As we begin our day I wanted to share resources for Charlie’s favorite class. Can you guess which class it is? Art Classes! Excuse me while I run to the store and grab Art Supplies as I can’t find ours.
YouTube: Learn to Draw Portraits
Age Range: 10-18 (Grades 5-12, with parental supervision) PARENTAL WARNING: The lessons featured today are on YouTube.com. While the content of the “Learn To Draw Portraits” lessons that we have reviewed are suitable for general audiences, the YouTube format is such that you may see questionable content in the sidebars and/or in the comment section (below the video). Both sections continually change. Parents, AS ALWAYS, should review the lessons WITH their children.
This recommended website offers a series of free lessons on how to draw portraits – no previous experience necessary! The artist who developed this entertaining series prefaces the lessons with lectures that offer scientific explanations on how the human eye and brain perceive light and form. Understanding the science behind the art removes the “mystery” of how to create portraits and makes it seem “doable” for amateurs and reluctant artists.
When you get to the site the lessons are listed to the right. Simply select a lesson, watch the video and enjoy the lecture by this quirky, laid back, and very talented artist-instructor. There are 12 video lessons in all that cover: Value and ContrastGraphite and EraserSketchingValue ShapesMeasuring.
While that short list above may seem mundane – the lecture/demonstrations are engaging and you’ll be drawing portraits in no time at all. We posted the age range as 10 and up, but there are aspects of these video lessons that younger children may enjoy as well with constant parental supervision.
The artist, who introduces himself as “Jason,” is also a speed-painter with a sense of humor. In fact, taking a cue from the popular comedian Jeff Foxworthy, he suggests “you might be a redneck if you finger-paint with barbeque sauce” – and, just for fun, demonstrates how to do it on his YouTube channel, Eclectic Asylum Art.
Better stock up on the BBQ sauce before sharing this video with the kids – they’re sure to want to try it!
Groundhog Day Age Range: All (All grades; children with parental supervision) Today, February 2nd, is Groundhog Day! In North America the groundhog is said to wake from winter hibernation and crawl out of its burrow. If the groundhog sees his shadow, he gets frightened and returns to his den for another six weeks, prolonging winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he emerges from his home and spring begins. The “official” groundhog is named Punxsutawney Phil. He lives at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. NOTE: This site gets so much activity on February 2nd, that you may get an error message. Don’t let it deter you. Keep trying or wait until tomorrow and try again. The lesson plans and educational activities can be done anytime. So, bookmark this site to access them when there’s less traffic. Happy Groundhog Day! When you get to the site, you will see a list of the most popular activities including: Color Phil Phil’s Letter Trace Shadow Play and more Be sure to check out the More Resources on the right hand sidebar for Preschool, Elementary, Middle School and High School in categories such as Math and Music. Want more? Then don’t miss the fun and games designed especially for little ones at Universal Preschool here. Find out how to make a paperbag groundhog or a cardboard box burrow or go on a groundhog hunt! ******************************************************************** WWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Age Range: All (All grades; children with parental supervision) Gather the family around the computer for a treat about the life and music of one of the world’s great classical music composers, Mozart, born January 27, 1756. This site has archived radio shows that bring great composers to life through music and stories. When you get to the site, you will see a painting of Mozart’s face and a little biography about him. Scroll down to the two audio clips and you can listen to music written by Mozart that may be familiar to you. Then scroll down further to the six ‘shows’ about Mozart: About Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart’s Operas Janissary Music What’s a Rondo? Child Prodigy Composers The Magic Flute Each one is about 6 minutes long and has music and narration to learn more about this great composer and his music. ******************************************************************** SSSpanish Proficiency Exercises Age Range: 14-18 (Grades 8-12, with parental supervision) This site features a dozen or more free lessons for each of SIX levels of proficiency in Spanish – everything from Beginning to Superior! When you get to the site, you will see an introduction that explains this unique program. The lessons are listed by level in a horizontal menu bar near the top of the page. Place your cursor over the level on the menu bar and a drop-down menu displays each lesson in that proficiency level. Click on the lesson and a new page opens. In each lesson, there is one simplified video interview, plus video interviews of FIVE native speakers using the grammar and vocabulary for that lesson. The five native speakers could be from Spain, Mexico, Central America or South America. While the video is playing, the captions can be set to Spanish, English, or None. The videos are also available as podcasts for anywhere viewing by iPod. Unlike most traditional textbooks, this website does not include worksheets or quizzes. However, relevant vocabulary, phrases, and grammar are available in the menu located in the right-hand column of each lesson page. There are plenty of videos to watch without the captions if you wish to practice your comprehension skills! The entire site can be navigated by means of the “site index” in the upper right corner if you prefer. ********************************************************************** Moscow Ball Age Range: All (All grades; children with parental supervision) Adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, set to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa, The Nutcracker is a beloved classic Christmas story and one of the most popular and recognized ballets of all time. At this website, visitors can watch 9 videos of the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. The Moscow Ballet’s version of The Nutcracker includes variations of the traditional story which include a setting in Moscow and the inclusion of Russian folk characters. When arriving at the link, select from the videos including: The Nutcracker Doll The Snow Forest Dove of Peace Arabian Variation Pas De Deux and more! If you want to see the Kissy Doll and Harlequin video, use this link instead. The embedded YouTube videos are mostly about a minute long and can be viewed in full screen mode if you wish. When you have finished watching the videos, learn more about the Great Russian Nutcracker by selecting the “About Us” option in the menu bar, then choose “About the Great Russian Nutcracker” and/or “History of the Nutcracker”. Visitors can also view videos from other ballets performed by the Moscow Ballet such as Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, by selecting “Gallery”. Whether you have an aspiring young ballet dancer in your home or simply want to share the holiday tradition of this colorful ballet, this website will help bring the magic into your home. ****************************************************************** Creative Page Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12, with parental supervision) The Canon company (that sells all kinds of printing resources) sponsors this website that provides a massive online collection of fun paper arts and craft materials that can be downloaded for free to make your own original artistic creations. There is something for everyone here, suitable for a wide variety of age ranges. When you get to the website, you’ll see the featured creations that you can make at home, along with a menu that includes: Card – Download printable birthday and gift cards, as well as gift boxes and stationery. Paper Craft – Get downloadable materials and instructions for making 3-D models – from animals to architectural wonders. Home and Living – Make holiday and celebratory decorations, ornaments, boxes and much more as well as designer paper bags and fans. Scrapbook – Create your own photo or memory album – or homeschool yearbook! Get materials suited to various seasons and events and add your photos and captions. Art – Explore the amazing art possibilities of paper including 3D Decoupage, Paper Reliefs, Origami, Chiyogami, 3D Paper Mosaic, Frames, and more! Calendars – Make original craft-type, photo-frame, countdown, perpetual, Advent calendars and more at any time of year with these free materials and instructions. Bookmark this one – it’s a great resource for creative and educational projects of all kinds. **************************************************************** YouTube: Music of Colonial and Revolution Age Range: All (All grades; children with parental supervision) This large YouTube Playlist pulls together an assortment of musical renditions of songs from the colonial and revolutionary times in America. Many of the videos present the music played with similar instruments traditionally used during the time period and some videos are from a variety of re-enactment fairs or locations. Because this is a playlist and a selection opens in a new window, once you have watched the video, use the left-hand side list to either return to the playlist page or select another video in the collection. Please be aware that video suggestions under the playlist on the video page may contain content that may not be appropriate for your family, so it may be best to monitor use of this page. Please also note that because the list currently contains 270 videos and is added to regularly, we were not able to view every video, but the ones we did select were fine and quite pleasant. Parents should always preview any YouTube video prior to allowing children to view them. This playlist could add a bit of interest to your history studies as well as provide an overview of what colonial American music was like. ***************************************************************** Norman Rockwell Museum – Curriculum Lab Age Range: All (All grades; children with parental supervision) Use the art of Norman Rockwell for your history, social studies and language arts classes with the lessons from this section of the larger Norman Rockwell Museum website. When arriving at today’s link you will see images of some of Rockwell’s iconic work. Hover over the image to reveal the lesson name and suggested grade level. Or use the dropdown boxes above the images to search for lessons for a specific grade, subject, or theme. There are also three lessons featuring the work of Jerry Pinkney and can be sorted by using the “Artist” dropdown menu. Examples of units include: What’s the Headline – (Grades 6-12) Using the “War News” painting, explore the events leading up to the invasion of Normandy. WWII on the Homefront The Four Freedoms – (All grades) Get creative with art and writing while learning about the purpose of Rockwell’s Four Freedoms. Story Sparks – (Grades K-5) Use Rockwell’s works as inspiration for creative writing. On the Twentieth Century – That was Then, This is Now – (All grades) Discover how Rockwell’s paintings depicted life in America and compare how life has changed from then to today. Going and Coming – (All grades) Use the image to practice creative writing and communication of ideas skills. And more Lessons include objective information as well as the plan process. Some also include downloadable materials and suggestions for further exploration of the topic and image. It appears that this section may still be under construction as there are occasional texts that say “[insert link to images]” but don’t let that stop you from taking a look at the site. Norman Rockwell fans will appreciate using his art for extended activities into other school subjects. ****************************************************************** Thank you, Glenda, Charlie and David Cates ********************************************************************* |
