Frozen Nuts and Other Things: July 2013

Monday, July 29, 2013

Culture and Communications, Our Studies in 10th Grade

Streets of Ketchikan by Prescott M. M. Jones

Items to cover (10th Grade) for Culture and Communications:

Interview community members and conducts research to gather oral and written history information about 3 or more significant events in their local community
Presents summaries of interviews and research findings with a focus on the variety of different perspectives and interpretations of these significant events in the local history of the community
See note below.Describes the role of individuals and groups from indigenous cultures in actively proposing and promoting federal legislation and policies, including Alaska Native and other indigenous cultures
Chooses an element of culture to study in depth (language, traditions, celebrations, family structure, belief systems, etc.) Researches and prepares a report on findings.
See note below. Analyzes federal policies and legislation that recognized civil rights for indigenous peoples including Alaska Native and other indigenous cultures
Explains how artists can communicate values and important themes in their artwork (about belief systems,war, peace, justice, etc)
Appreciates the arts in 3 or more ways, including practicing their skills as an audience member (listening, providing positive feedback, etc.); participating in one or more forms of art (dance, music, theater, or visual arts); studying Alaskan artwork and learning artistic techniques from one or more artists.

Commercial King Crabbers by Rie Munoz

(this link will take you to the page to buy this print or others by Rie Munoz)

Steps and Materials Used to Meet Goals of Culture & Communication:
For Number 1 and 2 (above). Interview community members

Select 3 significant events from local area to research. (Some possible topics: Building the Pipeline, Flood in Fairbanks in 1967, Building road roundabouts in North Pole, Arrival of big chain box stores, Changes in road system.)
Interview at least 3 individuals for each topic and do research on the topics.
Write a paper that summarizes the interviews and research findings with a focus on the variety of different perspectives and interpretations of these significant events in the local history of the community.
Optional: Present paper orally.

For Numbers 3 and 5 (above)

They will be included in the State Studies page instead of covered here, now.

For Number 4 (above) Research an element of culture

After selecting an element of culture (language, traditions, celebrations, family structure, belief systems, etc) research and write a 3 page report (typed, double spaced)

For Number 6 (above) Themes in artwork

Watch videos on themes in artwork (Art Through Time, a Global View), 13 themes with videos of each about 30 minutes each. Each lesson has a guide and downloadable text with images of artwork. Use the questions in each guide to discuss the videos. The guide (with questions) and texts are found here. There is nudity in some of the paintings.

For Number 7 (above) Practice skill as an audience member

Watch a performance of a play,or movie based on a book with other family members. Possible choices: Les Miserables (Broadway version), Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, a scene from Cyrano de Bergerac. Or attend a live performance, if available in your area.

For Number 7 (above) Participate in art.
Select at least one from the list below. Our family will be doing all of the list.

Perform a monologue. Select one from this site.
Learn popular and folk songs of the 1800s. Listen to the songs on the list (one per week) and learn lyrics to several that inspire you. I will add to these as I find links for them.

Buffalo Gals - 1848 (banjo tab), (lyrics)
Auld Lang Syne - 1799, (lyrics)
Those Johnson Boys (banjo tab) (video)
Little Brown Jug
Yankee Doodle
Billy Boy (lyrics)
Camptown Races
Down in the Valley
Fishers Hornpipe (lmusic) (banjo tab)
When Johnny Comes Marching Home - 1863 (music and Lyrics)
Old Folks at Home
Jim Crow (lyrics)
Oh Susanna
Dixie - 1859 (music & lyrics)
Goober Peas (lyrics & music)
Long, long ago - 1835 (lyrics)
John Brown's Body - 1860
Old Kentucky Home
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean - 1881 (music & lyrics)
Jeannie With the light Brown Hair
De Boatman Dance (lyrics)
The Old Gray Mare (lyrics)
Old Dan Tucker - 1843 (lyrics)
Beautiful Dreamer
Little Rosewood Casket
Jimmy Crack Corn (music & lyrics)
Yellow Rose of Texas - 1858 (lyrics)

Practice musical instrument(s).
Complete lessons in Artistic Pursuits High School book 1: Elements of Art and Composition (purchase book)
Practice photography

For Number 7 (above) Study Alaskan art

Study one artist per quarter: Select from the list below or select others.

Alaskan artist: Fred Machetanz (1908-2002). View his biography. View one of his paintings, Quest for Avuk, at the Anchorage Museum. This is a wonderful book of paintings: Alaskan Paintings of Fred Machetanz by Fred Machetanz.
Alaskan artist: Sydney Laurence (1865-1940), View his biography. The Silent Pool at the Anchorage Museum and other paintings at this site.
Alaskan artist: Rie Munoz, View her biography. View paintings.
Alaskan artist: Jon Van Zyle, View his biography. View paintings and more paintings at his site.

Visit a museum and view artwork on display. There are several pieces by Machetanz and Laurence on display at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

For Number 7 (above) Learn artistic techniques

Learn to use Watercolors -- like Munoz

Paint flowers scene on nature walks. Take photos to use for reference.
An example of painting Peonies.
Paint people in everyday activities in the style of Munoz

Learn to use Acrylics (or Oils) -- like Van Zyle (or Machetanz and Laurence)

For Acrylics: May need canvas, acrylic paints, palette, bristle burshes in filbert size 2, 4, 6 and 10, sable brushes for details, and optional flat and round bristle brushes
For Oils: May need canvas, oils paints, gesso, palette, bristle brushes in filbert size 2,4, 6 and 10, sable brushes for details, turpenoid, linseed oil, and optional: flat and round bristle brushes
possible video to watch: Painting a pear
Painting of birch trees is one option. Directions here. Or paint trees you have seen on your Nature studies

Friday, July 19, 2013

Daddy Woodpecker on Baby Duty

Another family is living at our house--a family of woodpeckers. The first day we saw mom, dad, and junior all at the feeder which is unusual as we rarely see more than one at a time. Apparently, woodpeckers feed in different areas and not together. So when we saw three it was a surprise. Mom didn't stay long and went on to another place to feed. Daddy spent several days feeding junior from the feeder which has peanut butter and wheat bread in it. It was so interesting to see him feeding his baby.

Daddy is on the right and baby on the left.

Baby was being stubborn about eating and trying to eat by himself, so daddy woodpecker hopped around the back side of the tree and offered junior some food from a different angle. You can just see part of his head and beak peaking out from the back of the tree and it appears he has some peanut butter on the end of his beak.

Daddy (on the right) looks smaller than junior (on the left).

Yesterday daddy woodpecker wasn't around, just junior, so we figured he was on his own now. However, today the feeder was out of peanut butter after some squirrel eating it all! And the bread was too far away from the front of the feeder for junior to figure out how to get the bread. I felt sorry for him until I saw him back with daddy woodpecker who was reaching into the feeder and getting him some bread and feeding him again. It was like he had to go find his daddy to help him and daddy cared enough to help him out. After a bit they flew off together and I am hoping daddy woodpecker is trying to teach him to eat something else so he doesn't become dependent on just this one feeder/food.

Baby (on left) is looking at the bread as if saying "Daddy, I can't reach it. Feed me."

Friday, July 12, 2013

Woodworking Ideas for Boys (or Girls!)

We used to go to Lowes ad Home Depot and build their little projects. Now we are looking to find other things to progress to. The books below are under consideration. Since we are always looking for ideas that are free I've lised free "Projects" below which all have building directions and/or printable plans.

Books

Woodworking by John Kelsey
The All-New Woodworking for Kids by Kevin McGuire
Woodshop for Kids by Jack McKee
The Kids Building Workshop by Craig Robertson

Projects

Some of these are very easy while others are more difficult.

Outdoor Furniture

An interesting video showing how to make a folding outdoor chair. A pattern is available for purchase here (folding outdoor chair).

My son wants to build this folding table. I would consider this an advanced project.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Nature Studies - Making Art

Making art doesn't have to be hard, involve a lot of materials, or even be permanent. While on our nature walk one day we collected items we found and made artwork on the ground. Preserving it was a lesson in photography, so we killed two birds with one stone.

Below is student artwork created using items found in nature.

A Predator Visits Our Yard

While sitting here this afternoon working on the computer I looked out the window to see the owl we have been seeing off an on for a few months looking in at me. Finally I had the camera and got a shot of what I think this is a boreal owl.

If, in your bird watching you want to identify a bird, we found this site which identifies a lot of birds and is very helpful: Backyard Bird Identifier by National Geographic.

A coloring page of an owl, which looks very similar to the one above, is at this link.

For an owl handicraft, possibly make a felt owl. Find the pattern here.

A New Family

Earlier today we watched a parent black capped chickadee feeding it's two young at one of the bird feeders. The video isn't top quality, but you can see the two young birds waiting on the rope and being fed. It's so cute.