Autumn Picture Study and Music Appreciation

I just realized that I need to mention here on this blog my Autumn Series Squidoo lens that I am building for the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

On that page, you will find several selections for autumn picture study along with a link so you can print out the painting.

Also, I have included some YouTube videos for autumn music to listen to with your children.

You will need to scroll down on the page to find the art and music selections.

Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Sketch Tuesday: November Assignment Reminders

Although there is no official slideshow this week, I hope you spend a little time sketching anyway.
Assignments:


November 10th Sketch a famous landmark.

November 17th Sketch a sunset with the added challenge to use oil pastels if you would like to try a different medium. (You can sketch from a photo if you would like.)

November 23rd Sketch something with ears.


November 30th Sketch something you make into a pie or the pie itself.

What I would like to do is to have you send in your very best sketches from the month during the last week in November and I will make a big slideshow to share on Tuesday, December 1st.

Sketches for the Month of November will be due Monday, November 30th. (Of course, if it makes it easier on you, you can always send them in at any time during the month and I will hold onto them.)

Send sketches to: sketchtuesday@yahoo.com

Jean-Francois Millet Project-Oil Pastels

This project was originally inspired by Theresa at La Paz Home Learning. Her daughter did a copying project for Van Gogh with oil pastels and seeing her results encouraged me to encourage my son to work on his own oil pastel.

As part of their high school art requirement and the plans I put together at the beginning of the year, the boys are required during each six week period to study one artist's work. As a follow up to that study, they are asked to complete a piece of artwork either in the style of the artist or to copy a piece of their artwork using any medium they wish.

For this six week term, Mr. A has been studying Jean-Francois Millet.

He picked a painting (The Sower) and we printed it out for him to have as a guide.


He quickly sketched with pencil on pastel paper the main focus of the painting, the sower of seed.


Working with oil pastels, he began building the colors into the artwork.



Since I try not to "correct" artwork, I gently offer suggestions that the boys can incorporate or not as they wish.


Up on the wall, I really like the blues in this artwork. I think the colors are much more brilliant than in the original but that is just my son's personal touch shining through.


He is also required to complete a notebook page for each artist. These notebook pages are a simple but effective way to tie up the study of each artist. Much of what they learn I get to hear about as oral narrations. Our discussions face to face are my favorite part of their artist study.

Mr. B studied Gustav Klimt during this time and his artwork is not completed yet. It turned out to be a lot more work than he anticipated but he is still diligently working. His results will be shared soon.

Just so you don't think it is all fine arts around here, Mr. B has written a blog post on his blog describing his latest Lego creation. Be sure to check it out if you have Lego Maniacs in your family.
Giant Lego Spaceship

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

The Well-Trained Mind vs Tapestry of Grace: Literature

Part of my task for the month of November is to start thinking about next year's high school courses. Literature was on my mind yesterday and that is how I got myself into the predicament with Tapestry of Grace and their website.

Looking back and then looking forward, I sat down to decide where we stand with our 11th grader and his progress in literature studies.

I needed a little confidence builder.

Because we have followed more or less the Tapestry of Grace plans for literature, I was curious to see how we fared if I compared its plans with the literature guidelines in The Well-Trained Mind (TWTM). In our case, I have supplemented TOG plans with a few extra books from the Ambleside lists as well as some that I chose from our own home library. (More on my plans HERE.)

On page 487 (2004 edition), SWB suggests a minimum of 8 books for each high school year, chosen from her lists in TWTM. I thought I would record for anyone who was interested, just how the comparison went for our book selections for the first three years of high school. The starred items are on TWTM list.

Ninth Grade (We focused mostly on the Bible.)
Bible: Genesis - Job *
Epic of Gilgamesh *
Homer, Iliad and Odyssey *
Antigone
Bible: Book of Daniel *
Last Days of Socrates
Life of Alexander the Great
Beyond the Desert Gate
God King
Tales of Egypt
Hittite Warrior
Twice Freed
Virgil, Aeneid *
Bible: Corinthians 1 and 2 *
Bible: Galatians
Bible: Ephesians
Ben-Hur
Bible: 1 and 2 Thessalonians
Huckleberry Finn -free reading *(TWTM 12th grade list)
Great Expectations -free reading *(TWTM 12th grade list)
Origin of the Species -biology/science reading *(TWTM 12th grade list)
Julius Caesar -Shakespeare selection to go along with study of Rome *(TWTM 1oth grade)

Tenth Grade (This year was jam-packed with literature!)
Dream of the Rood
Arabian Nights
Koran (portions as part of TOG) *
Beowulf *
Dante's Inferno *
Canterbury Tales (selections) *
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight *
Shakespeare's Sonnets
Everyman *
The York Play of the Crucifixion
Faustus (tried but didn't finish) *
Much Ado About Nothing *
Henry V *
King Lear *
The Tempest *
Don Quixote *(TWTM 11th grade list)
Pilgrim's Progress *(TWTM 11th grade list)
Enlightenment poets: Dryden, Bradstreet, Wheatley
Gulliver's Travels *(TWTM 11th grade list)
The Rape of the Lock
Poets: Cowper, Gray and Smart *(TWTM 11th grade list)
Benjamin Franklin Autobiography (part of history reading) *(TWTM 11th grade list)
Declaration of Independence (part of history) *(TWTM 11th grade list)
US Constitution (part of history) *(TWTM 11th grade list)
Common Sense (part of history reading) *(TWTM 11th grade list)
Oliver Twist - free reading *(TWTM 11th grade list)
Animal Farm - free reading *(TWTM 12th grade list)

Eleventh Grade (Lightened up on literature to allow more time for world geography.)
Romantic Poets: Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats *
Pride and Prejudice *
Twelfth Night
Self Reliance-Emerson *
Walden-Thoreau *(TWTM 12th grade list)
Les Miserable
Poetry: Whitman *(TWTM 12th grade list)
Uncle Tom's Cabin *(TWTM 12th grade list)
Hamlet
Poetry: Dickinson *(TWTM 12th grade list)
Frankenstein -free reading *
Macbeth

Wow, that was an interesting exercise if nothing else. :)

The lists above, unless noted otherwise, are from our formal literature plans. I did not include on our lists all of the free reading books we read but rather just the ones that were included on the TWTM lists. I also found that we had read some of TWTM selections as part of our history and science plans and noted those above.

For those of you who read my blog and lean more towards a classical style of education, this information may help you to see that using TOG follows fairly closely to the plan that is suggested in SWB's book. It also should give you confidence that the lists of books in TWTM are not all that daunting if you break them down into formal literature reading, free reading, and include them in your science and history study as well.

Since I have no great background in literature, I often worry about my ability to offer a quality high school literature program for my children. Observing their progress and their enjoyment of great literature, I realize now that my boys are more than able to read and do a decent job of touching on major pieces of literature with a little help from me, the TOG plans, and Spark Notes, . We don't have to like every selection or go too deeply if we are not interested in learning more. More often than not, my boys enjoy a book far more than I ever imagined they would.

This was a great way for me to build my confidence in our literature plans and has helped me to look toward to next year, my middle son's twelfth grade, with optimism. My best advice is just to take your literature plans one book at a time and just keep moving forward.

After yesterday's foray into the TOG website and trying to decide on next year's direction for history and literature, I decided we will have to stick to TOG Year 4 Classic. It will be fine for what we need to cover. Thanks to everyone who helped me with email and comments to answer my TOG questions. I truly appreciate your help and indulgence of my little vent. :)

As much as I was frustrated with their website yesterday, I am still convinced that Tapestry of Grace is worth the effort, especially in the area of literature. Our high school years have been greatly supported by the plans and notes offered in TOG.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Just a Little Vent about TOG

I don't know how anyone new to TOG navigates their website. I would consider myself a "veteran" Tapestry of Grace user and this morning I dedicated myself to looking into their Year Four plans in preparation for next year but found that I was lost after just a few clicks.

I must say that I have chased myself around and around their website for over an hour trying to find information on the following topics:
11/6/09 Updated with answers!

• Can I trade in my Classic Year 4 for the new DE or do I just have to start all over and pay the $40 per unit? http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/2010prices/
  
• What books do the Year 4 plans use for literature and history? Go to "Store" on the TOG website, then log in and click on "Resource List" (it's under the Lampstand Press logo on the left)
  
• Can I print out any pages I want from the DE version? Yes.
  
• Can I resell the DE version when I am done and what are the restrictions? No.
  

I did not find *any* of the answers but was directed to watch their webinar on the DE version which I could not get to play on my computer....really slow connection today.

Does anyone know of a place that I can find the answers to any or all of these questions on their crazy website?

I am not about to plunk down $$$ for the Year 4 DE until I hear the answers to the above questions.

I know, I should just call them but I am not in a very good mood after the frustrating experience on their website. I probably would not be very nice. :)

I would have never started with TOG if originally their website had been this hard to navigate.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival and The Art Gallery Carnival

This week the latest edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival was posted over at Our Journey Westward. Cindy has done a great job of organizing the blog entries and decorating the post with beautiful autumn photos.

Please stop by and read the entries when you have a few minutes.

Also, The Gallery of Art Projects is up at Miss Julie's Place. Although this is a small edition, it is still worth taking a look at this time. You might even consider contributing to the next edition which will post on December.

I wanted to mention to those of you who read my entries by email subscription that you might periodically visit my actual blog and check out what I am enjoying from my blog reader. As I read other blogs, I share entries that I think you all might enjoy reading too and they are listed on the left sidebar of my blog. I really enjoy using Google Reader!

Although I am not officially taking a blog break this month, I am going to be spending time working on other projects in November. I have a line-up of blog posts to automatically post over the next few weeks so you won't totally miss me. :)

I hope you enjoy this colorful month, spending time with art and nature. That is what I am going to be focusing on to recharge my batteries and be fresh for the coming year.

Don't forget to keep sketching and to save your very best for our big slideshow coming up on December 1st!

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Sketch Tuesday: November Assignments

Last week's assignment was to sketch something that goes into a wallet...or the wallet itself. I really appreciate the creativity and the fact that many of you came up with some ideas other than money. :)

Here is your slideshow:
Wallet or Something That Goes Into a Wallet

The month of November is going to be super busy for me and in order to not be overwhelmed, I decided to take a break from putting together weekly Sketch Tuesday slideshows. Below is a list of weekly assignments and you can still keep sketching.

Assignments:
November 10th Sketch a famous landmark.

November 17th Sketch a sunset with the added challenge to use oil pastels if you would like to try a different medium. (You can sketch from a photo if you would like.)

November 23rd Sketch something with ears.

November 30th Sketch something you make into a pie or the pie itself.

What I would like to do is to have you send in your very best sketches from the month during the last week in November and I will make a big slideshow to share on Tuesday, December 1st. I will remind you during the last week of November about the slideshow and you can send in your sketches at that time.

Best Sketches for the Month of November will be due Monday, November 30th. (Of course, if it makes it easier on you, you can always send them in at any time during the month and I will hold onto them.)

We will be back to our regularly scheduled weekly sketch assignments and slideshows as of December 1st. Thank you for your understanding and your participation.

I love hosting Sketch Tuesday and I want everyone to know that this experience has encouraged my family as much as it has encouraged your family. I went through our family's personal Sketch Tuesday file and there are 186 completed sketches...that is a lot of sketching.

Keep sketching and save your very best sketches for the slideshow on December 1st! Send sketches to: sketchtuesday@yahoo.com

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Andrea Bocelli Again...This Time With Chris Botti

I am a long time fan of Chris Botti's trumpet playing and we listen to him quite frequently in our home in honor of my trumpet playing son. :)

Regular readers of this blog know how much I enjoy listening to Andrea Bocelli.

Sharing this video and song is like sharing a glimpse into my music library. I love this song and, in fact, this whole entire album from Chris Botti.

Here is a video that I found on YouTube.com for this music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak6XFeX0Ik4

Enjoy the sweetness of the trumpet and the voice together.

Here is another video that talks about some of the other music on the album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwp0Bkij_c



Add this one to your wishlist or you can purchase the MP3 download from Amazon.com. I included a link below to the specific CD.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom
The trumpet player in the photo above is my middle son....the trumpet guy.....a few years ago now.

Apologia Physical Science with a CM Style

A Reader Asked:
Since you adapted Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology to use in a more Charlotte Mason style, what suggestions do you have for adapting Apologia's Exploring Creation with Physical Science text?


My Answer:
With any textbook, I have my boys read and narrate in some fashion that makes sense. It can be giving an oral narration, keeping notes in a journal as they read, or perhaps drawing a diagram or making a model. Keeping their hands busy along with their minds seems to work best and it gives me a way to know how they are internalizing the information. Any time I can come up with a way to tie their textbook learning in with some actual real life experience helps me to keep it in a Charlotte Mason style. I tend to shy away from any "fill in the blanks" type activities.

I did not keep track of our supplemental projects for Apologia Physical Science but I am currently pulling together ideas for my high school age physics student so perhaps those will spark some ideas for your middle school children.

Here are some things I have in mind:
1. Biographies of scientists: You might choose Newton, Galileo, or some other person you come across in the book.


2. Work with magnets and a compass: We are going to work with a compass and a GPS to go GeoCaching. There is also a section in the Handbook of Nature Study starting on 776 that has loads of ideas for activities.


3. Weather: We are going to work on setting up a weather station in our backyard to record temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and so on. This is going to be an ongoing project. The Handbook of Nature Study also has info on weather and weather maps.

4. We also are going to be working on a year long star, moon, and planet observing project. The Handbook of Nature Study has some info to get us started and then we will be using binoculars to view the sky as much as we can at night.

5. Not sure if it is included in the Physical Science book or not but we are going to be working on alternative energy projects like building a solar oven and a small windmill. My son is also very much into airplanes so he is pursuing a list of aviation centered books.

Anyway, hope those get you started thinking about some ways to make science more real and alive for your daughter. I highly suggest getting and then reading the Handbook of Nature Study's introductory pages on nature study and how you can accomplish it in a few minutes per week.

We are planning on working out of our text for four days a week and then using one day a week to work on the supplemental ideas I have listed above. We may pick one focus per term and one biography per term in addition to the text.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Keeping Up With High Schoolers

As the weeks whiz by and my boys gain their momentum in their schoolwork, I am finding it absolutely necessary to spend a little more time at the end of each day reviewing their work. I can remember the days of quickly checking math papers and where clean-up meant filing papers away in subject binders. Now, wrapping up the day takes on a fuller dimension.

High school is hard. Even with teacher's guides and answer keys it is hard to keep up. I find myself stopping periodically during the day to say short prayers asking for wisdom and strength to get it all done. The planning we did up front, including the "why should we do this subject" phase, is what saves me from throwing in the towel many days. I know why we are covering Algebra 2 and Physics and Spanish and those solid reasons make it much less likely that I will let things slide on the days I am just not in the mood to struggle with particular algebra problems or physics labs that make me crazy.

With all that said, here is what we accomplished during the last few weeks. Remember as you read this post that it covers three week's time.

Literature: We read a little Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. What a journey! Tapestry of Grace made it easier for me by providing great teacher's notes, but we ended up not reading all of the Thoreau selection simply because it didn't interest the boys all that much. I was surprised at that for some reason. We are using notebooking pages as a means of written narration and as simple as this is, I am finding the notebook pages to be a powerful tool for gaining insight into the minds of my high schoolers. Their thoughts and reflections are as important to me as any quiz or worksheet would be in a public school situation. (Thoreau page available as part of History Scribe's 1oo Famous Writers set.)

Here is my son's favorite Thoreau quote and it makes me smile when I think about it.

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than to be crowded on a velvet cushion." Walden

Just for fun last week we watched The Count of Monte Cristo from Netflix. Although it did not follow the book whatsoever and it was a little too intense for me, the boys enjoyed it.

Moving on now to read and study Les Miserables, we will be taking a long time to savor it as we go along.

Physics: Math skills, math skills, math skills. Nothing else to say.

Algebra 2: Plodding away....seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Robotics: I mentioned before that the project they are working on as part of the Mayan Adventure book is complicated. It involves a whole series of tasks all strung together. We decided with this project that we are going to make the props that go along with the challenge and this involves a huge work space which we only have out on our back deck. To keep it simple, we decided that we would use a roll out type set-up for the area so we can mark where all the props go. The first task is to have the robot push three 2-pound idols into place....we are currently using 2-liter bottles filled with gravel as our "idols". I had a video but Blogger for some reason does not want to upload it....maybe next time.

Writing: Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) has been doing some hand-holding for me the last three weeks. We have the basics down and we are now refining elements of style. Actually, it has been kind of fun for the boys as we work through the decorations and triple extensions again. Using their Pride and Prejudice essay, we are editing sections of it as part of our weekly lessons.

If you don't have the DVD Tips and Tricks from IEW, I would highly recommend it as an additional motivator and inspiration. It is only $10 and worth every penny. (It now comes with the TWSS DVD set...check your set if you already own it.)

Fine Arts: We are finishing our second six-week term for artist and composer study and I am absolutely *in love* with the simplicity of the plans I designed at the beginning of the year. (I have made it available as a free download on Lulu.com.)

Here is what they studied during this period:
Mr. A: Jean-Francois Millet and Anton Dvorak
Mr. B: Gustav Klimt and Johann Brahms

If you are interested in knowing more, download the plans and read the simple instructions. (Separate post about the Millet project will follow next week.)



Geography: The focus for the last three weeks has been on doing a little memorizing of maps...filling in countries as much as possible from memory. We are working on the Middle East and Asia at the moment. Although we are finding this difficult, it is also rewarding when it starts to come together. Romania, India, and Greece have been our focus countries and we have realized that we know very little about the modern countries under study. India could fill a whole term if we allowed time for it. We started watching this video from Netflix: The Story of India and at five hours long, we didn't make it all the way through, but we watched enough to give us a great background into modern India. (The notebook pages above are from History Scribe's World Religions set.)

Official Tests: Mr. A took the CHSPE a few weekends ago which will enable him to take a few college courses with no hassles if he passes. Preparing him for the test was easy using the Baron's Prep Book and he felt confident walking into the test that he knew what to expect. This child does not normally test well since his learning style makes him over analyze each question. He had to remember to read the questions carefully, make sure he knew what they were asking, and then choose his answer after considering the choices. There was also a writing component that we prepared for by writing two practice pieces using prompts from the prep book. The hardest part for him to get down was the timing since they suggest using only thirty minutes for the actual writing portion. We get the results at the end of November.

I think that about covers the academic high points of the last three weeks.

Not officially homeschooling but still part of their education: The men in our family did squeeze in a very rainy deep sea fishing trip last week which resulted in 80 fillets in the freezer. The four of them caught their limit of ten fish each. Highlighting the trip was the sighting of numerous jelly fish. The boys said that they were hanging out just under the surface of the water and up near the boat, making them easy to see. There were a variety of colors: purple, orange, and yellow. I wish I could have seen that!

This is a rather long post but recording some details in these Weekly Wrap-Up posts seems to help other moms who are either in the midst of high school or are contemplating high school. I know that I would have relished reading specifics from other high school moms..not just the lists of curriculum used and the book titles but the meat of how to implement the plans.

Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom