Art class for Explorers and Trailblazers: Please have your child bring a white shirt to class for next weeks project. It should be cotton, but any style is fine.

Henry Ford - Inventors & Inventions

Contrary to what most of us believe, Henry Ford did not invent the automobile or the assembly line.  What he did accomplish was the improvement of both ideas.  He added a moving conveyor belt to the assembly line, which allowed him to create cars quickly, leading to a drop in price.  The Model T was  the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. Cars quickly became, not a luxury, but a practical item that greatly influenced the twentieth century world.

In class activities:

• Looked at historic images of automobiles
• Learned about the origins of automobiles, including steam powered vehicles
• Attempted to "invent" our own car with a collection of parts
• Discussed the advantages of using an assembly line, and tried creating our own
• Learned about the differences between an assembly line and a moving assembly line

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Read Henry Ford: Greatest American Hero
• Go to Wart Games to play online as you learn about Henry Ford
• Download a Henry Ford "Be an Innovator" kit

Assignment:

• Think of one "Fascinating Fact" from all of your research on your inventor/invention and write it down to add to your presentation board.
• Practice your timeline

Wright Brothers - Inventors & Inventions

Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912) Wright were were two American brothers and bicycle mechanics.  As inventors and aviation pioneers, they invented the world's first successful airplane and made the first controlled, powered and sustained human flight, on December 17, 1903. 

In Class Activities:

• Watched portions of KittyHawk
• Worked on our presentation boards
• Built gliders
• experimented with different wing patterns
• Discussed other inventors who tried to fly

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Finish watching KittyHawk
• Watch as modern scientists try to replicate the Wright Flyer
• Try to fly the Wright Brothers' plane

Assignment:

• Every inventor fails and struggles at some point.  Write a few sentences about the obstacles your inventor faced.  
• Practice your timeline

Guglielmo Marconi - Inventors & Inventions

Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio signals through air.  Instead of sending messages through wires as were previously used int he telegraph system, he used electromagnetic (radio) waves.  His system of radio became known as wireless telegraphy.  In 1901Marconi succeeded in sending waves across the Atlantic from England to Canada, a distance of more than 2,000 miles (3,300 kilometers). This led the way for huge advancements, particularly for ships which used his technology to send distress signals when they were sinking or in trouble. Marconi sent his messages in Morse code.

In class activities:

• Learned about the life of Marconi
• Built (or attempted to build) our own electromagnets
• Discussed the changes that radio brought to the world
• Learned about a murderer caught at sea via radio
• Made our radio drama covering the life of Marconi with our own sound effects

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Continue to perfect your electromagnet. Instructions here
• Listen to old radio dramas at OldTimeRadio.  Pay attention to sound effects.

Assignment:

• Find an image of your inventor.  At the bottom indicate the source where you found the image. 
• On a slip of paper in LARGE, NICE handwriting, write your inventor's full name, with his dates of birth and death written below the name, and their country of origin below that.  It will look like this:

Jenny Smith

1907-1952

Finland

• Continue to work on your model, sample, or other project that you intend to display with your poster.

Alexander Graham Bell - Inventors & Inventions

Alexander Bell was born in Edinburgh Scotland to a hearing impaired mother and a father who was an expert in the voice.  He worked diligently, following in his father's footsteps to help the deaf learn to communicate.  He was exceptionally hard-working, and began scientific research into the resonance (vibrations) of the voice.  This research eventually led to his invention of the first telephone in 1876.



In class activities:

• Watched the animated biography of Bell at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sgbGuRBLQA
• Used balloons to examine how sound travels in waves
• Mapped the travels of Bell
• Talked about solving "impossible" problems, and brainstormed inventions that we could make.

Optional Lesson Extension Activities:

• Look at historic images of the telephone at http://www.famousscientists.org/alexander-graham-bell/
• Listen to Bell's voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lJ6Pwb15JY

Assignment:

• In your best handwriting, write at least one sentence describing the problem that your chosen invention solves.  Note: Try not to write too small.  This will be added to your poster.
• Begin thinking about what you will be building (ex. a model of your chosen invention, a sample of what your invention can do) to place in front of your poster.
• Practice your timeline.

Alfred Nobel - Inventors and Inventions

Alfred Nobel  

1833-1896

Mining has always been dangerous work.  Gunpowder had unpredictable results, but Nobel found that by combining nitroglycerin with an absorbent clay it became safer to handle.  He patented this mixture in 1867 as ‘dynamite'.    

In 1888 Alfred's brother died and a French newspaper accidentally published a death notice of Alfred rather than his brother.  It blamed him for destruction because of his invention of dynamite.  This inspired him to leave a better legacy after his death.  He is still remembered today at the awarding of the Nobel prizes.

In class activities:

• Discussed the dangers of mining
• Learned about the invention of dynamite
• Made our own mock dynamite sticks
• Brainstormed what we want to include on our inventor posters
• Used finger paints to create explosion art
• Learned about the creation of the Nobel Prizes

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Read: Alfred Nobel: The Man Behind the Peace Prize (True Stories)
• Learn about recent Nobel Prize winners at http://www.nobelprize.org

Assignment:

• Read 1 article or book about your inventor or invention of choice.  Bring to class one full page image of the invention.  Please write the source on the bottom corner of your image.
• (Because this is for personal educational use, images may be photocopied from books or printed from http://images.google.com)
• Practice your timeline

Samuel Morse - Inventors & Inventions

The era of electronic communication began with invention of electric telegraph.  The 1st telegraph systems transmitted visible signals from tower to tower using flags or codes, and messages took long periods of time to travel from place to place.  Samuel Morse, a painter and inventor, harnessed electromagnetic technology to transmit signals via a single wire.  

In class activities:

original image and more information about
how to use this chart at LearnMorseCode.com

• looked at historic images

• listened to the story of Samuel Morse
• discussed the semaphore and the disadvantages of visual telegraphs

• learned how to use charts to both read and write Morse Code 

• built visual telegraphs 

• practiced sending and receiving messages

Our inventors and inventions class will culminate in a “World’s Fair” in which each student will present a trifold poster about a historic invention of their own choosing.  The kids will have regular short at-home assignments to work on, which we will add to their poster as we move through the course. Please look for these in the class notes every week.

• You will be able to find a lot of the information your child will need at www.invention.smithsonian.org 

• To search for patents or original documents search www.google.com/?tbm=pts

• To find images www.images.google.com

Optional lesson extension activities:

• listen to the story of the invention of  the telegraph: http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1393.htm

• make your own electromagnet: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-An-Electromagnet/

• listen to slow morse code.  can you figure out what they are saying? http://www.learnmorsecode.com/atozslow.mp3

• test your morse code skills - http://boyslife.org/games/online-games/575/morse-code-machine/

Assignments:

• Have your child choose an invention or inventor from the Modern time period that fascinates them.  Write this down, along with your name and bring it in to share with the class. (Best handwriting not necessary.  These papers will not be put on the posters)
• Practice your timeline

original image and more information about
how to use this chart at LearnMorseCode.com

Sheryl Goedecke

September 11 - History 1&2

Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization hijacked and crashed 4 airplanes in coordinated attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001.  2996 people died.  The United States responded by declaring war on terror and invading Afghanistan.  The goal was to remove the Taliban who was hiding and protecting al-Qaeda.  Bin Laden was killed in 2011.

In-Class Activities:

• Learned about the word complacency
• Heard the story of Al-Quaeda and Osama Bin Laden
• Read Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey (Picture Puffin Books) 
• Older class only - discussed the reasons why the Gettysburg Address was read at the 9/11 dedication
• Mapped the flight of the planes
• Made city scenes with holes for the twin towers
• Completed our History Notebooks
• Discussed the continuation of history and the "end of the story" in Revelation

Optional Lesson Extension Activities:

• Watch a 5 minute cartoon covering September 11 at Brainpop.com
• Ask Mom & Dad to tell you the story of where they were on 9/11/01 

This was the final Modern History Survey class.  There are no assignments for next week, but please make sure to register for electives with Kristina as soon as possible.

Drama Summary Explorers and Pathfinders, 1/6/2015

The class periods were taken up with memory refreshment and rehearsal for the performance next week.  I was amazed at how well the students remembered their lines and blocking.  We are looking forward to an entertaining presentation next week.

Art Summary Navigators and Pathfinders, 1/13/2015

Photography: The Basics

Together in class we looked at the basics of good photography from holding the camera, to understanding the different modes for shooting photos.

Projects

Photo Scavenger List: Students had fun taking the cameras they brought in to class to accomplish a list of different photo shots, using the different tips and techniques we talked about.

Art Summary Navigators and Pathfinders, 1/6/2015

Overview

Art of Photography Part 1: The History of the Camera

Starting back as far as the middle ages was the “camera obscura”. In the early 1800's, two Frenchmen took this simple concept and developed the first camera, creating the first photographs. Over the next few decades, the camera was further developed with lenses and film and eventually color! We talked about the importance of light, fun photograph facts, and the amazing concept of how the camera replicas God’s design of the human eye.

Project
Watercolor and Salt: to understand how salts were used in photo processing, we saw the affects of salt with watercolors.

Art Summary Trailblazers and Explorers, 1/13/2015

We continued our creation of a magazine cover for the Saturday Evening Post. Last week we began by making 3 rough drafts and then during the week, they were supposed to make some drawings from real life. We did the final drafts for The "Saturday Evening Post" magazine covers, using colored pencils and crayons. They also experimented with a drawing exercise that required them to draw a person from life using contour lines and not looking at their paper. This exercise helps us to study the subject and concentrate on telling our hand what to draw. It is great for training the brain and hand to work together to draw better.

Art Summary Trailblazers and Explorers, 1/6/2015

We studied Norman Rockwell(1894-1978)

Norman Rockwell has evolved into one of the most beloved artists in American history. His paintings seem capture the very heart of America, especially during and after WWII. Many of his paintings and illustrations depict a time and era where family,hard work, patriotism and goodness were the priorities of the land. 

We are drawing and coloring a cover of a magazine in Norman Rockwell style; that tells a story and might have some family or other familiar scene from the kids lives.

Art Summary Trailblazers and Explorers, 12/2/2014

We briefly discussed the history of Christmas cards and created our own, using paint fingerprints. The children created three different designs for their cards to give to others.

Art Summary Trailblazers and Explorers, 11/18/2014

We looked at artwork by Andrew Wyeth and talked about  landscapes and cool colors.  We used large paper and, using only cool colors, made a landscape drawing. We needed to learn about the horizon line and how to create distance in pictures. We wet the entire paper with sponges, then colored the landscape with colored chalk. This created a unique effect. 

 

Cold War - History 1&2

The Cold War was not a true war, but a period of time after World War 2 during which rival nations competed to determine whether Democracy or Communism was superior.  The fight was led by the US and Soviet Union, who raced to develop superior arms (weapons) power and space technology.  Though America and the USSR did not officially fight one another, they were  on opposite sides of wars such as Korea and Vietnam. The Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

In Class Activities:

• Learned about the origins of the Cold War
• Defined the Marshall Plan and discussed its impact
• Played a leaning game to demonstrate the fears each nation had of stepping away from the conflict
• Reviewed the Arms and Space race
• Briefly overviewed the Korean and Vietnam wars
• Discussed the end of the Cold War and Built replica Berlin Walls with cylindrical tops such as those seen in this photo (the wall had many portions that were designed differently)
  

Optional Lesson Extension Activities:

• Interactive online games - http://www.wartgames.com/themes/world/coldwar.html
• The kids asked for more information about the Cold War, specifically the Korean and Vietnam wars, as we had to cover them very (Very, VERY!) quickly.  You can find a lot of appropriate videos at this site - http://www.neok12.com/Cold-War.htm
• Spies (and fear of spying) were a big part of the Cold War.  Learn true spy stories at http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/spies_cold_war.htm

Assignment:

• Read History Cards #31 & 32
• Practice your timeline

WWII - History 1&2

The 2nd World War is often considered an unavoidable result of the 1st World War which stripped Germany of much of its territory and forced it to pay steep fines, despite economic suffering.  The war started in 1939 when Germany, under Adolph Hitler, invaded Poland and tyrannized Jews and other minorities.  Great Britain and France responded with force.  Most of the countries in the world were eventually involved in some way. The War finally ended after the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Japan, forcing surrender.

In Class Activities:

• Looked at Historic images
• Discussed the link between WWI and WWII
• Learned about the timeline of major events in WWII
• Took apart the word Tripartite and discussed the members of the Axis powers
• Discussed the role of the USA in the war
• Stitched yellow "Jewish" Stars of David and discussed the fear that many people lived in.

Optional Lesson Extension Activities:

• Get a better visual understanding of where the battles happened with Animated Maps
• Look at Nazi propaganda to learn more about their views of racial purity & peace.
• The following books are fun and accurate portrayals of the period for this age group, without delving too deep into the horrors of the holocaust.

Pearl Harbor  

“This excellent introduction to Pearl Harbor and World War II opens with Secretary of State Cordell Hull angrily greeting Japanese representatives on December 7, 1941, even before news of the attack has reached him. What he does know is that Japan has been deceiving the U.S. Krensky goes on to describe the history of Japan’s economic and political expansion in Asia, the European war, President Roosevelt’s willingness to assist the Allies, and how continuing recovery from the Depression limited the U.S.’s full participation in the war prior to Pearl Harbor. He explains the purpose of the attack and Japan’s belief that the U.S. would be unable to retaliate. The pen-and-ink and pastel-wash illustrations on every spread are realistic and detailed; the scenes of destruction leave no doubt about the devastation, but are not disturbingly graphic.”

D-Day Landings: The Story of the Allied Invasion 

“How did the Allies plan and execute the most massive and daring invasion in military history? Read all about it in the DK Reader that explains in thrilling detail how the Nazis were defeated on the beaches of France.  Stunning photographs and engaging, age-appropriate stories.”

Assignment:  Read History Card #30

World War 1 History 1&2

Thank you to Mrs. Mitchell for substituting!!!

The Great War began when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated setting off a crisis between multiple international alliances.  The conflict soon grew to include more than 70 million soldiers fighting in muddy trenches.

In the end, both the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires ceased to exist, and maps were re-drawn decreasing the territory of both Germany and Russia.  In addition, the League of Nations was formed with the intention of preventing future wars.

In class activities:

• Read to original letters from WWI soldiers
• Dressed as soldiers
• Reenacted the Christmas truce

The main thrust of class was focused on learning that the fighting stopped to honor Christmas, although this was hard to convey over the excitement of holding large toy guns and playing dress up!  The kids were encouraged to really think about what war would have been like and that even though these countries were fighting Christmas was a uniting factor and they all respected one another in honor of that day.

The Explorers made scenes of the letter that begins, "On Christmas Day one of the Germans came out of the trenches and held his hands up..."  The second video was of "During the early part of the morning the Germans started singing and shouting all in good English..."

Trailblazers acted out the conversation between Fritz and the soldier with Joey and Isaiah playing the main parts.  The second on was "You will no doubt be surprised to hear...": 2 soldiers/4 soldiers and exchanging of gifts.

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Did you know reindeer were used in World War 1?  Take a look at these fascinating images of animals of the War to End All Wars.   
• Snoopy loves to pretend to be a World War 1 Flying Ace.  Pick up a cartoon  like this one by Charles Shultz to enjoy, then go online to research the invention and use of the airplane.  

There is no assignment for next week's Christmas presentation.  Enjoy your holiday!  

Progressive Era - History 1&2

As millions of immigrants flooded the US in response to industrialization, the economic plight of the poor grew.  The time that followed was a period of activism and reform known as the Progressive Era.   The goal of progressives was to remove corruption and solve social problems through legislation.  

The most famous of these reformers was Theodore Roosevelt.  He had a strong personality, and was known for getting what he wanted.  Roosevelt took over the presidency after McKinley’s assassination and his lead was marked by a drastic increase in the powers of the president.  He is most remembered for his drive to build the Panama Canal and manage natural resources.

In class activities:

• Learned about continued US expansion
• Mapped the locations US battles
• Discussed the problems of industrial workers
• Listened to the history of Theodore Roosevelt and his policies
• Stitched our own "Teddy" bears
• Mapped the distance required for the US to move its navy from the Atlantic to the Pacific and discussed the benefit of building the Panama Canal
• Reviewed the 3 parts of American government and the balance of powers

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Watch Crash Course History - Progressive Presidents
• Theodore Roosevelt was famous for his love of animals.  He allowed many curious pets into the White House.  Read more about Presidential Pets.
• Learn more about what it was like to be an American immigrant in this interactive game.

Assignment due 12/2 (Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!):

• Read history cards 26-28
• Practice your timeline
• OPTIONAL - Some of the kids have started joining me in dressing up for class, which I think is absolutely fantastic!  We will be studying the time of flappers and WW1 soldiers next.  Students are welcome to come to FAITH in any period appropriate clothing that you have around the house.

Art, Navigators and Pathfinders, 11/11/2014

Abstract: 1940’s

We discussed briefly how World War II affected the art world, mainly with Paris, France no longer being the center of it all, but art making its way to New York City. Abstract art was not about a subject, but all about the colors, lines, and shapes; while some works were thoughtfully planned out, others were about the emotion and expression.

 Project

Finishing up Decalcomania project from last week’s Surrealism study.
Started the Name Sculpture project by drawing and outlining letters.