In the third volume of my American Art series, I introduce James Hoban’s original drawing of the White House. Students learn about Hoban and the different architectural components of the White House, and complete a copy of Hoban’s drawing. Lego’s Architecture Series A fabulous accompaniment to this lesson is Lego’s White House in their Architecture… Read more »
Kristin spoke to a group of homeschool parents on February 5, 2013 about homeschooling with real books…not textbooks. Over twenty parents attended and many purchased her book, Serious Fun: Homeschooling with Real Books. Watch the video of the event: Photos of the the event can be seen here.
Kristin Draeger’s new book, Serious Fun: Homeschooling with Real Books, has just been published and is available in both paperback ($14.95) and Kindle editions ($6.99). Over 1,500 Books for K – 8th Grade Serious Fun has an opening essay chronicling how Kristin used real books (not textbooks) to homeschool her son from Kindergarten through the… Read more »
I will be speaking at the Julian Charter School San Diego Learning Center on February 5th, 2013. Here’s my topic: Homeschooling Got You Down? Are you frustrated trying to teach school in a traditional way at home? Do your students have difficulty focusing and sitting still? Do you dread school time? Very early on I… Read more »
Back in Print! A wonderful children’s book that highlights four famous works of art is now back in print. Dog’s Night, written by Meredith Hooper and illustrated by Allan Curless and Mark Burgess, is as entertaining as it is clever. Back Where Dogs Belong The plot involves four dogs in four works of art in… Read more »
After finishing the first volume of my American Art series, I recommend to my students here in San Diego that they go visit the Heritage of the Americas Museum at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon (a suburb of San Diego, see map of museum location). Impressive Collection This museum has one of the most impressive… Read more »
Textbooks that are both interesting and engaging are rare and I rarely recommend them, but if you absolutely need a textbook for American History, A History of US is the only choice. Written in a narrative style, A History of US tells the history of the United States, from prehistory to the present, thoroughly and… Read more »
This is a sweet and interesting biography of the childhood of Benjamin West, who is often called the Father of American art. I read this to my class on Friday while they were drawing and they loved it. I didn’t hear a peep throughout the entire story. Although the illustrations are beautiful, they were not… Read more »
When I teach classes here in San Diego, the only homework that I assign is reading. I provide 50 – 60 books per semester for my students to check out each week from my personal library. Each book is linked to a piece of art in my curriculum. I hand choose each title based on:… Read more »
Thomas Eakins friend, Max Schmitt, won the single sculls competition on October 5, 1870. This painting (completed in 1871) celebrates his victory. The painting measures 32.5 by 46.25 inches and is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Enjoy! Thomas Eakins and his paintings The Gross Clinic along with Max Schmitt… Read more »
Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525 – 1569) was a Flemish Renaissance painter. He was sometimes referred to as the “Peasant Bruegal”. His painting, The Procession to Calvary, measures 49 by 67 inches and was completed in 1564. There is a lot of detail in this painting so don’t miss it. Many of the photos below… Read more »
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins (don’t ask me to pronounce his middle name) was an American artist born in 1844. He died in 1916 and is considered one of America’s most important artists. One of his most famous paintings is The Gross Clinic completed in 1875. Thomas Eakins and his paintings The Gross Clinic along with Max… Read more »
Create Bible Verse Cards: Volume I $11.95
Draw the World Book Bundle (7-9 Books) $109.49 – $139.49
American Art History, Full Year Book Bundle $125.49 – $165.49