Harmony Fine Arts Grade One: Sample Week

Harmony Fine Arts Grade One has become a popular plan for art and music appreciation for many families just getting started with these subjects in their homeschooling. As part of my effort to help more families include art and music appreciation in their weekly schedules, I would love to give you a sample week using Harmony Fine Arts Grade One, showing how to go about using the plans and making the most of the flexibility offered in the weekly plans.

I previously posted an entry on how to generally get started with any grade level of Harmony Fine Arts plans, showing how to organize your plan pages, choose resources, and then order the needed resources.

After you have your resources and art supplies ready, you can open up your weekly plans and get started. The sample pages from the Harmony Fine Arts website for Grade One are for Weeks 21-24. I will use those plans to give you an idea how to use the plans in your weekly schedule. You can actually print out the sample and have it to refer to as you read through this blog entry if you would like.

Harmony Fine Arts Grade One

Week 21
Art Appreciation: Edgar Degas

Option One

• Use the link in the notes section to view Dance Class by Edgar Degas.
• Use the suggestions on page 24 in the Appendix of the plans to complete a picture study of this painting. (You can either view the painting online or you can print out one copy for your own family's use.)

Option Two

• Read the pages in the Usborne Art Treasury covering Edgar Degas.

• Complete the oil pastel activity on the pages listed in the Usborne Art Treasury.
• To extend the lesson, use the link to access two coloring pages for Degas. (Note: The link in the sample has been updated to a current coloring page website.)

Option Three

• Use the Step 2 Level 1 card from Child-Size Masterpieces to learn the title of the Degas Painting: Two Ballerinas. Start off with a picture study of the painting and casually include the name of the painting after you are done. Sometimes, just for fun, before I gave the true name of the painting, I would ask my children to give the painting a title of their choosing.
  

• Color page 15 in Impressionist Art Masterpieces to Color: Dance Class. Use the link in Option One to view this painting online as you color.
  

One last note about art appreciation with Harmony Fine Arts: Most families complete at least two options in a week to fill out their 45 minutes of art appreciation. Completing Options 1 and 2 or Options 1 and 3 will give you a complete plan for art at this age level. If you have additional time in your week or you are using this plan with older children, you could complete all three Harmony Fine Arts Options.

Week 21
Music Appreciation: Giuseppe Verdi

• Read the pages assigned in Lives of the Musicians.
• Listen to a few selections from the CD listed or from any Verdi CD that you have access to at home. I suggest picking one piece of music to focus on and listen to each week for the four week period you are studying Verdi. In our family, we listen to our focus piece three or four times per week for the four week period. (We chose La Traviata when we listened to Verdi.)

The object at this age level is to expose your child to classical music. The story in the book gives a little background for the composer and after you read the biography, ask the child to tell you what he remembers about Giuseppe Verdi. Don't get too caught up the details at this age. I would rather you chose to listen to Verdi's music as much as possible. I want you to use any resource you have on hand so I did not pick specific pieces of music for you to listen to...have fun and listen until you find a selection you enjoy listening to with your family.

I hope this post has helped you to see how easy it is to implement Harmony Fine Arts plans in your homeschool week. I have done all the choosing and organizing of materials so you can easily find an option that works in your home.

Harmony Fine Arts Grade One is an "overview" year for art and music appreciation. You can use it with a variety of ages as an easy way to introduce child-friendly art and music in your home. If you would like more information on particular time periods covered by specific grade levels in Harmony Fine Arts, you can find a chart HERE. Here is a link to resources: HFA Grade One.

Please feel free to email at any time if you would like help choosing a plan that will fit your family best.

You can purchase Harmony Fine Arts Grade from Rainbow Resource at the discounted price of $16.25 or from my website at $19.95. You can also purchase it in ebook format for $17.44 from my website.


Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Still Planning: 12th Grade Just About Finished

It has been a hard climb to conquer Mt. Twelfth Grade this summer. I have changed my mind so many times about courses and books and priorities. What you see below is the overall plan for my son's senior year. Some of the courses are light to make room for areas of interest and areas that he needs to work on in his last official year of homeschooling. He will be taking a math course probably next semester at the community college so I have not included that in the plan.

Modern History: A History of the Twentieth Century by Martin Gilbert (HEO Year 11), current events, Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, and Kennedy & Nixon by Chris Matthews. Teaching Company DVD series: A History of Hitler's Empire. (Watch for this to go on sale...I paid $19.95.)

Government and Economics: Thinkwell American Government video course. (I purchased this through Homeschool Buyer's Co-Op for $68.75.) Economics in One Lesson (HEO Year 11) and the complete Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? series by Maybury. Current events.

Modern Literature: Tapestry of Grace Year 4 Classic with two additional Shakespearean plays, and six poets.

Chemistry: Teaching Company's Chemistry DVD course (I waited until this was on sale for $39.95) with workbook, The Joy of Chemistry for lab work, and a study of the elements of the periodic table (still coming up with a plan for this part of his study).

Writing: Using IEW methods and units, he will be writing about history, science, literature, and even a little creative writing for the first time in high school. I have Elegant Essay on the shelf and I may bring it out at some point if I think there is a need.

Fine Arts: Trumpet practice and performance. Modern art and music (modified HFA 12th grade art plans and 12th Grade Music Plans) and occasional art project with his younger brother.

PE: President's Physical Fitness, various sports with the family, training for a 5K race to be run in November.

Adult education course at our local high school: Metal Fabrication and Welding.

As you can tell by the selections, we are using some outside classes, DVD courses, and some community resources this year. I will be posting more specifics as the term goes along but so many readers have asked about our senior year selections that I thought it might be helpful to post them even in their rough state.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Sketch Tuesday: Restaurant Style

Last week's assignment was to sketch a wildflower....close-up or in a scene.

Wonderful sketches this week and very inspiring. I want to do some more of these soon for my nature journal. Thanks to all who participated....even my daughter sketched this week!

Here is your slideshow: Wildflowers!



This week's assignment, due Monday, August 2nd:
Sketch something you see in a restaurant.

Make your sketches and send them in by Monday, August 2nd and I will include them in the slideshow on Tuesday. All sketchers are welcome and there is no need to sign up. For more details on Sketch Tuesday you can click on the Sketch Tuesday tab at the top of my blog.

Don't forget to sketch this week!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

What to Draw and How to Draw It

I am cleaning up my bookmarks and I found this wonderful old drawing book that I thought some of you might like to take a look at. It is available online to look at as a PDF. I saved it and printed it out for a young friend of mine who is just starting out with his sketching.

Here is the link:
http://www.archive.org/details/whattodrawhowtod00lutz


I think this would be especially good for younger ones just starting out in their nature journals. Check out pages 14-43 for some easy to follow steps in drawing things you might want to include in your journals.


In fact, if you are participating in this week's Outdoor Hour Challenge, you may wish to take a look at page 25 where it shows you how to draw a frog and a tadpole.

Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Planning Astronomy Gives Me a Good Thump on the Head

My youngest son, age 14, has wanted to do a formal study of astronomy for a very long time. He dreams of space and draws elaborate space vehicles. His favorite Lego sets are Star Wars and other space related models. He reads loads of science fiction: H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Ray Bradbury, Eleanor Cameron, and Isaac Asimov. We often are outside looking at stars and moon together late into the evenings. Last summer the two of us slept outside on our deck for a complete week so we could watch the Perseid meteor showers in the night.

I have been very frustrated pulling together a hands-on, living books plan for his study of astronomy. I started off by ordering Signs and Season (Classical Astronomy) hoping it would fill his needs. I sat with the book and lab activities and just could not be excited. I have tried three or four different tries at sitting with the book, reading sections, trying desperately to put a plan on paper using this text written for homeschoolers. I just don't like the book. I don't like the type font, the style of the writing, and the lay-out of the material is so confusing and disjointed that it makes me cry...literally. I wanted this book to fill our need so badly that I was going to beat myself up just getting it planned.

Then it occurred to me that I was not following my own good advice:
Set some goals.

Why did I not think of it before? When I sat with a list of goals for our astronomy course it became evident that Signs and Seasons did not meet those goals. Talk about a good thump on the head.

So now with my list of goals I can pull together a plan for Mr. B that will fit his interests and needs.

I found a fabulous book on Amazon.
(You will need to click over to the actual blog entry to see the Amazon.com links.)


Ahhh...love the spiral binding, the page size, the sequence of the material. This is more like it for Mr. B and he is going to love this book and it will give him lots of room to read, ask his own questions, apply what he learns in our own backyard, and be inspired to learn more as he goes along. We are already using the sky charts to find the summer constellations and to glean information on how to use our binoculars better to view the night sky.

I also know that this particular child is fond of self-education. He loves a good stack of books on a favorite topic to be available at all times. I gleaned from my Bookmooch friends quite a number of great titles to have on hand for him to use as he sees the need.




Finally, there is something else that I have learned over the years. Finding a mentor or other passionate adult to share an interest with my boys is of great value.

• This time around we are going to be attending several of our local (very small) planetarium events to supplement our reading and star gazing.
• I also ordered from the Teaching Company their series titled, "My Favorite Universe". I have watched several of the lectures since receiving the DVDs and I know this will be another motivating experience for my son. He can watch and then look up more information on anything he finds interesting. (Note: There is some evolutionary material in most astronomy books and it is no different with this DVD series.)(Another Note: I purchased this earlier in the year when it was on super, super sale for $19.95...if you want to purchase it, wait until it goes on sale!)

I found this Star Gazing Journal at Borders the other day and it is perfect to record all of his star observations and to give us a record of his field work.


I have a giant list of astronomy websites for him to read and to look for current events. He loves reading about astronomy in the news so this will be a part of his astronomy time each day. We are also going to subscribe to Astronomy magazine so he will have that to keep him inspired as the year goes along.

Planning done....granted there is not a lot of shape to this astronomy course and what my son gets out of the material will greatly hinge on how much effort he puts into it. My aim is to expose him to lots of different interesting and compelling ideas from the books, experiences, DVDs, and internet links. He will be in the driver's seat and I will be watching to see where he takes his study.

I hope I don't get any more thumps on the head while planning the rest of our school year. I still have a creative writing plan to pull together for Mr. B. I am off to set some goals.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Music and The Brain

Here for your reading pleasure is a link to an article on Music and the Brain.

Lots to think about and digest here. I am now on a journey to learn more about several of the findings from this article.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Sketch Tuesday: Wildflowers!

Last week's assignment was to sketch something you find in a kitchen drawer.


Here is your slideshow: Kitchen Crazy!

Next week's assignment, due Monday, July 26th: Sketch a wildflower...just the flower or a whole scene.

You could also do a close-up of a wildflower, like a Georgia O'Keeffe. If you want more information on Georgia O'Keeffee, here is a link to one of my posts for more information:
Georgia O'Keeffe: Flowers and So Much More

Make your sketches and send them in by Monday, July 26th and I will include them in the slideshow on Tuesday. All sketchers are welcome and there is no need to sign up. For more details on Sketch Tuesday you can click on the Sketch Tuesday tab at the top of my blog.

Have a great week,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

For Sale: It's That Time of Year

I have been accumulating loads of things to pass along to other families and I decided to do something a little different.

I made a new blog that will have entries for each of the items I have available for sale and some for free with the purchase of other things.

Pop over and read the details.

Harmony Art Mom Bookshelf

I have made categories on the right sidebar so you can find things easily. I will be adding things over the next week so if you subscribe to that blog you will get all the new entries right in your inbox.

All the details are there on that blog....so if you are in the market for used homeschooling items....you will want to click over and take a look.

I am the ultimate deal maker so please feel free to email me with anything you have in mind.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Researching Literary Terms and Analysis

I am working on a little school planning this week and I wanted to share some links that I found that may be useful to you too.

I enjoyed reading Susan Wise Bauer's information about literary analysis from her presentation notes:
Literary Analysis and When to Teach It

She suggests that high school age students keep a "literary analysis notebook" with the terms, a brief description, and then some examples from the student's reading. We are going to start using this idea (sort of a variation on a written narration) along with some of the ideas she lists for more formal evaluation of the student's reading. I love that she says to not analyze every book you read. She also says that we need to preserve the child's love of learning....I couldn't agree more.

Here is a great link that we will be using for the next two years as we read through our high school literature selections:
The Elements of Literature
I have seen other lists on the internet but this one seems very concise and easy to manage. We have covered many of the terms listed in the past but I like the way this list breaks down the terms into the different genre of literature.

Susan Wise Bauer also suggests using this book:

I have just ordered it so I will post a review of the book after I receive it and perhaps use it over the next term with my boys.

Hope this helps some other moms working on planning for next year.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Sketch Tuesday: Kitchen Crazy!

Last week's assignment was to sketch something that started with the letter J. I wasn't sure how this assignment would turn out because the topic was very broad, but I was really excited to see all the wonderful things that sketchers decided to draw and send in for the slideshow.


Enjoy your wonderful slideshow and all the creativity!

Here is your slideshow: Something that starts with the letter J.

Next week's assignment, due Monday, July 19th:
Sketch something you find in a kitchen drawer.

Make your sketches and send them in by Monday, July 19th and I will include them in the slideshow on Tuesday. All sketchers are welcome and there is no need to sign up. For more details on Sketch Tuesday you can click on the Sketch Tuesday tab at the top of my blog.

Have a great week,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Summer Movie Time: Bleak House...Dickens A+

When it is hot outside and I am working around the house, it is nice to have the option to use Netflix to watch a movie.

I ordered up Bleak House, a story by Charles Dickens, from Netflix. I am not a big Dickens fan but lately I have been trying his books again. Although I have not read Bleak House yet, I really enjoyed viewing this tale. The characters are typically Dickens with their obvious good or bad qualities and the actors in this version do a good job of making it clear which side they are on.

Here is the trailer.


This movie is really long....don't start it unless you have time to watch successive episodes. You can watch it on instant view so if you have Netflix I would highly suggest giving it a try. Here is an episode guide on BBC.

Now I think I want to dive into the book and read it on my own.

Enjoy!

My Friday: Hot Summer Day

They rode their bikes.


I took a walk.

It felt like summer today.....I think I am finally in summer mode.

Relaxed.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Another From My Playlist:: Francis Poulenc

Poulenc Sonata for Flute

This summer I am researching modern era music and Francis Poulenc is on the list.

I am currently listening to this CD:



This is my favorite track...the flute is heavenly.



Enjoy!

Barb-Harmony Art mom

Sketch Tuesday: June, July, Letter J

The theme for last week's sketch was picnic time and you were to sketch something you eat on a picnic. I must be in the mood for going on a big picnic because your sketches gave me some good ideas for what to take.

Here is your slideshow: Picnic Time!



This week's assignment due on Monday, July 12th:
Sketch something that starts with the letter J.

I don't think we have ever sketched this sort of assignment before and I hope it isn't too broad of a topic. I will look forward to seeing your ideas for the letter J.

Make your sketches and send them in by Monday, July 12th and I will include them in the slideshow on Tuesday. All sketchers are welcome and there is no need to sign up. For more details on Sketch Tuesday you can click on the Sketch Tuesday tab at the top of my blog.

I am receiving an increasing amount of sketches that go to my SPAM box. Some of you are sending an email with blank subject lines and not typing anything in the body of the email and I think my email system recognizes it as SPAM. When you send in your sketches, could you please put Sketch Tuesday in the subject line and then in the body of the email please type something even if it just says that it is for Sketch Tuesday or the number of sketches attached? It might make a difference. Thanks for your extra effort.

Have a great week,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

FYI: Fall Artist and Composer

It makes my heart glad to know that so many of you are using the art and music plans that I am offering each season now. I have enjoyed reading your entries and seeing your results. Van Gogh has been a great artist for so many of us this summer already.

With some prompting from readers and a quite a few inquiries, I have decided to again offer plans for art and music in the autumn. Simple plans will be available sometime mid to late August.

The artist for the autumn will be Edgar Degas and the composer will be Sergei Prokofiev. Yes, there will be a ballet focus of sorts but rest assured there will be plenty for the boys to be interested in as well. Remember that I have boys of my own that will be following the plans and they would shoot me if I only included ballet themed art. There will be horses and carriages and so on as well.


I look forward to introducing some of you to Prokofiev. This is probably one of my all time favorites pieces of music and I think it should be on everyone's play list...Romeo and Juliet's Dance of the Knights.

So those of you who are busy planning your autumn term and are looking forward to using my plans, I hope knowing who we will focus on will help you get ready. For now, our family is deep into our study of Vincent Van Gogh. We have learned a lot so far about how he used complementary colors and I noticed the boys are pointing them out now when we discuss his artwork. I love the casual way we can learn more about art just by observing the masters.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Watercolor Painting Collage

Summer seems the perfect time to try out some projects that just can't be squeezed in during the regular school year. I have a whole file of projects that I am hoping to get to with my family this summer.

Saturday afternoon was really hot and nobody felt like doing much. I suggested we do a little project with watercolors. The project is loosely based on this activity:
Non-Objective Cut Up Painting Collage

First you paint your whole page with no recognizable subjects. Just let your brushes play with the colors, blending some colors and using a variety of brush strokes.


Make sure to completely fill your page. It is amazing to me that with the same directions you can get vastly different products.


The colors and forms take on such different personalities.


It was hot and we were painting outside so it did not take long for the paints to dry. I added some Sharpie lines to my shapes just to give them a little definition.


The second step is to turn your paper over and measure off one inch squares. We used a ruler and pencil.


Now it is time to cut your squares.

Here is where the projects took completely different roads.


Some decided to put their squares right up next to each other and completely fill the paper. The squares are added randomly and you do not aim to put them back together like a big puzzle. Rather, the idea is to find a pleasing personal design using the random colors, shapes, and lines.


I decided to make mine more of a stained glass sort of look by leaving space around the squares so the paper would show through.

I think the results of this simple art project are stunning and you could really adapt it to your own family. The author of the original activity noted above says that any kind of paint can be used for this project. She suggests that you could tie the activity into a study of abstract art, suggesting Kandinsky. You also could spread this project out over several days if you want to. It is also suggested that you could use a paper cutter to make the squares.

I would love to see your results if you complete this project.


I framed one of the collages and it is now going to hang in our living room.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom