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Which art curriculum?


Suzybearybake
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I have 3 boys (9,10, 12). We have completely blown off any type of art instruction because it seems that we never had the time to fit it in. I am now looking to incorporate art into our lessons and am not sure which program to go with. I have heard good things about How Great Thou Art , Artistic Pursuits, and Visual Manna. I am artisticly challanged myself and did something that can be done fairly independently. It has to have enough instruction in technique as opposed to just now draw this. I would also like it to have an art appreciation component. Any suggestions? What are your favorite art programs and why?

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The easiest thing I found to implement is here: http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/schools/art/dixon/lesson.htm

 

I tried a couple of commercial art curriculums but none of them seemed to gel for either dd or me. This year we did the Elements lessons and the architecture lessons. I was able to get enough of them to fill a once a week school year.

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Evan Moor's How to Teach Art to Children

 

We will use this next year too -- you can view the entire book here:

 

http://www.evan-moor.com/Series.aspx?CurriculumID=1&P=2&SeriesID=75

 

For art appreciation, we will look at various books about artists:

 

I get most of my suggestions from amazon listmania:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-content-search/results/ref=cm_srch_q_col_rpli/?query=art+appreciation&search-alias=rp-listmania

 

These sites looks promising as well:

http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/

http://gardenofpraise.com/art.htm

 

More links to look at here:

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/arted.htm

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/for-kids.htm

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I like the Evan-Moor book, and we've used ArtPacs sold by R&S and CLE. My oldest has taken drawing lessons from a local artist, and prior to that we used McIntyre's "Drawing Textbook" which is good if you want formal instruction. My son did very well with it -- I found it HARD (I'm more theoretical than visual!). I've used the BJUP art book here and there. I bought a Visual Manna book ages ago and returned it -- it didn't provide the instruction I really wanted. And we've had six weeks of Mona Brooks and six weeks of "Discovering the Great Artists" via Classical Conversations. Next months we are going to a "How Great Thou Art" Workshop (hooray -- I've been trying to do this for 3-4 years!).

 

Alas, art is the only thing I don't have nailed down for next year. At this point I want something really straightforward though with good instruction and basic materials. I looked at the Calvert art program at the local homeschool consignment store, and it was definitely way more than I want. I ruled out Artistic Pursuits because I have more of an age span. I don't want to go back to things we've used before.

 

I'm thinking that we'll see how the kiddies respond to the workshop, and maybe we'll get one of Stebbing's video/DVD programs so that this drawing-challenged mom is not the one teaching. I want primarily a drawing program, so probably Lamb's Book of Art.

 

I sympathize!

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I am going to start searching for used copies of Atelier while budgeting for it new just in case. Tina in WA uses this and highly recommends it. I love reading her week-in-review post to see the great artwork her kids have created while using it. I have failed miserably at trying to get something going on my own, so I am thinking having the DVD instruction will be of benefit to us both. :001_smile:

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Art with a Purpose is good for art-impaired teachers ;-) The publisher recommends that the teacher do the same ArtPacs that her students are as a model and so that she'll be aware of any pitfalls, lol, but they are very simple to do (and maybe it would be good for you, too:D) R&S, Rainbow Resources, and Shekinah Curriculum are suppliers, among others. Think of it as bonding time with your dc:D

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We are using Barb's art/music appreciation lessons from Harmony Fine Arts

http://harmonyfinearts.com/ and instead of using Artistic Pursuits we are using a drawing program we found recommended to us by our local ladies that have had success using it. It is called The Phonics of Drawing - there was a special a few months ago and the whole program called the Masterpiece Collection was half price so I grabbed it. I've looked over it and like what I see. You can check it out here. http://www.teachartathome.com/ and here http://www.cafepress.com/teachartathome/4730162

 

HTH,

Penny

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instruction. With your ages...Feed My Sheep would probably work well. I'm torn btwn this program and Lamb's Book of Art b/c I do have some younger dc. Both look like really good programs and quite doable for a non-artsy mom, especially if you have the DVD's. I've had no experience with Artistic Pursuits or Visual Manna. Good luck!

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I am going to start searching for used copies of Atelier while budgeting for it new just in case. Tina in WA uses this and highly recommends it. I love reading her week-in-review post to see the great artwork her kids have created while using it. I have failed miserably at trying to get something going on my own, so I am thinking having the DVD instruction will be of benefit to us both. :001_smile:

 

I'm another Atelier fan. :iagree:

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From what I have reviewed online, this program is most like the art lessons that I compose and teach students K-8 at our Classical Christian school. Along with art history and appreciation, the program seems to thoroughly teach the seven design elements (line, shape, color, value, space, texture and form), which are a critical ingredient in understanding art.

 

The technical lessons themselves seem to be very good, but could be supplemented if needed with something else. The program also covers characteristics of various art media, which is very important. It's important to know which supplies will work the best for projects, etc.

 

Artistic Pursuits states that they teach technique while at the same time encouraging individual creativity and expression. This is something that I think is key in choosing the right curriculum. If I were to choose a program for my children, this would definately be the one.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

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I've had the same dilemma with an eight year old boy.

 

We live in the Kansas City area. They have a great resource library at the Nelson - Atkins Museum of Art for art and history teachers. The museum has two people on staff that spent time with me an a few HS moms explaining their free resources. It is wonderful to work with them. I coordinated several of our history and art projects.

 

Last September our small HS group checked out the Arch Dig module from the Art Museum. It was really fun for all ages. That would have been a great art project for STOW 1.

 

They have art hands-on, theory and history books, DVDs and posters of artists from many different time periods and styles.

 

I got some of my best ideas from their catalog of elementary art classes. These classes were easy to implement. One idea was an animal scavenger hunt. Look for animals in paintings and sculptures in the museums.

 

I find history and faith are important components in understanding historical and comtemporary art. Art is a statement by the artist about themselves, their God and the society the he/she lives in. It is difficult to separate these ideas and understand art.

 

Also, we started using Draw Write Now in the penmanship portion of our school day. The Art Instructor told me that not all art requires fine motor skills and drawing. You can make paper with screens, old blender, old newspaper, food coloring, twigs and flowers from natures hikes.

 

Hobby Lobby has introductory water color and oil painting books also.

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I have 3 boys (9,10, 12). We have completely blown off any type of art instruction because it seems that we never had the time to fit it in. I am now looking to incorporate art into our lessons and am not sure which program to go with. I have heard good things about How Great Thou Art , Artistic Pursuits, and Visual Manna. I am artisticly challanged myself and did something that can be done fairly independently. It has to have enough instruction in technique as opposed to just now draw this. I would also like it to have an art appreciation component. Any suggestions? What are your favorite art programs and why?

 

 

Not sure if I am going to be able to help here... but next year we will use artistic Pursuits along with Barbs lesson plans... giving us art instruction and appreciation....

 

Barb; The Heart of harmony

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This is a great and easy to implement book. Each lesson starts out with a famous artist, information about the artist and their styles and methods. There are great hands on projects that reinforce what they are learning. I also like Visual Manna's Complete Art Curriculum. This curriculum goes through many of the basics of art and gets more challenging as you go along.

 

There are a few websites that I use to supplement these programs and get some new, neat ideas.

 

http://www.artsonia.com (you may have to register as a teacher to view lessons..free)

 

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/ This site has a lot of great ideas and information.

 

I teach art out of my home. My students favorite project by far this year was Stained Glass Mosaics. We took 6 weeks to complete the mosaics. (One class session per week) They drew out their own patterns, cut and placed glass and grouted.

 

I don't think you have to purchase an expensive curriculum. Sometimes the best thing to do is pick an artist and let them inspire your project. Good luck!

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For instruction in actually using the various media, I've elected to outsource art lessons for my son, who seems to have more interest/aptitude than his sister. However, over the years, I've loved having Art in Story by Marianne Saccardi on my shelf. It has art history, background info for the instructor, fairly simple projects, and lots of book lists for further study. The stories are engaging and arranged in such a way that it's easy to fit them into our history studies. There is a certain amount of pulling-things-together, but on the whole, I think it's a wonderful resource and well worth every penny I paid for it. If you're interested, you might be able to find it at your library and review it that way :).

 

Good luck!

 

SBP

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I use a variety of materials.

 

The main product we use is Atelier. This is where we do most of our projects from. I am teaching a copy class and I think that is what really keeps me accountable to doing this each week. :) To see our projects just check out our weekly reports.

 

I have also being adding in Hearts and Trees art studies. You can see what we do HERE. So far she has 2 of her studies available for purchase with notebooking pages. Anyone that knows how we homeschool knows we LOVE to notebook. So this is perfect for us. :) In my post I also shared a wonderful link that I just LOVE to learn more about artists and their paintings.

 

I also purchased Barb's Harmony Fine Arts at Home. I want a little more in-depth artist appreciation study then what Atelier provides. I haven't dug into it yet, but it is on my list of things to start. This also provides music appreciation as well. We will be doing that aspect of the program as well. I won't purchase Artistic Pursuits to go with it, since we have Atelier. I don't need more projects, just need something to dig deeper into learning about Artist.

 

HTH~Tina

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For those of you who use Atelier...can you tell me how many art lessons are in each module? I have looked at the program on and off for a few years now, and each time that I am tempted to try it, I end up choosing something else. I have yet to actually put to use any of the items we have purchased (ie. Artistic Pursuits) due to my son's complete lack of interest in them. We did use Meet the Masters one year with great success though.

 

Anyhow, if I purchased one Atelier module to try, how many art projects would we actually get for $55. Also, is the teaching manual needed, and if so what does in include? The website is NOT helpful at ALL.

 

Sorry for the highjack...;)

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I agree their website is rather cumbersome to navigate and not very clear.

the site does say that each module has 6 art lessons.

 

Each of the 24 Art Lesson Modules consists of 6 DVD-based art lessons (for the student) plus supporting lesson plans (for the parent).

 

I don't know about anyone else but $55 for 6 lessons, is a bit steep for me?

And it never really explains why one should get the manual? If the module has the lesson plans for it, then what's in the manual?:001_huh:

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I don't know about anyone else but $55 for 6 lessons, is a bit steep for me?

And it never really explains why one should get the manual? If the module has the lesson plans for it, then what's in the manual?:001_huh:

 

 

 

If you were to hire a teacher and had at least 1 hour of instruction/class time. It would even out. Plus you are saving on gas. *Ü* Although I am not sure how long the lesson is... but lets say between lesson and class time its 1 hour.... $55.00 / by 6 lessons is right around 9 dollars.... just a tad over actually... thats not that bad....

 

You can find it used as well....

 

I dont use this.. we are going with artistic pursuits and Barbs guides... but I would pay a teacher $10.00 for an hour class for something I wasnt teaching already....

 

Just trying to help w/ perspective....

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We pay for art lessons for our dd at a local art studio and BOY it is expensive. It is around $20 for 1 1/2 hour lesson and projects aren't done at each lesson. It is a lot of $$, but we want her to have this experience for a while. Honestly I didn't see much there that isn't provided on Atelier. Sure the instructor knows more about art than I do and could provide tips I don't know about, but the end product/result is the same.

 

With each Level there are 3 modules(A, B, C). With in each modules there are 6 lessons (including art appreciation, assessments, etc.) Each module is $55. So for $55 you get 6 complete instructor taught art lessons.

 

I would purchase this used if possible. I would try and get the DVD's (not the VHS), make sure you ask if it has the parent manual (you need only 1 of these for ALL modules), and ask if the art prints are included(1 set is used for multiple levels/3 art print sets total for the whole program). OH and make sure the lesson plans for the video lesson is included. Some folks sell them w/o the module lesson plans(note: for each video instruction you watch on TV, there is a corropsonding instructor guide that goes with it), meaning you are only getting the video, not the binder (ask if it includes the binder too) with the module lesson plans.

 

Sure you have to purchase the supplies, but there isn't much there that is hard to find. I found the hardest item to purchase is paper. BOY this can cost a lot of $$. Therefore I purchase my paper from Miller Pads and Paper. Even with shipping the cost (per page) is so much better then purchasing the art paper from JoAnn's, etc.

 

You only need to purchase 1 parent manual (I recommend purchasing this) and you use this for all Levels. It is filled with information and also provided a quick glance of materials you will need in the future (great for us planning folks). I take it out and put it in the front of each new level I move into.

 

I would purchase the art prints, but that is me. You certainly don't need to. You could look up the prints online and view them that way as well.

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...I have heard good things about How Great Thou Art , Artistic Pursuits, and Visual Manna. I am artisticly challanged myself and did something that can be done fairly independently. It has to have enough instruction in technique as opposed to just now draw this. I would also like it to have an art appreciation component. Any suggestions? What are your favorite art programs and why?

 

An art supply vendor sold what looked to be nearly the entire product lines of How Great Thou Art, Artistic Pursuits, and Visual Manna. I asked the owner, "Among these three lines, which one have you received the most positive customer feedback on?" She said it was AP, by far. (I'm pretty sure most of their customers are homeschoolers, too.)

 

The text of AP is more visually appealing: color instead of black & white, page layouts are done better (others have long paragraphs with too-small fonts, IMO; the content of the others may be great, but it's hard for me to get into some formats), and images of artwork of kids and famous artists (incorporating a bit of art history/art appreciation without you having to get a separate book).

 

If you want more variety of media, you may want to look at the AP K-3 books. The way they're written, they don't seem too young or babyish for older kids. Ds11 (5th gr.) is using the 4th-6th Book 1, which is only drawing. He's learning different techniques for drawing in black & white only, no color. It works for him because he was already interested in improving his drawing skills. The lessons are written directly to the student, so he just reads it and then does the drawing.

 

We have the K-3 Bk 1. Dd8 is using it, but because it has a much larger variety of materials, I seem to not get it done as often as I'd like. She loves doing it when we can get to it!

 

I remember getting to work with a wide variety of media my 6th grade art class in p/s...leather work, macrame projects, crayon resists, ink, paints, and other crafts. AP is not going to give you that; the greater variety you use, the harder it is to get it done, IMO. So, AP 4th-6th is working really well for us because it's easy to pull out & clean up the materials.

 

Another thing I like about AP is that it teaches elements and techniques of drawing (like how to shade or show texture) without limiting the creativity of the child. If you call AP and talk to Brenda Ellis or her husband, they can explain it better! They're really helpful.

 

HTH!

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I teach art in my home using the book Discovering Great Artists and the internet. I also make powerpoint presentations (short) to give the children an idea of the artist and their work. It is a great tool!

 

I have used a lot of programs and liked none of them! It is such an easy subject to teach using just the library or the internet and a lot of great supplies.

 

Michelle

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I teach art in my home using the book Discovering Great Artists and the internet. I also make powerpoint presentations (short) to give the children an idea of the artist and their work. It is a great tool!

 

I have used a lot of programs and liked none of them! It is such an easy subject to teach using just the library or the internet and a lot of great supplies.

 

Michelle

 

you and me both.

and I'm so NOT an art gal by nature.

 

I can't afford art lessons with an instructor like that either.

 

However, twice a month I can take them to the local museums and get a 2 hours session for $7 per child, this includes the project, any supplies needed for the project, and a tour of examples of the art topic in the museum with discussion about the artists. And I don't have to commit to it, so if a project doesn't look interesting to us - we skip it and save the funds for another time.

 

We also do a LOT of our art with our history and science studies.:)

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I think it comes down to depth/breath and desire for creativity and experiences.

 

You can compare it to knowing the US Presidents. If you know their names, parties and years in office you have a broad knowledge.

 

If you dive in and read biographies and visit their homes and study the issues of their day you begin to understand their choices and place in history.

 

If your child wants to be an artist they will gravitate to one or seveal mediums. Art takes time and inspiration. I think the best thing you can do is provide time and materials and basic instruction and then let them create.

 

Creating and art doesn't happen on a schedule.

 

Learning about Art can be scheduled. I would start at the library. :001_smile:

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Another vote for Atelier! I use it with my 2 boys -- 9 and 10 -- and they love it. Even though there are only 6 art lessons per DVD we have stretched this to be more than 6 weeks of lessons. We'll watch the art lesson on DVD and do the art project that day and then the next week we'll do another art project based on the same lesson. We didn't intend to do this but the boys enjoy the projects so much that they want to repeat them.

 

I agree that the Atelier website is a bit difficult to understand (a previous poster wrote this) but if you e-mail them with a question they will respond. If you search this forum for Atelier I previously posted part of their response to me where they explained what projects you get in Levels 4 and 5.

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