Fine Arts "Center" Idea

Fine Arts are an important part of any liberal arts education. And yet, they are always the FIRST thing to go in a busy week, aren't they! My dd loves to be able to work semi-independently, so I decided I wanted a Fine Arts Center this year. Great idea! But, alas and alack, we have no room for a dedicated space for a center.

To solve my problem, I created a Fine Arts "Center" in a Folder. It contains:

1. Schedule (See Start Exploring Masterpieces post below if you want to see it)
   
2. Custom CD of Classical, Folk, and Sacred music for the term
3. 'Start Exploring Masterpieces' Posters and Cards for the term
4. 'Start Exploring Masterpieces' Guide Book and Timeline Game
5. Edupress Activity Book Covers and Table of Contents copies with project choices highlighted

With our "Center," dd will be able to access her Fine Arts materials independently on days they are scheduled and also use them when she wishes. It takes almost no extra room and everything needed for the term is in one convenient space.

The Fine Arts folder gets tucked neatly away with her other daily school materials in a dish pan.

Fine Arts Schedule (PDF)

Start Exploring Masterpieces Kit

After finding the Masterpieces Deluxe Start Exploring Kit for $5.99 at our local Borders store, I decided to use it as our Western Art spine. Of course, the next step was to create a schedule so that it will actually get done! This kit has a card game, art timeline kit, full-color guide book, and posters/cards to paint. Since we have always studied one artist for an extended period of time, this should be a fun 'overview' year! Call your local Borders to see if they have any kits left -- these are steal. If you can't find them at Borders, I think this kit is well-worth the $15.99 price at CBD!

Here's my schedule:

Western Masterpieces

Resources: Start Exploring Masterpieces (SEM); Internet

Term 1 * SEM Poster: 'The Battle of Constantine' by Piero Della Francesca, 1466-Early Ren. http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/p/piero/francesc/croce/battle_c/battle_c.html

* SEM Card: 'Queen of Sheba' by Piero Della Francesca (Early Ren) See also 'Duke of Urbino' http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/piero.html#images

* SEM Poster: 'The Birth of Venus' by Sandro Boticelli, 1489-(Early Ren.) Ren. See also 'Primavera' http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/botticelli.html#images

* SEM Poster & card: 'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo daVinci, 1503-(High Ren.) See also 'The Last Supper' http://www.artchive.com/artchive/L/leonardo.html#image

* SEM Card: Erasmus of Rotterdam by Hans Holbein the Younger-(Northern Ren.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/holbein.html#images

* SEM Poster: 'Henry VIII' by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539-(Northern Ren.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/holbein.html#images

Term 2 ** SEM Card 'Hunters in the Snow' by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder 1565 (Northern Land.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/bruegel.html#images

** SEM Card 'The Wedding Dance' by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, 1568 (Northern Land.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/bruegel.html#images

** The Laughing Cavalier by Frans Halls, 1624 (Flemish Baroque) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/hals/laughing_cavalier.jpg.html

** SEM Cards 'The Syndics of Drapers Guild' and 'Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph' by Rembrandt (Baroque)http://www.artchive.com/artchive/R/rembrandt.html#images

** SEM Card 'Maidservant Pouring Milk' by Jan Vermeer, 1657 (Flemish Baroque) See also 'A Woman Asleep' http://artchive.com/artchive/V/vermeer.html#images

** SEM Card 'The Artist in his Studio' by Jan Vermeer, 1673 (Flemish Baroque) See also 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' http://artchive.com/artchive/V/vermeer.html#images

Term 3 *** SEM Poster 'The Oath of the Horatii' by Jacques-Louis David, 1784 (Neo-Classical) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/david.html#images See also 'Death of Scorates' and 'Napoleon Crossing the Alps'

*** SEM Poster 'Don Manuel Osorio de Zuniga' by de Goya, 1792 (Romantic) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/goya.html#images See also 'Execution of the Defenders of Madrid'

*** SEM Poster 'Snowy Heron' by John James Audobon, 1835 (Naturalist) See also Cardinal Grosbeak

*** SEM Cards 'Third Class Carriage' and 'The Laundress' by Honore Daumier, 1865 (Caricaturist) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/daumier.html

*** SEM Poster 'La Grande Jatte' and SEM Card 'Bathers at Asnieres' by Georges-Pierre Seurat, 1886 (Post-Impressionist) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/S/seurat.html#images

*** SEM Poster 'Starry Night' and SEM Card 'Sunflowers' by Vincent VanGogh, 1889 (Post-Impressionist) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/V/vangogh_arles.html

Best Friend

Shhhhh! There is another 'woman' in my husband's life -- our American Bulldog, Sally. They are quite a pair! Sally is the most mellow, sweet dog ever. Here they are - sharing a quiet moment at the park. If you are not a 'dog person,' it's probably because you've never owned a bulldog. *grin*

Curriculum Outline Template (1-Page format)

2007-8 Curriculum

I just put together the finishing touches of our 2007-8 5th grade curriculum plans! We are scheduling in more music appreciation this year -- including hymns, folk songs, and Classical composers. A Charlotte Mason educaton has liberal arts front and center, and it is so easy to get so busy with the 3R's that Fine Arts gets squished out! Scheduling helps me carve out time to get the Arts done.



The only think I am thinking of adding is the new Apologia writing program, but am still undecided on that one! Anyway, it feels great to have the upcoming year planned and materials waiting in the wings.

My Curriculum Outline template is based on the one by the late homeschool mom, Missy Gray, at http://www.geocities.com/justahappygrl/ . She is still blessing the homeschool world from Heaven!

If you would like to view the Curriculum Outline as a one-page PDF, go to the the link above. There is also a blank outline to use or modify any way you like!

Bible

Rod and Staff Bible & Nurture 4

Discover 4 Yourself by Kay Arthur

AWANAS Club

Science

Apologia Exploring Creation With Botany – summer

Bob Jones University Press Science 5

Adventures In Science kit: 'How Things Work'

*** One Small Square: African Savannah

Read-Alouds

The Hobbit by JR Tolkein – summer read aloud

* Island of the Blue Dolphins

* Tales of a Korean Grandmother

** Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze

** The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

*** Shadow Spinner

*** African Folk Tales

History & Literature

Sonlight 5: Eastern Hemisphere (see reading list)

Additional History Selections (see reading list)

Additional Literature Selections (see reading list)

Geography

Trail Guide to World Geography by Geography Matters

Australia by Evan-Moor

Language Arts

Shurley English 4

Calvert School Spelling

Institute For Excellence in Writing & Sonlight 5 Dictation

Poetry

* Favorite Poems Old and New by Helen Ferris

** Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickenson

*** Favorite Poems Old and New by Helen Ferris

Memory Work

* Psalm 91 and a poem of choice

** Isaiah 53 and a poem of choice

*** Matthew 5: 1-16 – The Beatitudes and a poem of choice

Math

Christian Light Education Mathematics & Math-U-See Delta

World Languages

Elementary Spanish At Home by Northern Arizona University

Visual Arts (Global Art, Edupress Activity Books)

* Art of the Pacific Islands

* Aboriginal Art of Australia

* Japanese Art

* Japanse Art

* Chinese Art

* Chinese Art

** Chinese Art

** Chinese Architecture

** Russian art

** Russian Architecture

** Art of India

** Art & Architecture of India

*** Art of the Middle East

*** Middle Eastern Architecture

*** African Art

*** African Art

*** African Art

*** African Art

Composer Study

* Stories of the Great Composers and Vox Music Masters: Shubert

** Color the Classics & Stories of the Great Composers: Dvorak

*** Color the Classics & Stories of the Great Composers: Mendelssohn

Hymns ('Hymns 4 Worship' by Integrity)

* All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name – Disc 1 Track 5

* Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Disc 1 Track 3

* The Love of God – Disc 1 Track 4

** Take My Life – Disc 2 Track 3

** Pass Me Not – Disc 2 Track 10

** How Great Thou Art – Disc 1 Track 10

*** The Solid Rock – Disc 1 Track 4

*** What A Friend We Have in Jesus – Disc 2 Track 2

*** When I Survey The Wonderous Cross – Disc 2 Track 11

Folksongs (The Homestead Pickers)

* Botany Bay – Disc 2

** Wild Colonial Boy – Disc 2

*** All Through the Night – Disc 2

Asterisks indicate what term the material is to be studied in.

CK Scrapbook Designer Software for $9.98!

Sw-ing

Last night, I did this digital layout of my daughter playing with some homeschool friends. Although I love traditional, paper-and-glue scrapbooking, I am not always able to find time these days!!! Because of my shortage of time, I am loving my Creative Keepsakes software. I like it so much that I just ordered the newer CK scrapbooking software from Overstock.com. Digital pages are so quick and easy - I am hooked. Also, 'paper' and embellishments can be used over and over, so it's very affordable.

I love these pics of my daughter and just had to post them!

A Kiss

Now this is the type of behavior that made me want to toss my cookies when I was a teenager. At what point did it become "cute?" Oh well. Mom and Dad are still crazy about each other after all these years!