2011-2012 Curriculum, part 2 - Medieval Literature and Fine Arts

Last week we dove headfirst into the fifth century A.D., joining the barbarians and leaving the Roman Empire in the dust and rubble. We are very excited about this year's plans to study the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation -- and British literature! We're using Famous Men of the Middle Ages to guide us along for history, and supplementing with lots of lit.

Literature and Historical fiction

The legends of King Arthur & His Knights of the Round Table -- Eldest and Middlest are each reading their own versions, and we're listening to Benedict Flynn's audiobook together.

 

Tales from the Arabian Nights -- I found a child-friendly illustrated version at the library for Scott to read aloud in the evenings.

Beowulf -- an online version to read aloud

Beorn the Proud -- the story of a Christian girl and the Viking boy who takes her as a slave when his family attacks her village in Ireland 

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (library book sale find)

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

Redwall -- this is off Middlest's shelf, and I'll pick up the audiobook at the library as well.

Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley -- library book to supplement our Famous Men of the Middle Ages reading

Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman

The Beggar’s Bible by Louise Vernon

Huguenot Garden

Morning Girl

Shakespeare
Usborne Stories of Shakespeare
Shakespeare for Kids
As You Like It (1936) - Netflix instant download
MacBeth : For Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series)
Henry V (1989) - Netflix instant download

Poetry
Idylls of the king - Alfred, Lord Tennyson
A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing and Shout

Read-alouds for Littlest

The End of the Beginning by Avi -- we're loving this book together

Various picture and poetry books from the library and our shelves boxes shelves (when I get the boxes unpacked), some taken from Ambleside's Year 0 list:

Mother Goose
A Child's Garden of Verses
The Little House
Make Way for Ducklings
Lentil
The Duchess Bakes a Cake
The Adventures of Peter and Lotta
Peter in Blueberry Land
Burgess Book of Animals



For all the boys:
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott, one of my all-time favorite books

Audiobooks:
Heidi
Wind in the Willows

Art
Last year our picture study was integrated into Lively Latin's history, so I didn't have to purchase or plan much else. This year we're using Harmony Art Mom's Artist and Composers Study. The Popular Composers CD is awesome. We accidentally listened to two weeks' worth of Vivaldi on errand day. Oops! ;)

Dore's Illustrations of Idylls of the King
Harmony Fine Arts - Artists and Composers Study, Medieval and Renaissance, Grade 2, with...

Art of the Middle Ages

Marguerite Makes a Book
David Macauley's Mosque, Cathedral and Castle (and the DVD version of Castle)
Michaelangelo by Diane Stanley

Music
Eldest - cello
Middlest - violin
Littlest - viola (He is counting down the days until his first lesson this Friday!)
Harmony Fine Arts - Artists and Composers Study, Medieval and Renaissance, Grade 2

That's it so far! Littlest's read-aloud list is far from complete, so perhaps I'll flush it out later on.

Celebrating my mom's 60th at the beach

My mom wanted to spend her 60th birthday at the coast with her girls, and that's just what she did.

We stopped for pedicures on our way, and then spent Saturday eating, shopping, sipping wine, eating, chatting and relaxing by the pool.

On Sunday, my dad brought the boys over, and the activity level rose a bit...

 

Happy birthday, Nana! Thanks for sharing your special weekend with us!