Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Announcing


Just wanted to announce that there is a new baby in our household. Little Golf made her appearance very recently, and weighed 8 lbs 8 oz.

As can be imagined, it has been very busy in our household. The computer has been relegated to the background for a while.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Artist Index

*Updated 07 Dec 10*

As mentioned in other posts, I recommend at first starting picture study by picking artists with pictures you feel might interest your children, and then continuing to other artists work - possibly following the lists from Ambleside Online or other sites. I also provided a few online museum websites to find pictures you can use.

I'm adding in the links to the Ambleside Picture Study groups as a great place to get pictures. Thanks so much for the wonderful people who have provided that resource to us!

Sites in Index

The Year 0 site (an unofficial AO site, great no matter which year you are in)

AO 8.5x11 format A - (1999-2008 rotations)
AO 8.5x11 format B - (2009 + rotations)

(same pictures in other sizes)


Angela Zimmerman's Version of AO selections - an unofficial (I think) site - has all the selections for a year in one pdf. Note that the naming of the files vary, and may have more than one artist in a file, so you do have to look carefully. In index - denoted by (AZ)


Non AO Websites

How to use the index
Here is a list of the artists that currently are on these sites. This is subject to change. This list is alphabetized by the last name.

  • The numbers at the end indicate the official AO sites. They indicate which year it was used, to help you find them on the sites.
  • Year 0 means the unofficial year 0 site.
  • (AZ) means Angela Zimmerman's site.
  • (N1), (N2) etc. means a non-AO site, as listed above.

If an artist has been done more than one year, or is in more than one site, check all locations, as there maybe different pictures and resources, or the quality may vary. If you don't know what the artist's style looks like, I would download the file from Angela's (AZ) site first, as you can quickly see several pictures. (Or you could do a search in google images to see a sampling of thumbnails.) This can help you decide if you do want to do that artist.


Index

B
  • Robert Bateman [Canadian] - Note - pictures will still be copy protected. Sites given are to give ideas of what his pictures are like. You will probably need to find a book, or just look at the pictures online! (N1)
  • Giotto di Bondone (04/05), (AZ)
  • Alessandro Botticelli (00/01), (08/09), (AZ)
  • Pieter Bruengel the Elder (06/07), (AZ)
  • Michelangelo Buonarroti (05/06), (AZ)

C
  • Michelangelo Merisi da Caravagio (99/00), (10/11), (AZ 2 files)
  • Mary Cassatt (Year 0), (04/05), (AZ)
  • Paul Cezanne (01/02), (AZ)
  • Frederick Edwin Church (02/03), (AZ)
  • Thomas Cole (02/03), (AZ)
  • John Singleton Copley (02/03), (AZ)
  • Camille Corot (03/04), (AZ)
  • Gustave Courbet (03/04), (AZ)
  • Jasper Francis Cropsey (02/03), (AZ)
D
  • Michelangelo Merisi da Caravagio (99/00), (AZ)
  • Leonardo da Vinci (07/08), (AZ)
  • Jacques-Louis David (03/04), (AZ)
  • Pieter de Hooch (01/02), (AZ)
  • Edgar Degas (02/03), (AZ)
  • Andrea del Verrocchio (00/01), (AZ)
  • Eugene Delacroix (00/01), (10/11 *not there as of 7 Dec 2010, but should be there soon), (AZ - 2 files)
  • Giotto di Bondone (04/05), (AZ)
  • Asher B. Durand (02/03), (AZ)
  • Albrecht Durer (99/00), (10/11), (AZ - 2 files)
E
  • Jan van Eych (07/08), (AZ)
F
  • Jean-Honore Fragonard (00/01), (AZ)
  • Caspar David Friedrich (08/09), (AZ)

G
  • Thomas Gainsborough (Year 0)
  • Paul Gauguin (01/02), (AZ)
  • Theodore Gericault (00/01), (AZ)
  • Vincent van Gogh (08/09), (AZ)
H
  • Winslow Homer (04/05), (AZ)
  • Pieter de Hooch (01/02), (AZ)
L
  • Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (Year 0), (AZ) [the AZ prints were not an AO selection]
  • Sir Thomas Lawrence (Year 0)
M
  • Edouard Manet (02/03), (AZ)
  • Henri Matisse (AZ) [not an AO selection]
  • Mauve (AZ) [not an AO selection]
  • Claude Monet (Year 0), (09/10), (AZ)
R
  • Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Year 0), (01/02), (AZ)
  • Rembrandt van Rijn (07/08), (AZ)
  • Auguste Rodin (01/02), (AZ)
  • Peter Paul Rubens (03/04), (AZ)
  • Jacob van Ruisdael (01/02), (AZ)
S
  • Raphael Sanzio (09/10), (AZ)
  • John Singer Sargent (09/10), (AZ)
  • Georges Seurat (01/02), (AZ)
  • Gilbert Stuart (02/03), (AZ)
T
  • Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) (06/07), (AZ)
  • Joseph Mallord William Turner (06/07), (AZ)
V
  • Diego Valazquez (03/04), (AZ)
  • Jan van Eych (07/08), (AZ)
  • Vincent van Gogh (08/09), (AZ)
  • Rembrandt van Rijn (07/08), (AZ)
  • Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) (06/07), (AZ)
  • Jan Vermeer (05/06), (AZ)
  • Andrea del Verrocchio (00/01), (AZ)
  • Leonardo da Vinci (07/08), (AZ)
W
  • John William Waterhouse (05/06), (AZ)
  • Jean-Antoine Watteau (00/01), (AZ)

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Happy Canada Day


Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day!
Sorry I haven't posted much - "Golf" is overdue, so I've been fairly busy waiting on this little baby.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Presentation Evening



My good friend Kate, from Milestones Academy, recommends that families have a Homeschool Presentation Evening near the end of the school year.


The idea is that this gives the opportunity for people interested in your homeschooling journey can come and see what type of interesting things you have done. A part of this is an opportunity for the children to play their instruments or sing or recite as well as having displays.


I think this is a wonderful idea, but haven't been up to doing it with the baby coming. Also, a lot of our work this year has been oral, so there isn't a lot of nice notebooks or maps or things to show. I'm hoping next year to find a few homeschooling families to have a joint presentation evening.


However, I have filmed a violin song from each of my children. I filmed one from Delta last year, and it is interesting and exciting to see the progress! I recommend anyone doing any musical instrument to make a point of doing a filming each year specifically for this.


The first film is Echo, playing Lightly Row. This is her first official year doing Suzuki Violin. She can play the Twinkles, and is working on learning Song of the Wind.




This video is Delta playing Perpetual Motion. This was his 3rd year doing Suzuki Violin. He knows how to play Allegreto and Andantino which is past Perpetual Motion, but doesn't feel confident enough for filming of them. He has just started learning Etude.





And this is a video of Delta from a year ago, playing Lightly Row. I am amazed with the amount of progress he has made in a year!



Thursday, April 29, 2010

Canadian History Plan

Please see the new version
This version has been kept for those that would prefer to use it.


It has taken quite a while, but I have a basic plan for Canadian History for the first few years of homeschool

Year 1 - A Pioneer Story by Barbara Greenwood. (also called A Pioneer Sampler???)

Although not in a chronological order, this is a nice gentle book to ease the student into thinking about the past, without worrying about any real historical details.




Also

A Child's History of the Life of Christopher Columbus by Josephine Pollard


Year 2

- Great Canadian Lives: Portraits in Heroism to 1867
Available online here - not sure how with copyright

Basically covering from before 1600 to 1713 (A New Found Land, Settling the Land, and about 1/2 of The Great Days of New France)
(stop at "The Colony at Peace" - this gives about 60 portraits to do over the 36 weeks of school)

- My First History of Canada - by Donalda Dickie & Rudiger Krause First 9 Chapters. (Same time period as above)



Year 3 - continuing in Great Canadian Lives and My First History of Canada

Basically covering from 1713 to 1830 (1/2 of The Great Days of New France, After the Conquest, 1/2 of Danger on All Sides)
(start at "The Colony at Peace" and stop at "Building the Future" - this gives about 60 portraits to do over the 36 weeks of school)

Ch 10-13 of My First History

Year 4 - continuing in Great Canadian Lives and My First History of Canada

Basically covering from about 1830 to 1867 (1/2 of Danger on All Sides, From Sea to Sea)
(start at "Building the Future" and go to the end of the book - this gives about 60 portraits to do over the 36 weeks of school)

Ch 14-15 of My First History

Additional Reading:



The Last Safe House: A story of the Underground Railroad - Barbara Greenwood - add during the North to Freedom section.

Year 5 - My First History of Canada - other resources unknown at this point

Ch 16-19 + about 1/2 of 20

Covering from 1867 to about 1939.
Topics include, but not limited to:

RCMP

Gold Rush
WWI

Halifax Explosion

Famous 5 (women's rights)

Depression


Additional Reading:
Gold Rush Fever: a story of the Klondike, 1898 - Barbara Greenwood
Factory Girl - Barbara Greenwood

Year 6 - My First History of Canada - other resources unknown at this point

2nd half of Chapter 20, chapter 21

Covering from 1939 to present
Topics include, but not limited to:

WWII
Japanese Internment
Gov't help - UI, CPP, Family Allowance, Medicare
FLQ Crisis
Quebec Nationalism / Referendums
Canada Act

NOTE

Great Canadian Lives is unfortunately out of print, and can be expensive. Because it is used for 3 years, it may be worthwhile to purchase, especially if you have multiple children that will be using it. I will be using the library until I can find an inexpensive copy (our library has several copies). Update - there is a copy online here but as copyright is still in effect, not sure how they have it there....

However, if you can not find this resource in a manner that fits your budget, please feel free to replace it with seperate biographies of a few people within the various periods of history! (If you have any recommendations, please share!)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Question for you!



I was wondering if people wanted me to change the schedules for Year 1 for the new changes, and make schedules for Year 2 and the 2nd Rotations?

I know that schedules can be helpful, but I have to admit that I am not keeping to a schedule like I did at the start.... I found that I was "behind" in some areas, "ahead" in a few, and that it just made things more difficult.

I have been using the Organizer at Simply Charlotte Mason, and just review where we are about every 6 weeks to decide if I need to do some subjects more often, or make other changes.

However, making a schedule wouldn't be a big deal either, if it would help someone.

If I don't make up the schedules, I would setup some notes for each subject on what chapters to cover (if not all of a book), and about how much would need to be done each week.

What would help other people???

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Year 2 Modifications



This is the Modifications for the Year 2 booklist, for children that did the older version of the Year 1 booklist.

Science/Nature
(modified because the student read Burgess Bird Book in year 1, and didn't read the Christian Nature Reader Book 1)

* Handbook of Nature Study - Anna Botsford Comstock - used for several years. 1911 version available here
* Wild Days - Karen Radcliffe
* Pocket Full of Pinecones - Karen Andereola

(1) Christian Nature Reader Book 1 by Julia Write
(2) Christian Nature Reader Book 2 by Julia Write
(3) Christian Nature Reader Book 3 by Julia Write
(tbd) Pagoo - Holling C. Holling

Family Science Rotation

Literature

remove Charlotte's Web, replace with The Boxcar Children

Canadian History

add in
A Child's History of the Life of Christopher Columbus by Josephine Pollard
if you can.