
The Mona Lisa: (Teacher read: http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/monalisa/page.html) Sketch painting, then paint
Bring: Piece of wood to paint on, pencil, eraser, ruler
Kim will bring: tempera paint, examples of the painting

10/12/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: Draw a realistic picture of a wild animal, include background where it lives. Along side of drawing, write things about the animal telling its common and scientific name, where it lives, what it likes to eat. Make small sketches along the side of drawing to show a close-up of its ear, beak, or paw.
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons
Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines

10/19/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: as described above
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons
Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines

10/26/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: as described above
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons
Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines

11/2/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: as described above
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons
Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines

11/9/2009
Van Gogh/p46
Read: The Yellow House by Rubin (isbn 31997059719385) Mixing Warm Colors: apply paint to paper, exploring colors and shades
Bring: thick white paper, paint brushes
Kim will bring: tempera paint (yellow, orange, brown, white), paper plate for mixing paints, Popsicle sticks, above book

11/16/2009
Van Gogh/p46
Impasto: Thicken paint (yellow, orange, brown, and white) with flour (1T. To 1/2 c paint). Paint sunflowers
Bring: thick white paper, paint brushes
Kim will bring: Thickened tempera paint (yellow, orange, brown, white), paper plate for mixing paints, Popsicle sticks
Karen will bring: sunflower in vase

11/23/2009 or 11/30/09
Van Gogh/p47
Starry Night: Mix colors. Cut paper scraps into the shapes of little houses, hills, and churches. Glue in a row along lower edge of paper. Paint stars in sky by making dots of broken circles around each star.
Bring: paper scraps, glue, scissors, paint brush
Kim will bring: black or dark blue construction paper, tempera paint (yellow, orange, brown, white), paper plate for mixing paints, Popsicle sticks, color print of van Gogh's painting, The Starry Night

Art: Semester 1, grades k-2

9/14/2009
Da Vinci/p19
Drawing Things Apart: Draw chosen object from outside first, before taken apart. Include all details. Next, take object apart. Label drawing with tiny arrows.
Bring: something to take apart (orange, old squirt gun, flashlight), white drawing paper, pencil, eraser, ruler
9/21/2009
Da Vinci The Last Supper (read Luke22:7-38):
Sketch painting, then paint
Bring: white paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, paint brushes
Kim will bring: Examples of the painting, tempera paint
9/28/2009
Da Vinci/p20-21 Da Vinci Invention:
Sit down and think of new ideas and inventions. Think of things that can be built and would be a new way of doing something.
Bring: white paper, pencil, eraser, ruler
10/5/2009
Da Vinci The Mona Lisa: (Teacher read: http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/monalisa/page.html)
Sketch painting, then paint
Bring: Piece of wood to paint on, pencil, eraser, ruler
Kim will bring: tempera paint, examples of the painting
10/12/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: Draw a realistic picture of a wild animal, include background where it lives. Along side of drawing, write things about the animal telling its common and scientific name, where it lives, what it likes to eat. Make small sketches along the side of drawing to show a close-up of its ear, beak, or paw.
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines
10/19/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: as described above
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines
10/26/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: as described above
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines 1
1/2/2009
Audubon/p35
Nature Notebook: as described above
Bring: spiral bound sketchpad, or white paper in a 3 ring binder, pencil, colored pencils, crayons Kim will bring: wildlife books and magazines
11/9/2009
Van Gogh/p46
Read: The Yellow House by Rubin (isbn 31997059719385)
Mixing Warm Colors: apply paint to paper, exploring colors and shades
Bring: thick white paper, paint brushes
Kim will bring: tempera paint (yellow, orange, brown, white), paper plate for mixing paints, Popsicle sticks, above book
11/16/2009
Van Gogh/p46
Impasto: Thicken paint (yellow, orange, brown, and white) with flour (1T. To 1/2 c paint).
Paint sunflowers
Bring: thick white paper, paint brushes
Kim will bring: Thickened tempera paint (yellow, orange, brown, white), paper plate for mixing paints, Popsicle sticks
Karen will bring: sunflower in vase
11/23/2009 or 11/30/09
Van Gogh/p47
Starry Night: Mix colors. Cut paper scraps into the shapes of little houses, hills, and churches. Glue in a row along lower edge of paper. Paint stars in sky by making dots of broken circles around each star.
Bring: paper scraps, glue, scissors, paint brush
Kim will bring: black or dark blue construction paper, tempera paint (yellow, orange, brown, white), paper plate for mixing paints, Popsicle sticks, color print of van Gogh's painting, The Starry Night

Starting a Homeschool Co-Op

This year, a bunch of homeschooling mom's and I were discussing our desire to create our own co-op. After a few meetings and a ton of emails, we are going to pull it off! I am so excited to give John (and later, Sarah) the opportunity to do group projects and sit in a classroom environment. We will be meeting at local libraries, rotating 2 moms per weekly meeting. We are planning field trips and a Christmas Pageant, too. Here is our plan thus far:

MEETING SCHEDULE
1:00 Semester Verse Recitation (stand) and group prayer (stand)
1:10 Pledge of allegiance
1:15 Sing Hymn(s) (read history and/or information about hymn)
1:35 Science Experiment
2:05 Potty Break/water fountain
2:15 Current Events/map tracing
2:35 Art (read about artist, do project)
3:00 Hand wash/potty break
3:10 Presentations (2 Min max. or, if short on time, divide time left by # of kids)
3:30 Dismiss

Field Trips

Field Trip Ideas for the Baltimore-Washington area:

National Theater free performances www.nationaltheatre.org
Edgewater Simthsonian www.serc.si.edu
Baltimore Zoo
Washington Zoo
Maryland Science Center Classes www.mdsci.org
Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Laurel
Jugs Bay
Claud Moore Colonial Farm www.1771.org
Larriland Farms Apple picking, pumpkin picking
National Museum of Art
Natural History Museum
American History Museum
Air & Space Museum
St Marys city homeschool day www.stmaryscity.org
Baltimore Museum of Industry homeschool day www.thebmi.org
Londontown Gardens homeschool day www.historiclondontown.org
Kids Euro Festival http://www.kidseurofestival.org/
Kennedy Center Free performances

Dollar Days
American Visionary Art Museum www.avam.org
Babe Ruth Museum www.baberuthmuseum.com
Baltimore Maritime Museum www.baltomaritimemuseum.org Baltimore Museum of Industry www.thebmi.org
Evergreen Museum & Library www.museums.jhu.edu
Homewood Museum www.museums.jhu.edu
Immigration Time Porthole www.preservationsociety.com
Maryland Historical Society www.mdhs.org
National Aquarium www.aqua.org
National Museum of Dentistry www.dentalmuseum.edu
Port Discovery www.portdiscovery.org
Museum of African American Culture www.africanamericanculture.org
Robert Long House www.preservationsociety.com
Sports Legends Museum www.baberuthmuseum.com
USS Constellation Museum www.constellation.org
Walters Art Museum www.thewalters.org

Reading programs for free stuff
PizzaHunt www.bookitprogram.com

Preparing

We will be starting kindergarten in September! At this point, I am really excited. The books have been ordered, and I am very close to having our plans laid out. We will be using the classical model, which, in a nutshell means that for the first 4 grades we will be focusing on learning facts, facts, facts. For a more detailed description of the trivium, see http://www.welltrainedmind.com/classed.html.



John designed a cover for the inflatable on his ship.

"Read"

In my pursuit to learn everything I can about teaching my rugrats, I am reading The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. What a great book! The authors advocate the classical model of educating, which organizes learning around the phases of maturity of a child's mind.

I am excited that my endless babbling is actually beneficial to my kiddos' language development. The authors recommend to explain everything you are doing in great detail, and to read, read, read.

Sarah's favorite word these past few weeks has been, "read". She will pick a book out and hand it to me. Then, we will read it not once, but about 5 times per book!

1950s Science Songs

Rebeca from Carried on the Wind always seems to have some great ideas for teaching! I love her last post which sends a link to Science Songs. There you will find a bunch of 1950s songs about science that both John and Sarah love!
Thanks again, Rebeca!

Schedule, Scmedule

I need a schedule! Honestly, our morning "routine" changes frequently! We are pretty consistent with our nighttime rituals. My goal for this summer is to develop a do-able family morning routine so that by the fall we will be able to play kindergarten homeschool well.

Unfortunately, I rarely have a morning quiet time. I do feel it is important, though. It should be like brushing your teeth. Oh, how I would love it if I got my quiet time and cardio in before the kids woke up! Then, I could focus on training the children in seeking God first in the day.

How do homeschooling moms fit in all that plus keeping the dishes out of the sink?

Well, we have officially decided to "hold John back" from starting the Christian Homeschooling Co-op. If he were going to public school, he would not go until 2008, since his birthday is mid September.

So, next "school year" we will be doing kindergarten on our own just to get into a rhythm. I will be talking to other parents in the co-op to see what they recommend for the year prior to official kindergarten.

The really cool thing about this co-op is that all the planning is completed for the entire school year! So, since I am a "check it off the list" kinda gal, I am super excited. John will be going to the co-op twice weekly, where there is max 10 kids in the classroom. On the other 3 days/week, we would follow the list of assignments for each day!

Right now, we are working on responsibilities around the house. He has a check off list for what his "jobs" are, for example, making bed (with help), putting clothes in his hamper, and setting silverware on table. He will get 12 cents/day for allowance if he completes all his tasks. At the end of the month, we will take the change to the bank and empty it into the cool coin counter (John loves it). He will save 10% and tithe 10%, leaving him with almost $3.00. He can use this money to buy the junk he asks for in the grocery store frequently.

We will see how this works!