Disclaimer: Homeschooling SHOULD look different than the public school. Why? You are most likely teaching well under 10 kids at once. This is more like a one-on-one tutoring session than a large classroom. Enjoy learning while you are off from formal schooling! Explore nature. Read books – lots of books! Bake together/cook meals. Have older siblings help with younger siblings. Read out loud to each other. Definitely read out loud to little ones! There is so much coming out now online to help even more. I hope you are still finding these plans helpful.
For today you can:
Let’s dig into some fun art, music, and literature study!
One of my favorite homeschool resources is Institute for Excellence in Writing or IEW. They are giving away some free lessons right now across all age groups that cover grammar and writing. You do need to set up a free account with them, but then can download what you’d like to use. (At the bottom click on “For Parents and Students” and then register for an account.) They will walk you step-by-step through how to use the materials. Feel free to tag me in a comment as well and I can help also. We’ve used these materials for many years.
Another favorite is Homeschool Share. This is a free literature-based resource. You create a “lapbook” based on a book (although there are others). A lapbook is typically a file folder filled with smaller little folded booklets that contain all types of information about what was read. This site has 350 of them. You will need access to a printer to complete this. Scroll through the list and find a book you have or can obtain. Follow the instructions for the lapbook as you read and collect information. There is a “new to lapbooking” section as well you may wish to read.
Field Trips: Start with some virtual field trips today. Museums across the nation have opened for virtual tours. Pick one or two to explore.
Art:
The Louvre
The British Museum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
National Gallery of Art, DC
Use Google’s Art Camera to look at pieces of art up close and personal: (I really recommend this one. As you scroll, you an read about the artist and learn more about the painting.)
For today you can:
- Continue to read your book set in Maine or written by a Maine author (older students). Finish by Friday.
- Create a card and mail to an area nursing home to let residents know you are thinking of them.
- Color a picture and mail to a local hospital to let them know you are thinking of them.
- Spend time outside. Are there any signs of spring you can observe? Take a walk and wave to your neighbors!
- Create a snack for your family to share. Older kids can help younger kids.
Let’s dig into some fun art, music, and literature study!
One of my favorite homeschool resources is Institute for Excellence in Writing or IEW. They are giving away some free lessons right now across all age groups that cover grammar and writing. You do need to set up a free account with them, but then can download what you’d like to use. (At the bottom click on “For Parents and Students” and then register for an account.) They will walk you step-by-step through how to use the materials. Feel free to tag me in a comment as well and I can help also. We’ve used these materials for many years.
Another favorite is Homeschool Share. This is a free literature-based resource. You create a “lapbook” based on a book (although there are others). A lapbook is typically a file folder filled with smaller little folded booklets that contain all types of information about what was read. This site has 350 of them. You will need access to a printer to complete this. Scroll through the list and find a book you have or can obtain. Follow the instructions for the lapbook as you read and collect information. There is a “new to lapbooking” section as well you may wish to read.
Field Trips: Start with some virtual field trips today. Museums across the nation have opened for virtual tours. Pick one or two to explore.
Art:
The Louvre
The British Museum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
National Gallery of Art, DC
Use Google’s Art Camera to look at pieces of art up close and personal: (I really recommend this one. As you scroll, you an read about the artist and learn more about the painting.)
Elementary(ish) Ages
- Did you see an artist you really liked when you were looking at the art? Explore and learn more about them.
- Go here to explore the Sistine Chapel
- Tape a piece of paper to either the underside of a table or a chair. If you are brave, use paint! If you aren’t (like me), use markers. Paint/Draw like Michelangelo.
- Watch this short video about Michelangelo.
- The Sistine Chapel is in Italy where Michelangelo lived. Color this flag picture of Italy.
- Italy is in Europe. Color this map of Europe. Can you identify where Italy is located? (Hint: it looks like a boot!)
- Another artist is Henri Matisse. Watch this video to learn more about him:
- “Paint” with scissors. Get a white piece of paper and then some coloring pieces, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick. Cut out all kinds of different shapes. The more the better! Then “paint” them on to the white paper using the glue stick.
- Color this map of France.
- France is also in Europe. Can you find it on the map you have of Europe?
- If you enjoyed the videos on Matisse and Michelangelo, there are lots more just like it on YouTube.
- Learn more about Beethoven in this short video.
- I highly recommend this to learn more about Beethoven and his music. We loved listening to this! Beethoven Lives Upstairs:
- Beethoven coloring pages to color while listening to the story. HERE and HERE
- Learn more about Beethoven HERE. (This site has loads of composers. Pick another favorite and dig in.)
- If you liked the story about Beethoven, you may like a similar one but this one is about Tchaikovsky. You an hear the entire thing at this link (no animation):
- Coloring page of Tchaikovsky to work on while listening:
- If you were an artist, what would you draw? What would you be famous for? Draw your best work. Then write a story about it. Tell us how what it is about, where you would sell it, and how famous you would be!
- If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go? What would you see there? How would you travel to get there? Draw a picture and then write a description of your trip.
- Do you play an instrument? If so, practice! If not, let’s make one! Then you can play!
- You can find instructions for six homemade instruments using items from your recycling bin. Create one and have a concert (maybe outside??)
Middle School/High School(ish Age
- Pick from one of the following artists:
- Michelangelo
- Da Vinci
- Matisse
- Pollack
- Grandma Moses
- Wyeth
- Picasso
- Rembrandt
- Monet
- Do research online. Find out the following:
- Date of birth, date of death.
- Country they were born in and country they lived in.
- Were they famous while they lived?
- What style of painting were they famous for?
- Did they create anything other than paintings? (Sculpture?)
- List at least three of their most famous paintings.
- Where are they located now?
- Who else lived during their time? What famous writers, other artists, musicians, historical figures.
- Once you have all of this information, create something that shows it all. It can be anything. A PowerPoint presentation, a diorama, a collage, write a paper – anything to collect all the information in one place to share.
- For composers, do something similar to the above with the following list:
- Chopin
- Mozart
- Beethoven
- Vivaldi
- Tchaikovsky
- Bach
- Listen to the Beethoven Lives Upstairs story or the Tchaikovsky Discovers America story. (See links for these above.)
- Do you play an instrument? Practice! If not, create one HERE.
- YouTube Playlist of hands on art lessons to create. Simple & easy to follow. I did not look at all of them. The first one just used paper and markers.
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