Hi! It’s Saturday, January 30, 2010 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
The Art of Crime Detection

Age Range: 8-18 (Parents, as always, should preview the site for suitable content.)

A Washington ClickScholar reminded me of this website that we featured on ClickSchooling in 2003 – it’s fun and deserves another look. It provides free instructions on how to be a police sketch artist!

When you get to the site, the program lanuches and includes an introduction that explains how artists use the right and left sides of their brains to draw.

Then, watch some animated crime scenes (very mild — for example, vandals put toilet paper on trees). As you watch the scene you get a glimpse of the perpetrator’s face.

Next, you help the police catch the vandal by drawing that criminal’s face using a sketching tool provided on the site. You select the shape of the face, the eyes, hair, lips, nose, etc. Your composite should look like the criminal.

There are three exercises provided at the site — so plan to spend some time when you visit.

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Hi!  It’s Saturday, January 16, 2010 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
ColorMatters.com: For Kids
http://colormatters.com/kids/index.html

Age Range: All (The kids section of this site is geared to ages 6-12.)

At this website, real-life Color Professor J.L. Morton, provides kids with free and fascinating information about color and how it affects humans and other creatures. The topics are quite unusual and include:

• How Animals See Color – Explanations and actual photographs that demonstrate the colors you see and what your dog sees.
• Why Are School Buses Yellow? – Enjoy a brief discussion of “true yellow” and some facts about the color yellow you might not have known.
• Look Inside the Eye – Find out how cones and rods in the eye’s retina determine the colors that humans, insects, birds and animals see.
• Color Matters for What You Wear – What do you know about the colors pink and blue?  Find out what colors mean in different cultures.

When you are through exploring the kids’ section of the site use the menu to explore color in depth. Professor Morton provides the sum total of her color research and courses on this site. You’ll find out how color affects:

• Symbolism & Emotions
• The Body
• Vision
• Design & Art
• Business & Marketing
• Computers
• Ecology
• Science
• ~ and more!

 Enjoy!

Hi!  It’s Saturday, December 12, 2009 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

I thought you and your children might enjoy making some holiday decorations. Here are some websites with step-by-step directions designed with kids in mind.
 
Recommended Websites:
 
Age Range: 4-104 (Fun for all ages! Little ones will need assistance.)

Reindeer Paper Chains
http://www.homefires.com/click?reindeer
 
Preschool children can help make decorative chains out of construction paper and gift wrap. There are also instructions for how to make a really cute “Reindeer Chain.”
 
Popcorn and Cranberry Chains
http://www.homefires.com/click?popcorn

Make a pretty popcorn and cranberry garland, while teaching the kids some basic sewing skills.
 
Paper Snowflake Chains
http://www.papersnowflakes.com/fans.htm

Get free printable snowflake patterns with instructions on how to fold and cut them so that they resemble beautiful snowflakes. Then, string them together in a chain or hang them individually.
 
Paper Chains
http://www.homefires.com/click?chains

Get easy instructions on how to make simple paper and lotus chains.

Have fun!

Hi! It’s Saturday, December 5, 2009 and time for Art at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
New York Carver
http://www.newyorkcarver.com

Age Range: All (Note: Younger children may be frightened by some of the artistic images of gargoyles, etc. Parents, as always, should preview the site to determine the suitability of the content for their own children.)

A big “THANK YOU” to ClickScholar Chris, who recommended this website that offers an incredible array of information on medieval stone, art, and architecture through a multi-media internet portal. As the creator of the site, stonecutter Jeff Chiffriller notes, “This online learning center for Gothic art and architecture is meant to share the beauty and the living spirit of the stone with you.”
 
I have never seen stone cutters’ artwork so beautifully displayed or engagingly explained. This is a feast for the eyes and mind!

You and your family will be astounded by what artisans can create from slabs of stone. The discussion that is sure to ignite as you explore this website will encompass art, history, social studies, geometry, religion, and much, much more. 

When you get to the site you can watch a video montage of medieval stonecutters’ artwork on buildings worldwide. Then, explore the menu that includes:

*Stone Carver’s Tour – Take a virtual tour of stonecutters’ artwork in cities throughout the world including New York, Harlem, London, Paris, Florence, and Rome.

*Virtual Cathedral – Designed like a chapter book, this section of the site is still under construction, but you can enjoy chapters I and II about stonecutters and stained glass painters. You’ll also find an interactive lesson on how to “read” stained glass, an animation of stonecutters’ tools and how they work, and interactive puzzles.

*Cathedral Tours – Take a pictorial virtual tour of cathedrals worldwide that highlights their stone and stained glass artwork. Take the tour in English, French, or Spanish.

*Gothic Field Guide – Use this glossary to better understand the terminology used by stonecutters and artisans.

*Gothic Geometry – This page provides some interesting information about geometric shapes in architecture with the intent of selling a downloadable ebook called “Tips & Tricks to Gothic Geometry.” Don’t miss viewing the free sample pages which are linked at the bottom of the page.

*Virtual Abbey – Take an armchair explorer’s tour of a medieval abbey including the herb garden, scriptorium, and wine cellar.

*Medieval Art Tours – A directory of links to art galleries worldwide that feature gothic and medieval art and sculpture.

*Castle Tours – A directory of links to online virtual tours of castles worldwide. You’ll even find the fun “Kids’ Castle” that’s a terrific learning tool for children.

*Resources – An exhaustive list of links to resources on the Net about the Middle Ages. It could take years to view it all.

This website earns a ClickSchooling Award (CSAW) for excellence in combining technology and education.  Bookmark it to return often!