Homeschool Review Crew - HiGASFY Art History Video Series

I was thrilled to get a chance to review HiGASFY Art History Video Series - three month subscription from HiGASFY Art History Video Series.

What is HiGASFY?

The letters in the name stands for Have I Got A Story For You, and it's pronounced, "Hi Gasfy!" Gasfy is a green drop of paint character who helps narrate the stories about art history. Each video lesson is roughly 20 to 25 minutes long. About the first five minutes of each episode is a brief review of what we learned from the previous episode. The program is intended for students in grades 1-8. The videos are amazing, but it doesn't end there. There is also a lesson study guide that goes along with each video lesson that provides activities and online flashcards to study, making it a complete curriculum package for art history.

How Did We Use It?

We were asked to watch at least one lesson per week during the review period. Believe me, it was hard to stop after just one, because each video connects to the other with teasers of what's coming and a review of what we talked about previously, so it's really hard to stop at watching just one. It was super easy to access. I simply clicked on the video links to play through lessons and then adownloaded the lesson plans and had access to the on-screen flashcards and Name That Artist assessment/game/tests. Each series includes 12 videos, 16 corresponding lesson plans that are downloadable, downloadable flashcards and an assessment game called "Name that Artist" to be played at the end of the series to evaluate your student's retention of material. There is also a biblical application available for each lesson.

The lessons were very easy and entertaining to watch as they also presented facts about the artists. The lesson plans are presented in PDFs and online access and extend the video lessons to hands-on activities. Some of the activities included drawing, free drawing, making a portfolio to store artwork, crossword puzzles, and word finds. They also touched upon vocabulary words, writing, science, and some geography.

Covered in the videos and lesson curriculum plans are:

• Renaissance
• Baroque
• Impressionist
• Post-Impressionist

What Did We Think?

I thought the entire way everything was presented made a complete package and is a very clever and engaging way to learn art history. It's not just plopping your child down in front of a video. There are also lessons included to make it a well-rounded program about art history. I enjoyed it better than any other art history I've ever encountered.

FIND HiGASFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/higasfy/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/higasfy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjrNWpYDazk50FyV7AdKhkw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/higasfy/

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

Homeschool Review Crew - The Master and His Apprentices Art History from a Christian Perspective

I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Digital Edition of the Textbook and Teacher Guide: The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian Perspective from The Master and His Apprentices.

What is The Master and His Apprentices?

This is a 36-week full high school credit course. Basically, you are assigned to read chapters, come together to discuss, write 4 papers on various art-related subjects, complete worksheets, and exams. When it is complete, the student receives 1 art credit at a high school level.

Three very cool things about this curriculum that I especially love:

First - This is a biblical, Christian worldview approach to art history. There is no inappropriate, nudity, or questionable pictures included.

Second - It is written by a homeschool graduate.

Third - It ties together art history with biblical events

The curriculum starts with an introduction that describes how God is the Master artist and creator, and all other artwork uses an object that God created. The first lessons are days of creation and related artwork. Additional periods covered include: Ancient Cultures - Ancient Near East, Egyptians and Aegean Classical Antiquity - Early Greek, Etruscan and Roman Middle Ages - Medieval and Islamic, Early Christian and Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic Renaissance - Proto-Renaissance, Early Italian Renaissance, High Italian Renaissance and Northern Renaissance Baroque and Beyond - Baroque, Rococo to Today/Modern Art and Global Highlights/Non-Western Art

I received:

Textbook in PDF digital download format - 380 pages

Teacher Guide for The Master and His Apprentices in PDF digital download format - 116 pages including exams and answer key

and special PRINT/PHOTOCOPY RIGHTS for my household

The course is intended to be used for a full high school credit, working at a rate of a chapter a week.

  

The textbook contains colorful pictures of artwork along with daily lesson readings. The first thing you do is read the segment in the textbook, and then discuss what you learned. The Pieces By Location section in the appendix could be used as a bit of a travel guide as it is organized to include works by region.




The readings included in the text are followed by worksheets that are included in the Teacher Guide. The Teacher Guide also includes discussion questions and exams along with an answer key and some other goodies, like a section of Terms to Describe Art page which I printed to have on hand for use with my daughter to further become familiar with art vocabulary as we flip through to talk about the different art pieces.

How Did We Use It?

While I do have a high school sophomore who needs an art course, I chose my 7th grader who absolutely eats, breathes, and lives art to help me with the review, as I felt she could handle the material even though she is not yet in high school. Though, I would recommend if your child is not obsessed with the topic of art like she is that it may be best to get the most out of it to wait until they are at a high school level as it may be a bit advanced for other middle schoolers. I was excited that it came with all of the tools I needed to properly instruct and test the subject as well as a textbook download that was of high school level, but still seemed like a level my 7th grader could follow. I skimmed through both the text and the teacher guide before deciding how to present it to my daughter, so I got a really good overview of what is included and how to use the curriculum. Fueled with all of the curriculum pieces I needed, I then sat down with my daughter.

What I found especially fascinating and useful were the timelines included that connected specific periods of art with biblical times.

What Did We Think?

Wahoo! That was my initial reaction and the reaction that remains after using it. This is so well put together and packed with tons of information done in such a tasteful way so as not to offend my beliefs. In fact, I am hungry for art history, or any subject for that matter, curriculum that weaves in the spiritual aspects. So, this curriculum was very welcome in our household. While, this is a fitting level for my art-obsessed daughter, and if the parent reads it aloud, a younger child will probably do well to be exposed to the information at a younger age, as I began to delve into the meat of the program, I did find it very appropriate to be labeled as an adult or high school level, and the writer of the curriculum makes this clear from the beginning. I say this not because of any inappropriate pictures or art forms but rather because of its depth of information and spiritual ideas that takes a more mature mind to fully grasp for open discussion, paper writing, and complete comprehension of the subject.

The book is filled with beautiful pictures and in-depth descriptions. I also thought it was really cool that the curriculum includes a travel guide so you can explore artwork in regions where you vacation or take a virtual trip around the world led by works of art.

FIND The Master and His Apprentices ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Master-and-His-Apprentices-245504999349223/

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/themasterandhisapprentices/boards/

Affiliate Program - https://themasterandhisapprentices.com/affiliate-home/ 

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas? Can Santa Dance the Hora, I mean Can Can?

As a homeschooler, we tend to study history and uncover the truth behind every day traditions.  Perhaps this rings most true this time of year.

I was raised in a Christian household. It wasn't Catholic. It wasn't Presbyterian. It wasn't Lutheran. It wasn't Baptist. It wasn't Methodist. It wasn't Pentecostal. It wasn't Assemblies of God. It wasn't Church of Christ. It was Christian. We used to joke amongst ourselves that we were the world's largest non-denomination denomination. Simply called, Christian.

Within this upbringing, we celebrated Christmas. We celebrated it as Christ's birthday. It was a grand celebration, second only to Easter. We put up the tree, lights and decorations, sung carols, gave each other gifts. And, yes, my family even did the whole Santa thing - kit and kaboodle (to which I was not devastated or ever questioned my parents' truthfulness when I found out the Santa truth).

When I became a parent myself, my husband and I discussed whether to play up Santa Claus to our kids. When my oldest was a baby, we came to the decision that we would give him gifts on Christmas morning, but we would not make up a big story about the elves, the reindeer, and on and on. We would merely give him gifts on Christmas morning. If he asked, we would be honest and tell him where they came from. This was one of the toughest decisions about celebrating Christmas....So we thought.

In recent years, we have encountered not only Christians who believe Santa is evil, but Christians who do not celebrate Christmas.

Of course, I knew Santa was never the true meaning of Christmas (though there was a real St. Nicholas).  But, there are those who will argue vehemently that the true meaning of Christmas isn't even Christ's birthday.  True, no one knows the exact date of Jesus' birth.  And, I was taught growing up that the wise men really weren't at the manger scene.  But, what's wrong with celebrating Jesus' birth?  I mean these same people celebrate their own birthday.  And, if they did not know this date, a day would have to be chosen.  So, apparently the problem lies in the date of December 25 being associated previously with pagan celebrations.  These Christmas naysayers argue that Christmas is nothing more than a pagan festival that has been created and sugar coated to deceive Christians. While, others say that it was originally designed by the Catholic church to redeem the day.  Is that so wrong?  To some, the answer is a vehement yes, and they will also point to scripture to prove how wrong you are to think otherwise.  At stake are symbols and traditions that surround the Christmas tree, the yule log, and other traditions that I have always believed were rooted in Christianity, not paganism. But, have recently become confused.

In recent years, especially since the birth of my youngest (our miracle baby, born on the Sabbath of Rosh Hashanah) I have begun to question what I really believe. The awe that surrounded my youngest child's life and entrance into this world stunned me. I began looking seriously into Jewish customs, and Old Testament feasts. Did they have meaning that I had not been taught?

You see I hold dear to my Christian faith and its Judeo-Christian roots. I have a deep love for God's chosen people.  Most of all, I want to please my maker and obey what He commands.

I'm still searching to find what the truth is.

In my search, I have encountered some very loving people and some not-so-lovely ones. I have discovered that to follow the letter of the law is difficult. I have found unloving people who call themselves Christians, quick to jump down the throats of those who seek Judeo-Christian links in how they work out their faith. And, I have seen unloving folks who make comment after comment on people's Facebook posts regarding festivals and Jewish laws and traditions. It reminds me of the Pharisees and those who seek to create foolish arguments instead of seeking after love. Both camps have unloving people who speak in the name of love. Both camps, fortunately, also have lovely people who offer grace and understanding to those seeking after the truth (like me).

So, with all these thoughts swirling around in my head like sugar plums (pardon the Christmas-based reference), my children and I went to a house nearby ours tonight to watch a light display. They have put 70,000 LED lights to music. When you pull up to the house, you can tune your radio station to 89.7 and listen to a music accompaniment to the lights. One of the songs we enjoyed was called The Christmas Can Can by a group called Straight No Chaser. My children and I found relief in the humor behind it, and I thought you might like some levity as well. When we returned home, I found the song on Youtube.  Enjoy:

Mackinaw or Mackinac? They Both Spell History, PE and Fun

There may be some confusion around the words Mackinac and Mackinaw - both places in Michigan.  They both mean the same, but one refers to the city and the other the island.  According to the official Mackinac Bridge site, the French pronounced it "aw", but they spelled it to end with an "ac".  When the British heard the "aw" pronunciation, they spelled it as it sounded.  The original meaning for Mackinac is great turtle, as the island was thought to be shaped like a turtle.

Last weekend, we had the privilege of showing the island to our three children.  It was amazing!  The kids were very excited, and now old enough to appreciate the island.

The day started with a ferry boat ride to the island, and we had to capture some pictures of the B&B where we stayed!

 When my husband and I got married, we spent part of our honeymoon on Mackinac Island.  For those unfamiliar with the island, it is a magical place where no cars are allowed, and there is a Grand luxurious hotel.  We did not stay at the Grand Hotel on our honeymoon.  We, instead, enjoyed a bed & breakfast called the Bay View Inn, right on the beach.  It was amazing.  When the last ferry boat of the day, filled with daily tourists, would leave; all we would hear is the clip clop of horse hooves on the streets.  What a delightful sound!

We took a carriage ride through the hilly portion of the island, and rode our bikes around the 8.3 mile edge by the seashore.

The kids kept up well, with the youngest in a bike trailer.  We ate at the same hotel where we ate on our honeymoon.

Words cannot describe how magical this place is.  And, among all of the magic, there is tons of history to be learned.  A British battle, the construction of the Grand Hotel which took around 90 days, with 600 workers (not all truly carpenters, but those who answered an ad for a high-paying job - so, some of the this Grand Hotel is actually crooked in structure).  There is a fort on top of the island, and the nation's second national park (following Yellowstone).

And, of course, Mackinac would not be the same without some of their famous fudge.