Weeks 20 and 21 of school we learned about printmaking using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 12.
The boys gave oral reports. Cameron chose Rembrandt, Fritz picked William Hayter, and Adrian chose Katsushika Hokusai.
We used scratch foam and ink to make prints.
We made stamps using yarn.
We used the stamps and paint to print on paper.
We made stamps by cutting away bits of potato and stamped them on paper. We were all impressed that Cameron managed to make his look like the inside of a tomato.
We drew designs using glitter glue on one-half of a sheet of paper and then folded it and pressed the sides together to make a design on both sides. They all turned out looking a bit like butterflies.
We watched a video of a guy making a rather impressive woodcut stamp.
Week 19 of school we learned about minstrels and plays using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 11.
We watched videos of different kinds of plays and things minstrels would perform.
We did a play in a reader’s theater format.
Weeks 17 and 18 of school we learned about and used oil paints using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 10.
We were painting detectives and examined The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck.
The boys gave oral reports on famous artists (Cameron picked Gerard David, Fritz chose Rogier van der Weyden, and Adrian picked Robert Campin).
We spread thick oil paint on a piece of wood, waited for it to start to dry, and topped it with thin oil paint. The idea was as it completely dried, the paint would crack. So far it’s been a week and a half and it’s not all the way dry so we’ll see if it cracks or not at some point in the future.
The boys drew self-portraits including things that describe them. Cameron included his taekwondo belt, Fritz a computer, and Adrian a Switch and an apple.
We did a blending activity comparing how tempera paints and oil paints blend and also did oil glazing with the oil paint.
The boys played with oil paints and painted whatever they wanted.
Weeks 15 and 16 of school we learned about Religious Art using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 9.
We did some silver leafing like in The Rainbow Fish.
The boys worked together to create a single mural.
We made reliefs.
Weeks 13 and 14 of school we learned about Gothic Art using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 8.
The boys made paint, chose things to use as paintbrushes, and painted with them. Cameron’s paint was made of chili powder, egg white, and cornstarch. Fritz’s was made of cranberries, egg yolk, and salt. Adrian’s was made of glitter, glue, and sand.
We watched a video of Giotto’s paintings.
The boys drew monkeys.
We watched a video showing how stained glass is made.
The boys colored rose windows.
The boys painted frescoes.
Weeks 11 and 12 of school we learned about the Canterbury Tales using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 7.
We read the prologue to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer in the original Middle English and then we read it in Modern English. It’s quite interesting to see how many words are the same and how many are very different and how many are different, but close enough that we could guess what they meant.
We watched the part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where Hermione reads The Tale of the Three Brothers from The Tales of Beetle the Bard. It was inspired by the Pardoner’s Tale.
We watched a cartoon version of the Pardoner’s Tale.
We watched A Knight’s Tale.
Weeks 9 and 10 of school we learned about Carolingian Art using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 6.
We copied scriptures and poems and then illustrated them like monks and scribes did.
We made religious art.
We looked at architecture and identified what had carolingian influence.
We watched a video showing examples of Carolingian architecture.
We talked about epic poems and made up one of our own.
We learned about kennings and came up with some (for example, tiger: savannah pirhanna; whale: water beast).
Week 8 of school we learned about King Arthur tales using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 5.
We made a sword in a stone.
We wrote messages on the hilt of a sword.
We designed wanted posters for Mordred, Morgan Le Fey, or Lancelot.
The boys took turns adding to an oral story about going on a quest for the Holy Grail.
We created our own coat of arms.
Weeks 6 and 7 of school we learned about Viking Art using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 4.
We drew dragons. Adrian wants everyone to know he just didn’t feel like finishing the details on his.
The boys worked together to design and name a Viking sword.
We made cups out of clay.
We made image stones.
The boys wrote their names in runes.
We made Yggdrasil, the tree of the world.
The boys got to use their creativity the fifth week of school using Layers of Learning, year 2 unit 3. There was a long list of activities to choose from. The boys made a commercial.