Stuck on Franz Schubert and a Connection to The Young Victoria

It seems that music enters my life and sticks around for periods of time. It gives my days a sort of soundtrack that threads its way in and around what happens in my life. I have been immersed in Franz Schubert since I wrote my Winter Series ebook. He just will not get out of my head. I keep finding a new "favorite" piece, listening to it over and over.

So, a few weeks ago I ordered up "The Young Victoria" from Netflix on the recommendation of my daughter Amanda. She thought it was one I might enjoy since I always like a good costume drama....especially set in England.

Here is the trailer.


So in this movie, Prince Albert sends Queen Victoria the music to Schubert's Swan Song and tells her that when he plays it he thinks of her. Swoon. How romantic is that?

It made me curious and I looked through my collection of Schubert to find this piece of music. Schubert's Schwanengesang No. 957 #4 Standchen.


So here again I am faced with another favorite Schubert piece that now has a connection for me to history and a true love story. I am encouraging my son to learn to play this for me on his violin so I will be assured of hearing this tune over and over as we go through the years.

My own Swan Song......

Enjoy,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

PS If you listen on Naxos.com, it is catalogue #NA 8.554663, track number 7.
PSS I liked the movie very much, a few parts that might be uncomfortable with young children....marriage bed sort of things, nothing specific but implied. This is an intense movie but one that I would like to see again.

Van Gogh Slideshow

I am doing some research for our summer art plans which include a study of Vincent Van Gogh.

I found this really interesting slideshow of Van Gogh's self portraits and I thought I would share. It is 51 seconds long so take a minute and enjoy.


Van Gog Self Portrait Slideshow on YouTube.com

Amazing.

Appreciating Great Music: For Children and Moms Too

“Of course, music appreciation has nothing to do with playing the piano. It's often been thought that 'learning music' can only mean that. So it was assumed that children who showed no special talent for playing the piano were simply not musically inclined and wouldn't like concerts. But music appreciation is different from playing an instrument in the same way that being a natural actor is different from enjoying a Shakespeare play, or being able to paint is different from enjoying a painted picture. I think that all children, not just the musically inclined ones, should learn to appreciate music. It's been proven that only three percent of children are actually tone-deaf. If children are started early, it's amazing how even those who seem to have no musical 'ear' can develop one, and can learn to listen to music with understanding and enjoyment.”
Volume 6, page 217-218

Like all things that Charlotte Mason advocated, music appreciation can be gently and naturally offered. In our family, we choose one composer to listen to for six weeks at a time during our music appreciation time.



My high school age sons and I keep track of each piece we listen to and record our thoughts and inspirations after listening to the music. The log sheet keeps it simple and it allows for them to express what they like and dislike about the music. Younger children can orally narrate back their thoughts and feelings after listening to each composer’s piece. You can download the Music Appreciation Log Sheet HERE.


This log sheet is available as part of the free Art and Music Appreciation Plans 1800's on Harmony Fine Arts.

The log sheet you can download HERE is a variation of one we have been using for the last three years as part of our high school music appreciation course. It helps my sons list the musical selections they listen to and record their thoughts about each composer. At the end of each six week period they then write a brief summary expressing their opinions about the composer. It also helps me to see that they have been actively listening during their music appreciation time. I encourage them to listen to a favorite piece at least ten times during the six week period.

Somewhere along the line I started to keep my own set of log sheets, recording my list of pieces I have listened to and my thoughts and impressions about the music. Upon reflection, I realize that listening to and recording my thoughts on each composer is part of my recharging time. It is time spent doing something I enjoy for myself. It is “me time” without needing to be removed physically from my family.



I also use the log sheets as references when I am deciding on music to listen to in my free time. The lists remind me which music I enjoyed and I can easily listen again for my own pleasure.

One period of music, one time a week will take approximately 10 minutes. Don’t you have 10-15 minutes in your week to spare for this important element of your child’s education, developing a life-long love of listening to great music?

You might be interested to read another blog entry that I wrote titled:
Classical Music: Painless and Easy.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

This is a revamp of a previous entry from a few years ago. I wanted to add the updated log sheet and add a few more thoughts.

Sketch Tuesday: Sticky

Last week's assignment was to sketch something you take to the beach. I think we are all ready for some beach time and everyone did such a great job at sharing a variety of objects. Thank you so much for sending in your sketches.....most of you emailed them in very early in the week and I appreciate that so much!


Here is this week's slideshow: Beach Time.


This week's assignment, due May 31st: Sketch something sticky.

Everyone young and old is welcome to sketch and if you send in your sketches by Monday, May 31st. they will be included in the slideshow on Tuesday morning.

Please send your sketches to: sketchtuesday@yahoo.com. Please remember that the images need to be in jpg format so that I can easily upload them to Flickr for the slideshow.

For complete information about Sketch Tuesday, see the tab at the top of the blog.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Mix and Match Edition

This was a busy long week. For some reason, right in the middle of the week I started to feel like I just needed to get outdoors. This wasn't your normal spend a few hours outdoors sort of feeling, but rather a need for a long breath of air somewhere different.

The first part of the week was productive and we found lots to keep us busy. We studied Thailand last week so the news on the internet about the unrest in Thailand has been a daily topic for my boys and I. Reflecting on how much we have enjoyed our World Geography course this year makes me realize that we need to keep it going at least on the current events track over the next year or possibly two. We have all learned so much, more than I ever anticipated.


There was lots of nature study both in response to spontaneous topics that have arisen in our everyday life and in helping me prepare for the Summer Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges. I have had a chance this week to talk to several people about mosquitoes, owls, and bats. We completed our apple tree study and our cattail study from the current Spring Series of challenges.

One thing we enjoyed this week was this video of the volcano in Iceland. It is worth the few minutes.
http://vimeo.com/11673745
Hat tip to my oldest son Mr. D.

Run Down on the Normal Subjects
Writing is a work in progress and will be finished next week in time for our end of the year. We made a goal for our math studies and decided we will take the summer off from any formal math work. Science is winding down and we are busy pulling notebooks together and reviewing amongst ourselves. Literature is continuing with our reading of Hamlet....wonderful times that I wish would never end. I love sharing these experiences with the boys and seeing the story through their eyes.

Both boys are working on their final artist study of the year. One is working on a pencil sketch and one is working on a oil pastel. I am enjoying watching their process. I actually found a *wonderful* new book for teaching acrylic painting for next year. I plan on dabbling with it over the summer with a few of my own projects.



So how did I quench the need for some outdoor time?

We took a trip to our favorite nature center and botanical garden.


A burst of blooming flowers in this native plants garden....I gleaned lots of ideas for our own garden this time.


A few butterflies in the butterfly exhibit at the nature center....so many it was hard to focus on just one at a time.



A really pretty butterfly...a monarch up in the tree.


Some time walking in the garden....complete with artsy mosaics. I love this sort of thing and I dream of someday making a sculpture of some kind in my backyard with lots of bits and pieces.


This was my favorite part of the artwork, a dragonfly of course.


How about this one? I love the way this place has mixed art and gardens together to make it a feast for the eyes. It inspires me to do something artsy and creative in my own garden.


We also did some geocaching.......five finds this day. This is something we enjoy doing as a family but we have not made the effort lately. I must print out some caches near home and get the boys working on a few each week over the summer.

I almost forgot. Mr. A passed his aviation ground school test! He completed the eighteen week class and now he needs to take the actual flying in the airplane class. Keep reaching for your goals Mr. A.

One more week of our official school year....I promise to share some of our end of the year projects this Friday.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

PS I am also working on some summer art and music plans so stay tuned for more information soon.

Sketch Tuesday: To The Beach!

Last week's assignment was to sketch a dessert. This was a yummy assignment and we did some research in our family before sketching. I want to thank all of you who sketched and took the time to send them in for the slideshow.

Please Read: With the increase in the number of wonderful sketches each week, it would be so much easier for me if you could get your sketches in earlier than Monday evening. I have to admit that more than half of your sketches are regularly coming in after 6:00 PM and it is becoming a little overwhelming for me. If you could please send in your sketches over the weekend, I would greatly appreciate your effort. Thanks for everyone's support of the slideshow and I in no way want to discourage you from sending in your sketches on Monday but I thought just a friendly reminder might make you aware of my situation on Monday nights and Tuesday mornings.

Here is your slideshow: Desserts

This week's assignment due Monday, May 24th: Sketch something you take to the beach.

As always, everyone is welcome to sketch and if you send in your sketches by Monday, May 24th they will be included in the slideshow on Tuesday morning. (For complete Sketch Tuesday instructions, see the tab at the top of the Harmony Art Mom blog.)

Please send your sketches to: sketchtuesday@yahoo.com. Please remember that the images need to be in jpg format so that I can easily upload them to Flickr for the slideshow.

Have fun with your sketching!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Weekly Wrap-Up- Just a Little Late Edition

It is just that time of the year...the time when everything seems to distract us from our normal routine. The weather was crazy this week with thunderstorms, hailstorms, a dusting of snow, and now temperatures in the 80's.


We took advantage of Friday afternoon to take a long hike with the dog on a new trail near to our house. We discovered that there are actually three trails in this area that we never knew about before and that was exciting.


We have also been distracted by the wildlife in our yard this week. Our scrub jays have been nesting in our front yard and we thought the babies had been born because there was a dead baby on the ground under the nest about ten days ago. This week the scrub jay pair were vigilant about chasing every other living creature out of our yard, including our resident squirrel who eats daily in our birdfeeders.

The other night we witnessed the babies being pushed out of the nest and being taught to fly. This is the third time we have witnessed this behavior and it is so traumatic to watch. The two babies did end up flying into the bushes and we saw them the next day so we know they survived that long. We have not seem them in four days so we are hoping they made it.


The absolute highlight of our week was reading and listening to Hamlet (Naxos.com Catalogue #NA412412) . I am so glad that we never read this play before so it is fresh and captivating to all of us. It is like eating a yummy dessert....listening to the language and following the weaving of the story. I can't recommend more strenuously the saving of some of Shakespeare's plays until high school.


Here is Mr. B taking over the grilling of the chicken for dinner one night this last week. It is a sort of rite of passage in our house....the grilling is done by all the male folk. Life skills right?


Part of what is distracting me this week is the researching and writing of my new Summer Series Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook. I am fascinated by so much of the information that I end up sharing it with the boys which leads us to doing some of the preliminary work instead of our regularly scheduled studies. It is all great learning but still distracting.

That is my quick and easy weekly wrap-up. Two weeks left to go and I know it will go fast.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Sketch Tuesday: Desserts

Your slideshow this week is a collection of the sketches from last week's assignment to sketch something you find at an airport. Wonderful job by all! Thank you so much for your hard work on this one.

Here is your slideshow: Something at an Airport

This week's assignment, due Monday, May 17th:
Sketch something you eat for dessert.

As always, everyone is welcome to sketch and if you send in your sketches by Monday, May 17th they will be included in the slideshow on Tuesday morning. (For complete Sketch Tuesday instructions, see the tab at the top of the Harmony Art Mom blog.)

Please send your sketches to: sketchtuesday@yahoo.com. Please remember that the images need to be in jpg format so that I can easily upload them to Flickr for the slideshow. Also, because of the increase in the number of sketches, please limit it to one sketch per child.

Great slideshow this week...thanks so much for your support.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Harmony Fine Arts High School Art and Music Appreciation Updated

I have been busy updating and revising the high school art and music appreciation plans for Harmony Fine Arts. I have deliberately kept these plans simple and they are easily accomplished in a few hours a week which has kept our family working consistently on art and music appreciation from year to year. Homeschooling for high school can be a daunting task and with Harmony Fine Arts plans for your art appreciation course you will have an easy alternative for your student. I have gathered all the links and divided the resources up over the four years for your family. It couldn't be easier.

Here is a post about how our family takes these plans and builds a high school level Art History course:
Homeschool High School Art Appreciation.

Music Appreciation: Grades 9-12 are available as a free download.
My grades 9-12 music appreciation plans have always been available as a free download but now they are new and improved with all the links being clickable, updated links for all grades, and an accompanying log sheet to record all the listening done as the weeks go by.

The music plans use The Classical Music Experience along with the Classical Music Start-Up Kits volumes 1 and 2. I also provide online listening links to complement each composer's study. You can click the button above to find all four years of music appreciation from Harmony Fine Arts. There is a link at the top of the Harmony Fine Arts Homeschool Art website as well for future reference. Please note that I wrote the plans with the first edition of this book and now with the second edition that all the music is at your fingertips with a link to Naxos.com included with the purchase of your book.



New edition of the book with direct access to Naxos.com for listening included with your purchase.





Art Appreciation
All of the grade 9-12 plans for art appreciation have been updated as well. The links are now clickable when you order the ebook, all viewing links have been checked and updated if needed, and there is an updated schedule for the second edition of the Artistic Pursuits books. You have the choice between a print version of the plans or an ebook with a reduced price.

Sample Pages for Harmony Fine Arts Homeschool Art




The art plans are based on The Annotated Mona Lisa along with the Story of Painting book and DVD series. There are links for every artist under study so you can view lots of artwork on line easily.

Harmony Fine Arts art appreciation plans for high school are available as follows:

• Grade 12 is available as a free download by clicking the button above.
• Grades 9-11 are available for purchase as either an ebook or in a print edition. I highly recommend the ebook version so your links are clickable (and you save some money).

You can preview grades 9-12 art plans on the Harmony Fine Arts website by clicking the "Sample Pages" button on the home page.

I realized as I wrote this post that I have not written reviews for any of the books used in thr high school plans. I have written a review of the Classical Music Start-Up Kit over on Curriculum Choice. Look for reviews of the books here on this blog soon.

I also plan on sharing how we use these plans in our home with our high school age boys in an up-coming post.

If you have any questions about the high school plans, please email me anytime. Also if you have used any of my high school plans and would like to give a review, please email that to me as well.

Happy art and music appeciation!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Emma-Delightful

If you have not seen this version of Emma, you need to soon. It is delightful.....love the soundtrack too.

Here is the scene where Emma and Mr. Knightly dance at the ball.


Click here if you are on email subscription: Emma.

You can also watch the whole thing on YouTube...do a search.

Weekly Wrap-Up: We Are Taking a Walk Edition

The theme of our week has been spring: spring restlessness, spring pollen, and spring sunshine. The outdoors called to us everyday and it was hard to keep on track. We finally decided yesterday that today we would take a long hike to the river as a reward for getting our weekly work done. Sometimes we just need something to look forward to and to encourage us to be diligent at our work.


Not that we did not go outside everyday this week to spend some time in the garden. We also managed to squeeze in our cattail study during our daily walks. Completing a year-long study of cattails has sharpened our awareness that we do not usually pay much attention to the ordinary things around us. If you would like to read about our cattails, you can click over and read on our nature blog: Spring Cattail Study.

In our other subjects this week, we are feeling the pull of the end of the year as we approach our final goals for this term.

Physics: Started the last module in the text and that made the whole week seem lighter for some reason. What a change from last week.


Literature: They finished Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde along with a short writing piece to pick a scene from the story and rewrite it in a dramatic play format. They both did a great job at this including dialogue and stage directions. In our discussion I asked the boys if they liked Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde more than Frankenstein. They both agreed that Frankenstein, since it is much longer, was a more complex and intriguing book to read. If they had to pick between reading the two, they both said they would pick Frankenstein.


Geography: Iraq. What a fascinating week of informal discussions about this country. I gave the boys a very open-ended sort of assignment this week with notebook pages from History Scribe. They were to complete the Desert Storm War, the Gulf War, and the Iraq current events pages. They found that most sources had a bias one way or the other as they tried to gather information on the internet. We started watching a instant view on Netflix called The Voices of Iraq. The concept was interesting but the images were way too graphic....let's just say torture and extreme punishment were shown. We watched about 30 minutes before we all agreed that we had a good idea of the living conditions now and under Saddam Hussein.


Along with those notebook pages they also completed pages for Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and the Bahai faith. They also gathered current events for Afghanastan and Israel this week as part of their ongoing study of current world conditions. These are the sorts of assignments I really enjoy with my high school age sons....for the first time we are sort of on an equal standing when it comes to school subjects. I am learning right along with them and it is a great place to be. As a sidenote: The boys do their current events reading the very first thing most mornings, even before our official school time most days. Student News Daily is a great source of a variety of stories and I think it is a good fit for high school age students.

Writing: The super-essay is coming along with the key word outlines all written and organized. The first draft of the first essay is in the works and I am eager to see how the boys do with this daunting assignment. They have a good attitude about it so that is always a plus.


Art and Music: Same old thing, nothing of note this week except perhaps to share my enthusiasm for the progress I see in their pen drawing work. This has been a long process but I see how each week they have built up a confidence in their own skill and style. Sketch Tuesday was completed this week and Complete A Sketch too. Violin and trumpet was routine but enjoyable...I love listening to their various study pieces as I go about my business each day.

Robotics was not accomplished this week due to some outside activities with friends but I am assured that they will make it up next week. My youngest is still plugging away at Rosetta Stone Spanish....he will not finish this year but he is fine with carrying it over to next year.


The notebook pages shown in this entry can be purchased at Currclick.com. Click over and do a search for History Scribe and Geo Scribe.



Read other Weekly Wrap-Up posts over at Kris' blog: Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

That's our wrap-up for this week....now we are off for our hike to the river.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Tapestry of Grace Rhetoric Level History: Part Two

For the first part of this post, you need to read: Tapestry of Grace Rhetoric Level History-Part One. I know if you are not a Tapestry of Grace user this post may be confusing but I thought since I actually get asked about the nuts and bolts of TOG so much that it might be easier to have it here to reference to in the future.

Bear with me since this is rather long. You can skip to the recap at the bottom if you just want a thumbnail view of what we do in our home. Remember that I was writing this information in response to a question from a reader who is actually using TOG at the Rhetoric Level.

Also, for the most part, my boys are telling me back at the end of the week what they learned and found interesting. I am not trying to structure their week to tell them what they should learn. I will pick something to focus on each week and if at the end of their narrations and our discussion we have not covered the focus point, I share with them from the teacher's notes some thoughts and ideas that maybe they did not discover on their own. For the most part, they are reading and making their own relationships with the ideas.


Second Part of My Answer
So what does it look like in practice? Here is our Week 31 and 32 from Year 2.
(I pulled up our assignments on Homeschool Tracker and the boys' work from their notebooks.)

Week 31 Monday (Our meetings are about 30 minutes long.)
1. I briefly go over the theme of the week, the objectives, and then we read the General Info together. I ask they what they remember about the American Revolution and the topics listed on the Student Page Accountability Question #1.
2. I allow them to narrate some of their thoughts since we have covered American History and the Constitution before. I make sure they know that they need to have a general understanding of all the events in AQ #1 and to do internet research if they need to because we are not going to go into detail this week. I use the Teacher's Notes to sort of check mark what they mention so I know where we might need to fill in over the week or at Friday's meeting.
3. Together we make a rough timeline on a sheet of notebook paper for the main events this week covers. I tell them that I will expect them to know the date of the Declaration of Independence being signed and when the Declaration of the Causes of the Necessity of Taking up Arms was passed.
4. I had previously decided that we would focus our attention this week on comparing the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the Causes. I have found them online and make sure the boys know where the bookmark is. They are going to be accountable for Thinking Question #1. I leave the assignment very open ended and let them come up with their own way to record their info.
5. Instead of a map assignment, I have the boys each choose a place listed in the geography section to do a little internet research on and record their findings to share.
6. They are expected to read Revolutionary Period Chapter 4 and Yankee Doodle Boy Chapter 2, with written narration.

Friday: (This meeting can run 45 minutes to an hour.)
1. We go over their Thinking Question #1. One has made a chart and one has written an essay. I fill in some missing pieces from the Teacher's Notes and they make a few notes as well.
2. They share their narrations from The Revolutionary Period and Yankee Doodle Boy. I think I might have asked them the Thinking Question #4 about their impressions of life of a typical soldier in the Continental Army....seem to remember the talking at length about that one.
3. We look at our timeline and then file it to add to next week. (This is very simple and informal.)
4. We talk a little about Bunker Hill but we had previously done some research on this for a writing assignment. (We wrote a "Revolutionary Times" newspaper with each boy assigned topics to research and write about. We pulled it all together at the end of the unit. This was a TOG Level 7 writing project from the red pages but we decided it would be a fun way to incorporate the boys into one project.)


Week 32: Monday:
1. I briefly go over the theme of the week, the objectives, and then we read the General Information together. Use these thoughts to introduce the idea of the sacrifices made during the war and have them brainstorm some of the men involved and battles they know about.
2. I again use the Teacher's Notes to sort of check mark what they mention so I know where we might need to fill in over the week or at Friday's meeting.
3. We add to our timeline started last week some of the dates listed on the yellow Weekly Overview in the timeline section.
4. I have them turn to the Accountability Questions and we read those and let them know we will be discussing them in addition to their narrations from the books assigned.
5. We again have them pick a place from the Geography assignment to research and share on Friday. (We eventually use these as captions with a map on a display at our Unit Celebration.)
6. They are expected to read Revolutionary Period pages and Yankee Doodle Boy Chapters 3-7, with written narration.

Friday:
1. They share their narrations from The Revolutionary Period and Yankee Doodle Boy. I then make sure they have covered and narrated the answers to the Accountability Questions. By this time in the year, they are fairly good about including the answers in their narration but if they miss something or they haven't found the answer, I share the information from the Teacher's Notes. It is not at all like quizzing them or prompting but just making sure the info gets shared in some fashion.
2. They share their geography info and we file it away.
3. I skim through my highlighted Teacher's Notes to make sure that we have discussed anything I thought might be important. I might say something like, "Tell me about Benedict Arnold and was he a good guy or a bad guy." This sort of question always brings about some sort of debate. I also like to ask questions like, "What would you have done if you were in that situation?" Sometimes I will put the boys on opposite sides and have them explain something from a different point of view, like the Boston Massacre or the Boston Tea Party. I like discussions where they are engaged but not right or wrong.


Usually I introduce the next week's theme at the end of the Friday meeting. If we have time, I might even go over a little of the teaching objectives just to get them thinking. I try as much as I can to tie one week to the other as we work through the unit. I think of the complete unit as we work through each week so we keep on track.

Week 31 was the beginning of the Revolutionary War and Week 32 continues and finishes. Week 33 then continues with the Articles of Confederation and then introduces the idea of the French Revolution. Week 34 moves from the Articles to the Constitution. It just keeps flowing through time and if you can weave it together as you go it makes more sense.

I think for the Rhetoric level student it is much easier if they have had at least a taste of the time period before. We don't have to spend so much time on background. They already have a general idea of the sequence of events, the people involved, and on some level the issues. TOG does things one step further by jumping back and forth across the Atlantic weaving European history to American history instead of keeping them separate. My boys really enjoyed the big picture they got working through this year of TOG, seeing the influences in politics, religion, science, and the arts as well.

To recap:

• Monday: We have a meeting where we all understand what is going on for the week.
• Monday (after the meeting) through Thursday: They work independently with a list of books assigned, pages to read, and questions in mind. I am available for oral narrations or discussions as they feel the need.
• Friday: Our favorite day for history and literature....we get to sit around the table and share the week's efforts. I have the TOG Teacher's Notes in front of me. If you are interested in a more in-depth idea of what it is like during these discussions, you may wish to read the explanation of how a TOG "meeting" will look: Socratic Discussions. I especially think pages 4 and 5 give a good idea of how this is different from a textbook approach. It really is what sets TOG apart from other curriculum.

Tapestry of Grace Rhetoric Level History: Part 1

I know that there are several readers waiting on my comments about Tapestry of Grace history and worldview. I honestly have just been procrastinating the writing of the entries. This past week, I had a question from a TOG Mom about some specific rhetoric level history plans and how it looks in our family. I decided to share my response as a way of giving you a glimpse into how TOG history works in our family. The question was about TOG Year 2 and Unit 4. There are a lot of specifics in this post that if you are not familiar with TOG might now make sense. I hope you can weed through the specifics and see the bigger picture to gain an idea of how TOG works.

For those that don't use TOG, as part of the history work each week there are "accountability questions" and "thinking questions". These are listed in the "student activities" each week.

Also, in our family we have Monday and Friday meetings. Monday morning is our time for meeting all together to get the week's work lined up so the boys can work independently Tuesday through Thursday. We meet again on Friday morning and share our narrations and have about a 45 minute discussion. Fridays are our favorite day of the week as far as homeschooling. The discussions are always lively and it is truly a three way conversation where each of us shares what we gleaned from the readings and notes.


Question from a TOG Mom:

I'm wondering how you handle your end of week meetings. Do you go through the accountability and thought questions as is? A part of me likes the concept of those questions as it seems to sum up the readings, but another part of me sees them as being totally opposed to CM methods. How have you reconciled that? How do you determine what to follow as written and what to lay aside? How do you determine how much to do of a unit?

My Answer:

Here is my process (which can be done far in advance):
1. Read the Teaching Objectives for history and geography.
2. Read the General Information for All Grades (blue) page.
3. Pick books that will fulfill the week's (or the stream of the unit's) objectives.
4. Turn to the Teacher's Notes and skim through for the highlights in history and geography. (Highlight things I think we will focus on at our meetings.)
5. Turn to the Student's Activities page (blue) and read through the Accountability and Thinking Questions. Pick some main ideas to introduce on Monday and then follow up with on Friday.
6. Copy off any pages needed for the boys.

Monday:
1. Communicate the week's theme, the weekly objective, and then read with them the General Information page.
2. Turn to the Teacher's Notes and share any background info that they may need to know to get going.
3. Stack up the week's books on the table and make sure they know what pages are expected for the week. (I use Homeschool Tracker to print out the week's checklist.)
4. Make sure they have any maps or Student Pages they need for the assignments.

Friday:
1. The boys share their narrations (oral and written) from their work if they have not done so as they went along.
2. I have the Teacher's Notes and any assigned questions in front of me as they narrate and I generally keep track of any points they share that fulfill the objectives we are including for the week.
3. I try to not lead the conversation but rather build on what they share. I will also try to connect the current week to the previous week if possible by a few leading questions or statements.
4. Wrap up our conversation with asking them if they have any more thoughts. I try share my thinking or experiences if I have any at this time too.

Since this post is getting really long, I will stop here and next time share how this all looks in real life with an example of how we actually used TOG with specifics.

Look for that post tomorrow.
Updated to include the link to Part 2

Just a Note for Notebooking Families and About the SAT

I had no idea that Debra at NotebookingPages.com was cooking up a special sale for this week. I wrote my entry last week about notebooking in response to a question from a reader. She emailed me on Monday and asked me to create a little freebie for her sale and I thought it was perfect timing to go along with last week's post.



I use quite a few of her pages in our homeschooling week and highly recommend them, especially since you can pick up quite a few sets for very little money right now. She has a new set of nature study pages for wildflowers, garden flowers, and weeds that I am looking forward to using over the summer in my own nature notebook.



If you were thinking about adding some pages in for next year, now is the time to take a look at her products. All her notebooking pages are 50% off through May 7th and if you order $40 or more before May 14th, you receive a gift package valued at over $60. Click over to her website and read all the details there.

If you missed my entry from last week, here is the link:
Notebooking Resources

Update from last week: I wanted to update all the readers who have emailed me asking about my son's SAT last Saturday. He arrived on time and the administrators of the test were LATE. They delayed the test by almost 45 minutes. After they got started, my son said the time went by really fast and he hardly had time to be nervous. The writing prompt was an easy one to respond to so he felt confident about that portion of the test. He said he only skipped five of the math questions and the rest was hard but not impossible. For this reluctant test taker, it sounds like it went as well as we could hope for. All of us are glad it is over. I appreciate everyone's encouraging email and comments.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Just FYI: I am an affiliate for NotebookPages.com. If you click the links above I will make a small percentage if you purchase something. I purchased, used, and recommended this homeschooling mom's company even before I was an affiliate. I only recommend products that I use and find valuable.

Sketch Tuesday: Leaving On a Jet Plane

Last week's assignment was to sketch something with bubbles. I thought this was going to be a fun one and I was right. I had two sketches of my own in mind when I came up with this assignment and there are several of you who thought of the same things I did! Thanks so much for sharing your interpretation of this assignment.

Here is your slideshow: Bubble Time!

This week's assignment, due Monday, May 10th:
Sketch something you find at an airport.

As always, everyone is welcome to sketch and if you send in your sketches by Monday, May 10th they will be included in the slideshow on Tuesday morning. (For complete Sketch Tuesday instructions, see the tab at the top of the Harmony Art Mom blog.)

Please send your sketches to: sketchtuesday@yahoo.com. Please remember that the images need to be in jpg format so that I can easily upload them to Flickr for the slideshow.

Enjoy your slideshow....
Barb-Harmony Art Mom