Arts, Crafts & Hobbies

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For Global Grade 3’s original post click below…

Global Grade 3

Hello Global Grade 3,

How can a dot teach a lesson? Our world is full of dots and for International Dot Day I shared an extended comment with some classes I visited. It was about dots. It was the post just before this one. Here’s the link…

International Dot Day

Now I see you also had a dotty time and thought to share a little about Peter Reynold's story, “The Dot”. On reading your post, I thought I’d share a dot you might know, a dot from me to you.

I viewed the Animoto of your dots and was amazed by the complex, colourful, patterned, pictured dots. I can see how creative you all are and I know you are going to make your mark. I feel lucky I’ll be able to see your marks being made in the posts on your blog.

Nick and Chris – Mistakes only need be mistakes if they stop you from trying. Whether we are right or wrong, all we do is part of our learning journey. We should see our experiences in life as opportunities, opportunities to do better, opportunities to make our next learning step and opportunities to show the world what we can achieve if we keep trying.

Christopher and Davis – Your words are true. We should never let ourselves believe we can’t. If we have hopes and dreams, things we wish to achieve in life, we should work towards achieving them. Whether we one day make it or not doesn’t matter so long as we can look back and say…

I always tried my hardest and never gave up.

Amro and Tre – Trusting ourselves is important in life no matter what our age. Self-doubt can be like a high brick wall blocking our path. We can choose to let us stop us or we can find our way over, under or around it.

Danny and Elijah – When I was seven, I said to my parents I wanted to be a teacher. While I had other dreams like being a steam train driver (yes, I’m old enough to remember when they pulled normal trains), the dream of being a teacher was always there. I didn’t give up as I completed school nor when I worked towards my science degree from university (college) or when attending teacher’s college. I knew had something to share. I knew I could make a difference. Even when a health problem stopped me being a full time teacher, I looked for ways to be involved. It was my will to keep trying which brought me to blogging and helped introduce me to all of you. I didn’t give up.

Jayden, Ella and Cemre – Your words are wise. We all have goals in our life. Some might never be achieved but, if we aren’t willing to try, we can say we tried to achieve.

I would rather try to achieve a goal than look back on my life and think, “I wonder what might have happened if…”

Zubayda, Chelsea and Rayann – “The only failure is not making a mark.” This very statement is a mark you have made. You don’t need to be an adult to make a mark, you only need be willing to try whether it’s solving a math problem in class or freeing the world from hunger.

Lauren – Your comment is very interesting as it points towards personal bests. Imagine someone who, when old enough, dreams of being an Olympian. They compete with others as they grow, sometimes winning and sometimes not. What they do have in their hearts is the will to keep trying. Whether they earn a medal or not, if they achieve their personal best they know they have made their mark.

AJ and Tyler – A squiggle becomes a shape. A shape becomes a design. A design becomes a pattern. The pattern becomes a picture. The picture causes a smile. The smile is shared with others. The world becomes a happier place. It all started with a squiggle and a wish to do more.

Dimitrios, Rebecca & Joyce – When I look back over my life as a teacher, I know I have made a mark in the lives of hundreds of students. In turn, they have come to make their marks on the lives of others. What we do to make a mark isn’t just a mark in our lives, our marks can help others make theirs.

Ben & Tommy – Two boys sitting in a third grade room in Canada are given the chance to add a comment to the class blog.  They use their opportunity to encourage others to make a mark, to never give up, to seek original marks rather than copy others. In sharing their advice, they make their own mark.

Now your questions…

Have I read any books that inspire me to persevere and work through challenges?

These days I am more likely to read about inspirational people online because of the way I now share. I have Twitter followers who are singers who inspire me as they work to achieve their dream of being a performer. I have Twitter followers who have their own charities, despite being sick themselves, who inspire me because of their work for others. I have Twitter followers who are teachers who always inspire me through their wise words and the work of their students they share. This includes Global Grade 3 whose posts always inspire me.

Do I have a favourite quote that I think of when I am facing a challenge?

I always liked a saying from Confucius that goes something like this…

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.”

It always makes me think to not consider how long or far we must travel. The most important thing in life is to make that first step. Step after step we make our journey through life.

When I am feeling frustrated and think I “can’t”, what do I do to move PAST these feelings to get back on the “horse” and TRY again?

We can all feel frustrated at times when we have tried and can’t. This can be a normal part of life. What makes us a stronger person is being willing to look for other ways. If I find I can’t, I look for other ways so I can. Here’s an example…

A teacher asked if I could record her working with two five year old children. She wanted to share with parents how children practise reading in class. She added a request. Is it possible to show the child’s face so parents could see the child sound words but also show the child following the words in the book?

Now there is a problem with this. Filming the face, the book in front of them is upside down to the camera. It took a moment’s thought for me to solve the problem. I used a second camera also at the front so it wouldn't show up on the DVD. I used my software to zoom in on the book, turn the recording upside down so the book was the correct way, then added the book to the bottom of the video watching the child’s face. Parents can see the faces but the bottom part of the screen shows the child following the words with the book the right way around.

It would have been easier to say it couldn't be done but I try never to think that way.

Here is my dot again. Will you share it with others?

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

Keep blogging.

@RossMannell

1 Comment

Links to school blog's I visited for the annual International Dot Day (September 15) promoting creativity. Each shared their wonderful dot creations...

Phoenix School on Facebook

A teacher and class in New Zealand

Mrs. Yollis and Class

Class One, Norbridge

Mrs. Ranney and Class

Hello Phoenix School,

"What other materials have I seen used to create dots?" Your question had me thinking where dots exist in nature and the things we do. I'll share a few things...

Firstly, I decided to create a dot design to join in the fun of International Dot Day even if I was a little late to take part on the day. Here is a video clip I made of what resulted.

Schools and students have permission to use this video clip for non-commercial, educational purposes.

How was this done?

Many of you have probably tried folding a piece of paper, cutting out little sections then opening it out to see the pattern. This is how the basic pattern was created. I then scanned the pattern and started working in Photoshop. I copied and pasted the pattern to create a 9 dot design, then 81 dot, next 729 and finally 6,561 dots. To make the video clip, I loaded the patterns in reverse order so the many dots slowly became one.

Have you heard of an art style called pointillism?

Pointillism is an art form where artists use small spots of distinct colours. International Dot Day made me think about this style. Here is a Wikipedia link with information on pointillism...

Pointillism

With pointillism in mind, I again turned to Photoshop. This time I used a photo I had taken of an animal in a local animal sanctuary named, Potoroo Palace. To view this video clip, it's best viewed in full screen. The video shows you where to click to go to full screen.

Can you guess the animal in the photo? At first the dots are large but they become smaller and the animal is easier to see...

Schools and students have permission to use this video clip for non-commercial, educational purposes.

How was this done?

As I mentioned, I started with a photo I had taken. It was loaded into Photoshop. One filter available in Filters under Pixillate is named Pointillise (I use the Australian English spelling in this text). With the photo loaded, I selected this filter then set the size of the dots. I created five dot forms in all. The first you see had 100 pixel size, then next 50 then 25 the 12 and finally 5 pixel size. The last image you see is the original photo.

Did you know the computer screen you are looking at uses small dots?

If you were to use a strong magnifying glass to look at the computer screen, you would see small dots. As in pointillism, small dots of different colours placed close together combine to make the colour look different, e.g red with blue makes purple. Mixing different colour dots in lighter and darker shades can make them appear as a huge number of different colours. This is also true of photos we take using a digital camera. Below is  video showing what happens when you zoom in on the first dot creation in your class slideshow, Anya's beautiful creation...

Artwork creator: Anya of Phoenix School

Schools and students have permission to use this video clip for non-commercial, educational purposes.

How was this done?

With a screen capture of Anya's artwork, I was able to load her creation into Photoshop. I adjusted the view zoom. With each step, I performed another screen capture of what resulted. As you can see, by the final zoom, only one pixel appears and it is only one colour.

Did you know our eyes, in a way, see only dots of light?

When light travels into our eyes, the lens in our eye focuses the light on the retina at the back of the eye. In our eye we have two types of light sensitive cells, the rods and cones. If stimulated by light, each cell sends a message the brain. The brain is able to piece together the information coming in so we believe we are seeing something. That's pretty amazing dot work. Here is link with some information on the eye...

How the Eye Works

Was there dot painting before pointillism?

I am sure dot painting has appeared in a number of cultures throughout history but its appearance in different Aboriginal cultures within Australia interests me. They used, and are using, traditional designs in their artwork. Here is a link to one collection...

Papunya Collection

The Aboriginal people used earth colours in their traditional art, although modern forms use modern paints with many more colours. This is a style of painting I have used with classes over the years. One of our best works was painted on a piece of board measuring about 3' x 2' (90cm x 60cm). I prepared the board by at first giving it a coat of dark red. Many of my class took turns helping me add 100s of small dots until the pattern was complete. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo or the final product. I left it with a school about 15 years ago.

To finish off this post, I have an unusual way of creating a dot pattern. Take a large number of people dressed in assorted colours. Show them where to stand and how to move. Film them from above and you have living dot art. Here is a link to a 1990 British Airways ad using this technique...

This video clip is not mine. It appears on You Tube only.

2 Comments

For the original post...

http://mrswatson.ca/2012/06/24/habitat-dioramas/

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Hello Mrs. Watson's 2/3 Class,

Having seen your wonderful dioramas, I thought I would share how I make trees for dioramas.

You will need some copper (or similar) wire about the length of the tree height you want, wood (PVA) glue, coloured soft foam cut into very small pieces to make leaves and scissors.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

1. Remove most of the plastic coating from the wire. (Have an adult help here.) A small amount can be left on to make the wire easier with which to work.

2. Twist about half the length together to make the tree truck.

3. Open out the copper wire strands on the top half to make the branches.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

4. Either brush on wood glue or dip the wire branches in glue taking care with the fine wires as they can bend easily. You can add some more later if you need more leafy branches.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

5. Roll or dip the gluey branches into the small pieces of cut foam. They should stick to the glue.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

6. Stand the tree in some modelling clay, Blu-tack or in a piece of white packaging foam until dry. You can add extra glue and foam to some branches if needed.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

7. You can use thicker wire for larger trees or bigger trunks. The one on the right has used thicker and thinner wire to make a larger tree.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When I last showed a class how to make these for a class diorama, I had 30 to 40 trees made within an hour. They are interesting to make and add a little more realism to dioramas set outside.

Have fun with dioramas. 🙂

@RossMannell

To see the original post on the "Pass the Blog" blog, here is the link...

http://passtheblog.creativeblogs.net/2012/06/17/music-and-art-of-the-week/

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Music

·  How is this piece of music similar/different to what you normally like to listen to?

I have some music in my collection reminding me of this piece. They are attempts to tell stories in music, what you might call rock operas. Examples are Jeff Wayne’s “War of the Worlds” and Elton John’s “Tommy”.

 

·  What do you think the story is about?

It seems to be about the battle between good and evil where evil is greed and good is wanting a peaceful life. When greed takes hold, we run the risk of destroying the world we all rely on.

·  What or who do you think the monkey is?

I think monkey might be the environment or the world itself.

·  Does it make you sad or happy?  Why?

Neither happy nor sad, I was more curious about the content.

·  What instruments can you hear in the music?

There seems to be guitars, strings, sythesiser, vocals and keyboard. Of course, these days the only instruments might have come from a computer.

I found this link to the lyrics for the music…

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Fire-Coming-Out-Of-A-Monkey%27s-Head-lyrics-Gorillaz/3298102262770A4A48256FE800114F66

Art

·  Who do you think is in the painting?   Who is the lady?  Is it her baby?

Rory had me stumped at first. I recognised the painting as one of many Madonna and child paintings but at first I thought it might be by Raphael.

·  Do you think this is a scene the painter had seen?  Why?

I suspect this isn’t any particular scene as other versions show different locations.

·  Can you find out what the painting is called and/or who painted it?

It took me a little time and research to realise this was Virgin and Child ('The Madonna of the Yarnwinder') by Leonardo da Vinci although I have found there are more than one versions of the painting. Perhaps some were painted by students of da Vinci.

·  Does it look old or new to you?  Why?

The painting is around 500 years old. It’s the style and technique of the painting suggesting it is quite old. As I have said, I at first thought it was by Raphael who was around at the same time as da Vinci.

·  What do you think the painting is about?

It is a painting of faith and may have been painted for a wealthy family.

·  Would you want this on your wall?  Why/Why not?

Considering the beauty and history of the piece, it would be wonderful to be hang it on my wall but I wouldn’t. Security would always be a concern. My research shows it had been stolen in 2003 but was recovered in 2007.

 

Dear Alexandra,

Without doubt, one of the places I would most like to visit if I made it to the US is the Grand Canyon. I have watched a number of television programs featuring this amazing place.

I know the Grand Canyon has great significance for native American people and, according to Wikipedia, it is known as Ongtupqa to the Hopi and Wi:kaʼi:la to the Yavapai.

I’m also fascinated be the geology of the canyon. As you travel down into the valley, it’s like a time machine for geological history. I’ve read rocks date from about 200 million years old to nearly 2 billion years old. That’s some time machine in rocks. Fossils, fossil footprints, metamorphic (changed) rocks would all make it an interesting place for me let alone seeing the animal life and learning more about the culture of Native Americans.

Have you ever watched the cartoon, “The Flintstones”? I can remember one funny episode when Fred took his family to see the Grand Canyon. It was a small, toe-deep “canyon” with a trickle of water Fred said scientists thought would one day be a huge canyon. Of course, if Fred’s “canyon” were correct, it would only have been that tiny well  before cavemen were around.

Fred_flintstone3

I didn't have a picture of Fred in my graphics library so I had to draw one to show you him.

I see you also visited the Glenn Canyon. I hadn’t heard of this one but I had heard of Powell Dam. By chance, a person in my town had family videos he had taken at Powell Dam with his young family (he is a US citizen living here). He asked me if I could convert video tapes of his Lake Powell visits to DVDs. As I did this, I saw some of the beautiful scenery, including Rainbow Bridge. What an amazing place!

A video clip of Lake Powell and Rainbow Bridge taken with an old hand held video camera.

Thanks for sharing information about your Spring Break vacation. Perhaps one day I might see Grand Canyon in person as well. 🙂

@RossMannell

Teacher, NSW, Australia

Dear 4KM and 4KJ,

Here are the designs I used for Mother's Day cards. Some of the children wanted something cheaper than these even though the cards were the cheapest items. Next year I will be designing Mother's Day bookmarks to add to the collection. They'll cost half the amount of a card.

Schools and students have permission to use these graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes. They may be used as fundraiser designs for sale at schools in Mother's Day stall.

Click on an image to separate it from the album. A new tab will open. Click again and the full size image will appear. It can then be copied.

For the original post…

Music and Art of the week- summer term week 3

Hello 4H,

I’m a little late responding to week 3 but, featuring a van Gogh painting, I had to drop in. Firstly, the music…

MUSIC

Do you like the music?  Why/Why not?

I think I have already noted I have a broad range of tastes in music and have traditional music from around the world, Gregorian chants, renaissance, etc as well as much more modern music, including from some in the current charts.

Music adds colour to life and is wonderful in various situations whether I want something lively to brighten the day, classical to concentrate when working or assorted when I comment on blogs or write. Mood always determines the choice of music.

I like and have heard both pieces. Although both seem to be of someone trying to recover from relationship problems, the first has more emotions of hurt and determination to get up again. The second is lighter and has a faster tempo and suggests your words won’t hold them back.

 

Which is your favourite and why?

At this particular time, I would choose Selena Gomez and her “Who Says”. I like the idea of being able to ignore those who would bring you down by nasty comments… “Who says I’m not perfect?”

Perhaps another day I might have chosen the other as both are good listening and carry messages of not letting others keep you down.

 

How does the music make you feel?

I think “Skyscraper” is a little more depressing in its lyrics whereas “Who Says” has a quicker tempo so is a little brighter. Both carry a psotive message.

 How are the similar/different to the pieces of music we have had over the past few weeks?

Week 1 concentrated on music blending traditional African sound with more modern music. I particularly liked the Ladysmith Black Mambazo track but that is because I have one of their albums.

Week 2 was more in line with European classical music with Saint-Saëns’s “Aquarium” and a version by Orbit.

Week 3 is the more recent popular music most students would know.

 

Does either piece link into our art at all?

Considering the life of Van Gogh, the music has more to do with the life of the artist. In his lifetime, he only ever sold paintings to his brother yet he didn’t give up on his art. As in “Skyscraper” , he got back up again when his art didn't sell and he wasn’t held back by the lack of acceptance of his art. His paintings are now very highly valued.

 If the artists (people who sing the songs) switched round, so they sung each other song, do you think they would sound the same or not?  Why/Why not

The two singers have different styles and approaches to the music. If we go back to Week 2’s Saint-Saëns and Orbit, you can hear the different approaches on the same theme. The songs would be unlikely to sound the same but might be similar.

 


ART 

Do you like the piece of art?  Why/Why not?

I recognised the painting as it is from an artist whose paintings I have always admired. The short brushstrokes and colour bring out the reflective night scene. The elderly couple in the lower right add to the scene of a gentle evening under the stars.

 

What is the picture called?

Starry Night Over the Rhone”. The painting has its own Wiki page including a modern photo of Arles from near where van Gogh must have painted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starry_Night_Over_the_Rhone

How does the picture make you feel?

Serene. Night scenes with reflected light and starry skies can be calming because of their gentle topic.

 

Who painted the picture?

Vincent van Gogh

 

How do you think it was made/painted?  What techniques do you think they used?

The Musée d’Orsay website page on the painting has close up images of the brushstrokes. The painting made use of short brushstrokes blending colours on the canvas.

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/search/commentaire/commentaire_id/starry-night-7190.html?no_cache=1&cHash=7a7ed88d9e

Do you think the picture is realistic/based on real life?

Refer back to the link under “What is the picture called?” and you will see the picture is most definitely based on real life and is realistic.

 

What can you notice if you look carefully at the picture?

Starting from the upper portion we see the night sky dotted with stars over a riverside township. Light from the town reflects off the rippled river waters. In the foreground, a boat is moored on the riverside and an elderly couple are having a starlit walk.

 

One tribute to Vincent van Gogh came in musical form from Don McLean when he wrote the song, “Vincent”.  It tells of his art and life. They lyrics can be found at…

http://www.risa.co.uk/sla/song.php?songid=12722

@RossMannell

Teacher, NSW, Australia

Schools and students have permission to use this video clip for non-commercial, educational purposes.

This clip was created as an animation demonstration for a class looking at animation.

These simple images were originally drawn from cartoon images drawn in a old cartooning book entitled "How to Draw Cartoons". They were drawn using a graphics tablet into files on a computer then linked into an animation.

The hopping frog is a 6 frame animation whereas the rabbit uses 8 frames. Each repeats 16 times.

Hello Mr Handley and 4H,

Another week of art and sound… what a wonderful combination.  I just had to comment once again.

ART - “African Sonata” by Vladimir Kush

Do you like the piece of art?  Why/Why not?

The title itself brings thoughts of the sound you might hear if on the plains of Africa. The sounds of the animals, the wispy presence of Kilimanjaro in the background of musical sky, and the whisper of a breeze through the leaves of trees and across the grass adds to the natural symphony.

With the antelope lyre, tuba-headed elephants and what looks like French horn plants in the foreground, the artist, in my opinion, is trying to share the sounds he sees in his mind as he paints.

One unusual feature I noticed was the tube-headed elephants. If elephants are said to trumpet, are they the correct choice? The picture shows the elephants tube not trumpet. To be fair, a trumpet wouldn’t give the same atmosphere of strength and size as the tube.

What is different or special about this piece of art?

As already noted, I think the artist is trying to share the sounds he hears in his mind as he paints the African scene. What better way than to represent the sounds by instruments?

What message or meaning do you think the artist is trying to give?

Nature is a symphony of sights and sounds. We only have to open our eyes, ears and minds.

Look carefully at the image- can you spot anything you don't think other people will have spotted?

 Not only do the plants in some cases appear to be French horns. They often end in bells and there are also cymbals.

The birds appear to be without instruments.

The elephants appear to have bells at the end of their tails.

If you were to describe this piece of art in 3 words what would they be?

Is this art?

Sight, sound, serene

If art is the expression of what is beautiful or fascinating to the artist, how could this not be art?

MUSIC

How are the pieces the same? How are they different?

 William Orbit seems to have written a variation of Saint-Saëns “Aquarium” although Orbit’s version is stronger and less mystical than the Saint-Saëns original.

Saint-Saëns’s “Aquarium” has been used in a few films. Here are two you might know…

2006 “Charlotte’s Web”

2008  “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Which piece do you like the best? Why?

Because of the memories it brings to mind, I prefer the original Saint-Saëns version. I like its light, mystical approach.

How does each piece make you feel when you listen to them?

 Saint-Saëns – I recall memories of the films I’ve mentioned. I am an avid cinema goer.

Orbit – With it’s greater strength, it made me feel the aquarium is much more active and perhaps even threatening as larger fish pass the smaller hidden fish.

Why do you think William Orbit made his version (the second one) sound like it does?  

Perhaps he had a wish to share with the listener a larger aquarium than Saint-Saëns had in mind.

Do you think the original composer (writer of the music) would like William Orbit's version?

I think, perhaps, Saint-Saëns would have been happier with his original version. As the piece was part of the “Carnival of Animals” he may have felt the strength was too much had he used Orbit’s version.

Thanks for sharing another week of art and music.

@RossMannell

Teacher, NSW, Australia

 

A link to Charlotte's short story...

http://y4haworthprimary2011.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/the-dragon/

Hello Charlotte,

Oh, very well done! You build the suspense so well as the boys enter the cave then you add a little twist that made me laugh, the dragon ran away scared of the boys. It seems the dragon was really a softie.

Your story reminded me a little of a gentle, invisible dragon named Elliot and his friend Pete. They were in a 1977 movie entitled, "Pete's Dragon". I've found a link on a movie database if you are permitted to take a look. It shows images of Elliot and even includes some clips from the film...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076538/

Pete's Dragon was around when I started teaching. My first full time school was in an isolated place way out in western New South Wales (my state). A new wall had been built and I decided to paint a cartoon character on it. If you look at the photo of that school below, on the right you can see a wall with a dragon. That's Elliot.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

Thank you for sharing your short story. 🙂

@RossMannell

Teacher, NSW, Australia

Here is a link to their original post from Mr. Handley...

http://www.mrhandley.co.uk/2012/04/the-return-of-music-art-of-the-week-week-1...

Hello Mr. Handley and class,

I’m sorry it has taken me a week to comment on this post. It has been a little busy for me at the moment.

 

ART

 

Which piece of art do you like the best?  Why?

Both pieces of art have interesting features. In a time before cameras, artists would often capture scenes through painting and drawings. The over 200 year old painting looks like others I have seen from the era, including early paintings of Australia.

The second looks a more modern piece of art using a blend of traditional and modern designs.

Depending on why I wanted them, each would be my favourite. If I were to decide on vibrant colour and design, the giraffe painting would be the one. For value and historical interest, I would choose the older painting.

 

How do you think each piece of art was made?  How can you tell?

The older painting looks as though it might  have been a finely detailed watercolour.

The giraffe painting looks more like modern acrylic paint but it’s hard to tell without seeing the original.

 

Is there anything that is the same about the two pieces of art?

Both paintings show animals in their natural habitat.

 

What do you feel when you look at each of the images?

The older makes me feel in touch with a much earlier Africa where animals weren’t restrained by parks and the spread of people was restricted more the village shown in the painting. Its style is closer to photographic so a viewer can have a sense of the land and animals.

The newer make me feel brighter because of its more vivid colour and design.

 

What can you see in each image? Look closely (you can click on them to make them bigger)- can you see anything that you think others might not have spotted?

The older painting shows a village or settlement where their cattle roam and people go about their daily routine.

The more modern painting not only includes the giraffes and trees, the design of birds makes up part of the trees.

 

Do you think the pieces of art are based on what the artists have seen, or are just from their imagination?

In bother cases, I feel there is a mix of what was seen and what their imagination has shown them. The degree varies. The older relies much more on what was seen than the newer.

 

Can you name any of the animals in either piece of art?

The older painting includes people, cattle and dogs whereas the newer includes giraffe and birds.

 

Can you find any other examples of African art that you like?

Africa is a very large continent with many cultures both past and present. Their art included carvings as well metal casting, painting, jewellery design and even body art.

Here is a link to a site selling African art both modern and traditional. It has many images…

http://www.africanart.com/

 

MUSIC

 

Which piece of music do you like the best?  Why?

“Mbube” It sounds much more traditional than the others and sounds as though it includes the unusual licking in speech of the Kalahari bushmen.

 

How is each piece of music similar/different?

“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” – Much includes traditional rhythm yet it blends more modern song.

“Rain, Rain Beautiful Rain” – Sung in English yet it still has the feel of traditional African choral music.

“Mbube” – This seems the most traditional piece and therefore my favourite.

“World in Union 95” – The sounds the most modern yet still carries a traditional feel.

 

What do you like about this music?  Is there anything you don’t like?

There is no doubt the “A cappella” nature of the music and its rhythm is very appealing. Liking many music styles, I must say I hear nothing I dislike.

 

How is it the same/different from the music you normally listen too?

It’s not different. My iTunes includes examples from African, Aboriginal, North American Native and other traditions as well as many other music forms.

 

What do the pieces of music make you think of when you listen to them?

I am more lost in the rhythm and sounds than thinking of other things. With each, I do picture my imagination’s images of Africa.

 

What do you think each piece of music is about?

The titles give us a hint except “Mbube”. From what I have found, it means “lion” in the Zulu language so may be a song of lions hunting or patrolling their territory.

 

Can you find any other music by this group which you like?

By chance, one of my African albums is by the group. The album is called Liph' Iqiniso. My favourite on the album is the same as the album title. Below is a scan of the album cover...

 

 

Thanks for sharing an interesting post. It gave me an excuse to listen to Ladysmith Black Mambazo again.

@RossMannell

Teacher, NSW, Australia

Hello Mrs. Yollis and class,

The meaning of "fad", according to one of my dictionaries, is a temporary, usually irrational, pursuit, fashions, etc.   (The Little Macquarie Dictionary, 1983). It made me think back to what might have been a fad when I went to school.

Did we play chasings with dinosaurs? No, I'm not quite that old.

Did we play computer games? No, they weren't available yet.

This means somewhere between the dinosaurs and computer games, I must have seen or been part of fads.

MARBLES

One of the first fads I can remember at school was marbles. Each recess and lunch break mostly boys would set up their marble games on the large dirt playground.

Game 1: They might call, "Four and your tor back!"

What this meant is if you could flick your marble along the ground and hit their marble at the end of maybe a three feet run, you were given your marble and four extras back. If you missed the marble was theirs.

Game 2: Another game was where each player would place some marbles in a large circles they had drawn in the dirt. They would take turns flicking their marbles into the circle. If they hit any marbles out of the circle, they could keep them. If their marble stayed in the circle, it was lost until someone could hit it out.

Game 3: This was played one on one. One player would challenge another. The challenger would flick his marble along the ground. The challenged would then flick his marble and try and hit the other. If he hit it, it was his. If he missed, the challenger would have a turn. This would go on until one of the players won.

Many years later I returned to my old school as a teacher. The dirt playground was covered with asphalt and marbles were no longer played. Some fads can go on for a long time while others fade away.

COLLECTOR CARDS

Cards with chewing gum first appeared when I was about your age. The idea had come from America and it caught on quickly. We would buy and trade cards to try and have the complete set. My favourites were...

Addams Family - This old US television shows was a big hit here. I once had all of the cards. If I still had them, they might now be worth quite a bit more than when I got them.

Combat - This was a TV show set during World War II. It followed a US Infantry Squad in Europe.

The Samurai - This show was made in Japan. It was a series of adventures with Shintaro, the samurai, and Tombe, his ninja friend. The would battle the evil dark ninja.

In those early TV days, there were Australian TV shows but I don't remember ever seeing cards for Australian shows.

HAIRSTYLES

This is a fad still working today as it has into the long past history. Hair has been worn in many different styles throughout the centuries.

While I was at school, The Beatles from England started to gain favour. Boys, often to the horror of the parents, started to grow their hair longer.  The hippy era started. Long hair, peace and flowers became popular as was the 'new' music. Many of my friends grew their hair longer, dressed in jeans and old shirts and considered themselves trend setting and different. I kept my hair short so, in a way, I was the different one.

Here is a WIkipedia link on hairstyles...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairstyle

TOYS

Model Railways - When I was your age, model railways were the rage. Many boys had train sets. They had been made in England by a company called Triang. They all looked British. At that time steam trains still pulled passenger and freight trains on the real railways and many boys dreamed of being engine drivers.

Railways is an interest I have kept since that time and have ridden behind steam train hauled trains when they were on the real railways and now on historical railways in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Below is a photo of the first model train I owned. It's now around 50 years old but has had some upgrades so it can still run.

Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.

Barbie Dolls -No, I didn't collect these but I had to include them as many girls had them when they arrived in Australia.Other toy fads over the years include - Rubik's Cube, Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Matchbox Cars, Yo-yos and Virtual Pets

COMPUTERS

I was in high school when I saw my first computer in 1969. We had a science fair and a teacher had organised to have a computer on show. It was very large and could only play tic-tac-toe. I'm not certain but I think I was able to beat it.

In 1971 I visited Australia's only nuclear reactor at a place called Lucas Heights. It's still our only reactor site today and is used to make nuclear medicines. It had a large computer room. In the middle was a large computer. It accepted punch cards. A programmer had to push out little punched pieces on perhaps hundreds of cards then feed them into the computer. If one card had an error, they started again.

Elecronics became a hobby.

It was 1975 when I really caught the computer bug. I was at university and started a new course called, "The Computer Simulation of Behaviour". We didn't have cassette drives, floppy discs, hard drives, CDs, DVDs and Bluray discs back then. I would carry my programs around on a long piece of ticker tape. When I placed it in a reader, the machine would "read" the punched holes and my program would start.

I could see a growing fad here.

In 1981 I was part of a program to introduce computers in the classroom and have never looked back. Computing is no longer a fad for studious science types, it's a part of our normal world. However, more portable, powerful and capable computers have led to fads...

The First Computer Games I remember -

Space Invaders (I was hooked on this one for a time)

Asteroids

Pacman

My First Emails - We had a FrEdMail (Free Educational Mail) account at my school around 1990. Not long after I first started paying for an internet account. I have had the same email address from this supplier since the mid 1990's.

Social Networking - We now have Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, You Tube, and many others ways of sharing on line. Some are very big for a while then disappear as a new fad hits

Emailing a fad? Seems to be a part of normal life now.

WHO STARTS A FAD?

It could be you - When I was at high school, I had some leather. I cut out strips and made them so they could be put on a watch. I would sell them to others for $1 and had a good little business going. Soon others started to make them and sell them. Within a year, the fad had faded and my leather had run out.

It could be someone famous - Have you ever wanted to wear the same clothes as a singer or have your hair the same way?

It could be an inventor - Think of items like iPods, iPads, Bluray players. Do you like these?

Do you know about 78rpm, 45rpm, 33rpm vinyl records? They were once very big but now are only owned by collectors and hoarders like me.

I know you know about music CDs and probably music cassettes but do you know about 8 track stereo? It was a fad in the 1970s and was a great sound system but has gone.

I know you have used DVDs and Bluray disks to watch movies but do you remember BETA and VHS video tapes? Yes? What about 8mm movies? Before I had video tapes, DVDs and Bluray, I used to carry an 8mm movie projector to school (I still have it). I would load a roll of film onto it and show the class cartoons, science films and even small parts of movies. Spools of film are still in many cinemas but now many cinemas, including my local, also have movies arrive on computer hard drives.

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With so many fads, I wonder what the next will be? If we knew this, it might be a way of becoming rich. 🙂

By the way, my current fad is commenting on blogs. With the use of Skype growing in classes, I wonder if we will soon be able to virtually appear in a classroom in 3D and share lessons. Imagine being able to see someone appear in front of you when you connect.

@RossMannell

Teacher, NSW, Australia