The Byzantine Empire

Just like Hammurabi, Justinian had his own set of laws. Here are a couple of my favorites... -If you find a jewel or other treasure washed up on the seashore, you can keep it for yourself.

-When a bishop, priest, or pastor is praying or preaching, he has to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear. If he doesn't, God will punish him, and so will the emperor!

Here is history "class" out on the patio. Luke learned a valuable lesson today:  When you are surrounded by four females, it is not a good idea to claim (even in jest) that all of the bad things that happened in the Byzantine Empire was the result of the Empress consulting the Emperor how to rule. For this lesson there were paper dolls of Justinian and his wife, Theodora. When Hazel scribbled in blue on her coloring page Sylvia fixed it just by saying, "Just pretend that she colored it good."

Art History Reports

Yesterday was a wrap up of Art History.  I am so impressed with Luke, Isabel, Ben, and Luke.  They know something about and can recognize paintings from these artists...

Vincent Van Gogh Leonardo da Vinci Jackson Pollock Mary Cassatt Edgar Degas Pablo Picasso M.C. Escher Norman Rockwell Gustav Klimt Andy Warhol Claude Monet Wassily Kandinsky Georgia O'Keeffe

I had them each write anything they can remember about their favorite artist and then write why they like that artist.  They then drew a picture depicting the subject or style of that artist.  Luke V. and Luke S. both liked M.C. Escher the best.  I am wondering if this M.C. Escher in Legos sold them on him.

Luke's report

Here is Luke's M.C. Escher style sketch.  I love how he has signed his name in all different directions so that you can't tell which way the picture is supposed to go. Isabel's report was on Georgia O'Keeffe. Isabel's southwest landscape.

Claude Monet and Andy Warhol

Here was today's art history lesson: Claude Monet -1840 to 1946 -Paris, France -Impressionist -Water Lilies

Andy Warhol -1928 to 1987 -American -Hypochondriac -Pop Art -Silk Screen -Soup Cans -"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."

I had Luke, Ben, Luke and Isabel look at this painting and collectively write a poem.  They each added a line.

They then colored their own lily pads and lilies and painted over with a watery blue paint.  They loved how the blue made the white crayon show.  This one is Isabel's...

Luke's...

Sylvia's...

I couldn't think of an art project to go along with Andy Warhol, but he is one of my favorite crazy artists so I have to add this pic!