Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Artist Study - September 27

Our 3rd Friday class for Woodburn Area Homeschool Families is an art class. This year, Crystal [our awesome mom in charge of art day] decided to expanded beyond just doing an art project. Each lesson will focus on an artist and some facts about that artist followed by an art project based on that artist's style.

Crystal starting out the lesson
The artist for this first lesson was Leonardo DaVinci who had a very realistic style. Crystal shared some facts about him and showed some of his most famous works.

Waiting to get started
Our table of "big girls"
A picture of most of the crew. We're big enough that it's hard to get everyone in one picture!
Listening to Crystal teach about DaVinci
Another listening to Crystal picture

This week's project was to draw a realistic picture. Crystal brought in some books to help the kids brainstorm ideas.

One of our moms [Sara] getting in some more detail with 2 of her boys and the kids at that table.
Crystal brought a coloring page of one of DaVinci's most famous paintings for the little ones to paint if they so chose.

The most important thing is to try and have fun. If realistic isn't your thing, paint something else!

A very serious young artist

More young ones making great effort
One of our older girls painted the clock and wall around it from the room we were in.
The start of a wonderful realistic nature scene.
This became a tulip.
An important part of all of our get-togethers: moms talking!
More tulip
A more completed version of the nature scene
Lots of artistic expression in this one!
While the above artist worked hard to copy the colors from the original Mona Lisa, this artist chose to give that famous painting her own spin.
Working hard on another nature scene.

This artist worked for a while on a flower [which I loved], decided she didn't like it and created something entirely different. 
The clock which I thought was done at this point, but the artist went on to include many details from the wall she painted.
One of our older girls painted a tulip as well.
The kids had a lot of fun, and at least this mom is looking forward to learning more about different artist in the coming year.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Oregon History Class - September 20

Woodburn Area Homeschool Families has decided to offer an Oregon History class this year. It is from 10:30-11:30a at the Woodburn Public Library and one of our moms [Sara] designed the course and is teaching the big kids. So first off, THANK YOU SARA!!!

Our first Oregon History Class focused on geology and geography. Ages 8 and younger painted salt dough maps and learned about various land forms. The format for the younger kids is just come and learn about that day's topic in Oregon History; no outside homework or prep necessary.

This is our crew of younger kids painting their salt dough forms while another of our awesome moms, Crystal, teaches about mountains and rivers and valleys.


Our older kids listened to Sara while she shared all she learned this summer preparing for this Oregon History class. This class is lecture and discussion and question driven. The kids talked about where they had been in Oregon and how the terrain and weather differed from where we are in the Willamette Valley.  Each student picked something that interested them from that day's lesson to research and come back to class and report what they learned. Questions included: Why is Woodburn called Woodburn? What's in the Willamette Valley soil that makes it so good for growing? How was Oregon formed?

This is Sara teaching the older kids.
The kids are learning to take notes.
April is drawing a rough map of Oregon so the various regions [ie coastal range, WIllamette Valley, Blue Mountains and so on] can be labeled.