A New Year Coming

Each year about this time, people and the media start talking about two things. One, they think about the year in rewind and two they think about the future and what they want to change in that future. I have never been a resolution kinda girl. Its a little too cut and dry for me. A list with numbers down it of things I should do and hope to check off but then I don't do. I don't think I've made such a list in many a year. I am however in the midst of something transforming. So instead of resolutions, things I must do, I am going to focus this year on things I WANT to do, not things I need to do. I've spent the better part of the last 15 years thinking about what I need to do. I need to make good grades in college, I need to learn to cook, I need to learn how to take care of a baby, I need to have a 30 minute quiet time everyday, I need to sweep the floors and finish the laundry. I am going to listen to my heart and soul more and follow them. I don't know what this will look like. I can't make a list of where my heart will lead. That would most certainly defeat the purpose. I'm going to let go and just be...and enjoy what that brings. Yes, there is a new year coming.
Sheryl

Recent Adventures in Photographs

Deep South "Snow"

Forgotten Cabin

A Lonely Walk

Beneath a Covered Bridge

A boy and a bridge

Sketch Tuesdays

I have decided for us to participate in something called Sketch Tuesdays. Each week we are given an assignment and then we go off and sketch something related to the assignment. This week we were supposed to sketch a favorite zoo animal. Princess Poodle chose an owl..some zoos have them. Triple H chose a moose...I have never seen a moose in a zoo but he wouldn't change his mind for anything. We went to the library and they checked out a book and used a picture to look at in order to sketch. The weather here is a warm December day and we enjoyed doing this outside, beside a beautiful water fountain. Here are the results of our first Sketch Tuesday.

Triple H (4 years) Moose
Princess Poodle (7 years) Owl

"Wordless" Wednesday: Random Pics

Triple H tree climbing.
Triple H during our Chrismtas pics

Princess Poodle and Triple H clowning around. This is not posed I just caught them this way and called to them so they would look up. I just love it when they play together.

My newest nephew at one years old.

Review: Disney's Our World

I received this book a few days ago and have finally gotten around to looking through it. The hardcover book is full of bright, beautiful color photographs of the people from each country. The book is divided into continents/regions and then subdivided into countries. I have chosen around 18 that I want to cover for next year. Each country has a section that talks about; Who we are, Our country, Our communities, what we eat, what we study, what we do for fun, holidays and celebrations, and then another section that changes depending on the country of study.

I believe this book will fit nicely into our countrie/cultures geography study next year. My only concern about the book is that it focuses on the beauty of each country. This is wonderful but the book does not show the plight of people in our country and other countries around the world. I really want both for my dd. I want her to see the beauty in other cultures and places but I also want her to see the hardships that exist around the world. I don't want to depress her with info that is too heavy for her young heart but I do want to open her eyes to the whole truth around us. I will have to supplement in order to fill in these gaps. Also the book covers most of the topics I want to cover for each country with government being the exception. I understand why they didn't go into governments in a book for elementry students, but I would like to be able to teach my dd about other types of governing that exist. I believe that this is important for many reasons but one being to help develop an appreciation for democracy and the freedoms God has allowed us to have.

I am excited to use this book next year. The whole geography/science/art/music lesson plan will be connected as much as possible and this book will be a part of that. Its starting to take shape. I want to start next year a little more prepared than this year. I want to have my copies made of the flags to color and the maps. I want to have my living books list narrowed down. I want to have a recipe for each country on hand and activites planned out. I want to have the artist focus planned for each country (this won't be for all countries) and an art activity ready aka The Usborne Art Treasury and Discovering Great Artists. I thouht I was planned out this year and to a degree I was but I really want to be more prepared for next year. I think this book will help. If library books fall through and don't come in on time I will have this book to read. It will be on my shelf and well used by the end of the year.

Countries, Cultures, Biomes, Artist, and Music Outline of Lessons

Potential outline for year:
July: Nighttime sky/space
August: Intro to geography/maps/globes etc Europe: England
September: Spain , France
October: Italy, Holland
Nov. Russia (Tundra), Antartica/Artic
Dec. finish arctic
Jan. Asia: China, India (mountains)
Feb. Asia: Japan
March:Africa: Kenya/S. Africa
April: Australia (coral reef) start: North America: Us. Canada
May: finish North Am. , South America: brazil and Mexico
June: Break


Spines: books that will be used on several occasions
Atlas
Disney's Our World
A Life Like Mine
Usborne Art Treasury and Discovering Great Artists
Wild Places
Wee Sing Around the World


Geography Intro: ( 1 week)
DOW: pages:
Atlas: pgs. 8-9
Living Books: Katy and the Big Snow, How to Make an Apple Pie and see the World, Somewhere in the World Right Now(timezones)
Activities: make a paper mache globe
Wee Sing: Hello to all the Children of the World

Continent: Asia Disney Our World (DOW) pgs. 42-43
Altas: p. 26-29
Country: China Science Focus: Mountains (2 weeks)
Disney's My World: pages 44-47
A Life Like Mine: pages
Wild Place : mountains: pgs. 2-32
Living Books: Kite Flying, Ruby's Wish, Lon po po, The Empty Pot, Laterns and Fire Crackers, Good Morning China, The story about Ping, The Moon Lady, Moonbeams, dumplings and dragon boats, In the Sun, In the Snow, , A little Tiger in the Chinese Night, Tikki tikki tembo, the Chinese Mirror, Little Pear, The year of the Panda?,
Recipe: fried rice,
Activities: color map, color flag,locate on globe, make a dragon out of cereal boxes, make paper lanterns,
Artist Focus: Shen Quan, activity: Chinese cat painting

Music/Composer Focus:
Wee Sing: Fong Swei


Country: India Science Focus: mountains (1 week)
DOW pages: 48-51
ALLM: 124-125
Living Books: A Little Princess (IR) , Binya's Blue Umbrella (IR) , Gandi, Little Black Sambo, To the Top, The Story of Little Gagaji
Activities: map and flag, make flat bread,
Wee Sing: Anila, Anilae
Country: Japan Science Focus: seas/oceans (2 weeks)
DOW pages: 64-67
ALLM:
Wild Places: 2-32
Living Books: Grandfather's Journey, the Bicycle Man, the Wise old Woman, Two Foolish Cats, Crow Boy
Artist Focus: Hokusai, Activity: sea print
Cultural Experience: japanese grill or aquarium visit
Wee Sing: Ame, Ame

Continent: Eupope Disney Our World pages: 105-107
Atlas: 22-25
Country: England (1 week)
DOW pages: 140-143
ALLM pages: 42-43
Cultural Experience: English Tea
Living Books:
Artist Focus: Damien Hirst (activity: spin painted plate)
Joseph Mallord William Turner (activity: stormy seas)
Music: Wee Sing: Lavender's Blue
Country: Spain (1 week)
DOW: pages: 132-135
ALLM:
Living books: The story of Ferdinand, Isabel saves the prince,
Artist Focus: Picasso (fractured friend, clown collage)
Wee Sing: Mi Burro
Country: France (2 weeks)
DOW pages: 112-115
ALLM:
Living Books: Adele and simon, Antole, This is Paris, The cat who walked across France , Joan of Arc Step into Reading, Look what came from France, Giraffe that Walked to Paris, Bon Appetite Berite, Mirette on a High Wire, Madeline, Glorious Flight, Joan of Arc, Tour de France
Cultural Experience: go bike riding and have a mini-tour de france
Activities: map and flag, make crepes
Artist Focus: Monet (read Linnea in Monets Garden, Layered lilies project)
Manet? (melted crayon painting?) booK:
Degas (pastel dancers, chalk on cloth) booK:
Wee Sing: Frere Jacques
Country: Italy (1 week)
DOW: pages 124-127
ALLM: pages
Cultural Experience: Italian Venician carnival
Living Books: papa piccolo, St. Francis and the friendly beasts,
Activity: map and flag, make Italian Ice
Artist Focus: Michelangelo (Activity: paint on paper placed on underside of table while lying on back) Di Vinci : book: Di Vinci and the flying boy
Activity: map and flag, make Italian Ice
Wee Sing: Mio Galletto
Country: Holland
Dow: pages:
ALLM: pages: 108
Living Books: Boy who held back the sea, the hole in the dike, the cow who fell in the canal, The little Riders, The Gret Tulip Trade?,
Acitivities: map and flag, tulips
Artist Focus: VanGogh: activity: swirly landscape books:
Wee Sing: Alle Eedjes
Country: Russia Science focus: Tundra (study in Nov. ) ( 2 weeks)
DOW pages: 128-131
ALLM:
Artist Focus: Kandinsky Art: project: color contrast concentric circles
Living books: Sasha and the Wolfcub (IR), Peter and the Wolf (story and music) ,Another Celebrated Dancing Bear, The Peddler's Gift, The Fool of the world and the Flying ship, The cat and the Cook, the mitten, One Fine Day, One Small Square: Tundra,
Activities: make pretzels? maps and flag
Music Focus: Tchaikovsky and the nutcracker

Continent: Africa (living books: Ashanti to Zulu, A country Far Away, Jaffa's Journey, Koi and the Kola Nuts, Africa Calling , Wee Sing: Tue Tue, African instruments
Country: Kenya Science Focus: Grasslands (2 weeks)
DOW: pages: 22-25
ALLM:
Artist Focus: African masks Project : cardboard mask
Living Books: Growing Up Massai (some chapters as IR), Masai and I, Moja means One: Swahili counting book, One Small Square: Grasslands,
Wee Sing: Kanyoni Kanja
Activities: map and flag
Country: South Africa (1 week)
Dow Pages: 34-37
ALLM: 52
Listening for Lions? Akimbo and the Elephants?
Food Experience:
Activities: map and flag

Continenent: Australia/Oceania
Country: Austalia science focus: Coral reefs (2 weeks)
DOW: pages: 94-97
ALLM: pages: 62
Living Books: Big Rain Coming, Koala Lou, Wombat Stew, The Very Bratful Kangaroo, The Pumpkin Runner,Colors of Australia, One Small Square: coral reefs , Down Under Down Under Artist Focus: Johnny Bulunbulun (activity: scratched animals)
Wee Sing: Kookaburra
Activities: make pavlova dessert?
Continent: North America DOW pages: 173-175

Country: U. S. Science Focus: Deserts? (2 weeks)
DOW pages: 180-187
ALLM: pages: 96, 120
Wild Places: Deserts: 65-95
Living Books: One Small Square Deserts, Granberry Valentine, When I was young in the mountains, Lentil, yankee doodle, The story of the Statue Of Liberty, First Flight, My Great Aunt Arizona, Oxcart Man,
Activities: map and flag, make a flag from graham crackers, white choc. chips, frosting
Artist Focus: Mary Cassatt (activity: tempera monoprint/mother child paintings) book:
Georgia OKeefe : (activity: petal collage and painted flowers) book:
J. M. W. Turner:
Wee Sing: UHE BASHO SHO, patriotic song
Country: Canada: Science Focus: River and Lakes (1 week)
DOW pages: 176-179
Living Books: Morning on the Lake?, Very last , first time, Prairie Boys Winter, The Flight of the Union, Chesters Barn, One Small Square,
Activities: map and flag, make snowshoes our of cardboard and yarn
Wee Sing: Going over the Sea

Continent: South America/ Latin America Dow: 147
Country: Brazil Science Focus: Rain forest (2 weeks)
DOW pages: 154-157
WIld Places: 33-64
Living Books: Ond Day in the Tropical Rain Forest (IR) , From another World?, One Small Square: Rainforests, The Great Kapok Tree, Rain Forest Adventures,
Activities: map, flag, rainforest mural (see internet link for pics) , make a miniture rainforest in a fishbowl,
Cultural Experience: play soccer
Artist Focus: Henri Rousseau (not born here but painted many rain forest scenes, activity: jungle scene)
Wee Sing: Ciranda
Country: Mexico (1 week)
DOW pages: 162-165
Living Books: Alejandro's Gift?,
Wee Sing: Pin Pon
Artisti: Freda Kahlo
Cultural Experience/Food:
Continent: Antartica Science Focus: antartica (January) (2 weeks combined)
Living Books: Mr. Poppers Penguins (IR), A trip to antarctica, A for Antartica, Polar Wildlife,
Continent: Arctic:
DOW: pages:
Living Books: Little Polar Bear, Take me Home?
Activity: make an igloo; 3 cups of flour, 1.5 cups of salt, 3/4 cup h2o gradually, knead until ball is formed, Press into ice tray and freeze 2 hours,

Review: The Usborne Art Treasury Part Two

I thought I would like this book and that it would be a good resource for next year so I purchased it from Amazon. The book arrived yesterday and I love it. Its a beautiful hard cover book with lots of color inside. There are artists from many countries which will work well with my geography unit next year. Off the top of my head I remember artists from France, U. S., Norway, Africa, Holland, China, Japan, and I know there are others. I was also impressed with the projects that relate to the artist and his/her work. They are unique projects and Princess Poodle is already begging to start them! She can't wait to creat a wave print that resembles the wave of Housakai, or to make a foil man figure, or to recreate Degas' dancers with soft pastels.

For each painting there is a background on the work, a background on the artist, and directions for the project. I am at heart a simple girl and this book is simple and will be easy to implement. As for the materials needed, they are listed in the front of the book. For my overseas friends, if you are interested I could email you a list of what is needed and then you might be able to determine if you can get the supplies.

The only thing I feel is a good supplement to this book would be another book that contains other pieces from the artists. I am seeing the benefit of my daughter and son seeing many pieces from one artist. They are starting to recognize the style of the artist even if they don't know the name of the style etc. We were in the library the other day and we always stop to look at the pieces of art by local artists. Princess Poodle pointed to one and said, "Mommy it looks like a Cezanne" and it did!! Something about the style was very similar. I have a book that showcases a piece of art for each day of the year. Many of the same artists' works appear in each book. For those that do not I will probably use the internet or library books to showcase other pieces from an artist we are covering. I will also use projects from Discovering Great Artist to supplement more artists for a country or use when we just feel like doing more art.

My Final Review: If you love art and you want your kids to appreciate art, if you are a hands on mom that enjoys projects, and if you can't wait to feast on Degas, Monet, Matisse, Roussao (bad spelling I know) then this is the book for you. If used properly this book will allow your kids to see, hear, and feel good art. As for tasting and smelling..well I'm in search of a good multicultual cookbook and I'll let you know when I find one.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sheryl

The Usborne Art Treasury

In thinking about a direction for next years studies I have been searching for "spines, books that I will incorporate throughout the year. I came across a book by Usborne that I am truly excited about. It is the Usborne Art Treasury. The book contains around 20 artists and a picture of one of their famous works. Information on the artist and the piece is given and then a project for the students is laid out that is representative of the artist's work. I have been using a book similar to this from our local library (Discovering Great Artists). This book has great info on the artists and wonderful projects to create but fails to have examples of the artist's work. I went ahead and ordered the Art Treasury book..I feel that good about it. The kids seem to truly enjoy our art studies and I don't have many art books on hand. I am going to use this one woven into our cultural studies next year instead of getting the next Artistic Pursuits book. I ordered it off of Amazon and it should be here in a week or so. Yeah!! When I recieve the book I will go about organizing the artists according to their location, into my geography studies. I think they even include a famous artist that made African masks...so exciting. I will use the Art Treasury in conjunction with Discovering Great Artists projects. I also plan on having arts/crafts that we will make that revolve around the various countries of study as well.

I also want to focus on various composers for the first time next year which will mean purchasing some classical cd's and fitting these around the regions/countries we study. I hope to keep this simple. The kids and I listen to music during the preparation and eating of our lunch and sometimes in the evening. We have been gradually replacing the tv with music and they don't seem to even miss the lunch time cartoons. There is also a Wee Sing Around the World cd which I may purchase as well. The kids have truly enjoyed learning the songs from the Wee Sing America cd this year.

Thats all for now.