Great composers by Mike Venezia.

Dear Parents/ Caregivers

Here are the rest of the great composers books.



                                                                           

                                                  JOHANN SEBASTIAN  BACH.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a large family of German musicians in 1685. During his lifetime, J.S. Bach was known more as a harpsichord player and organist than a composer. He played and composed his music during a time known as the Baroque period. His most famous and popular works are called the Bradenburg Concertos.

Leonardo Bernstein.

Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence Massachussettes in 1918. He not only composed music, but was known as a great conductor and pianist. Leonard Bernstein spent much of his time teaching children and adults about the joy of music. He became best known for the musical play “West Side Story”, which he wrote in 1957.

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms was born in the busy German city of Hamburg in 1833. He wrote all kinds of music, from lively songs and dances to powerful symphonies. For more than 100 years, kids all over the world have fallen asleep to “Brahm’s Lullaby”.

AARON COPLAND.

Aaron Copeland was born in 1900, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He got a chance to study music in Europe, where he learned about jazz. Since Aaron was interested in writing American-sounding music, he thought it might be a good idea to add some jazz sounds to modern classical music.

DUKE  ELLINGTON.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born in Washington D.C. in 1899. He and his family moved to New York City during the Harlem Renaissance. Famous for jazz music, Duke Ellington surrounded himself with the best musicians he could find. He played his band like an instrument, giving his players a chance to do their own special things, called solos.

GEORGE GERSHWIN.

George Gershwin was born in New York City in 1898. He is known for his beautiful, exciting concert pieces, as well as for the popular music he wrote for plays and movies. He wrote a lot of music with his brother Ira. George Gershwin’s favorite musical piece, was his opera, “Porgy and Bess”.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756. A child prodigy in classical music, he wrote his first concerto when he was six. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote more than 800 pieces of music, including most famous operas “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni” and “The Magic Flute”.

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA

John Philip Sousa was born in 1854 in Washington, D.C.,where he was able to listen to the many military bands that played there. These military bands made such an impression on John Philip Sousa that he ended up leading the U.S. Marine Band. He is best known for composing thrilling marches like his most famous, “The Stars and Stripes Forever”.

PETER TCHAIKOVSKY

Peter Tchaikovsky was born in the Russian town of Votkinsk in 1840. He used his great imagination to create beautiful music that was sometimes very happy and sometimes very sad. Tchaikovsky’s three ballets, “Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Nutcracker” all came from popular stories.

THE BEATLES

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were all self-taught musicians and song writers who were the world’s most popular musical group from about 1964 until 1970. Originally from Liverpool, England, The Beatles made popular rock and roll music as important as classical or symphonic music.

Ludwing Van Beethoven by Mike Venezia

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Today I will introduce you with some of the most famous composer in time. Like Beethoven, since we are basically back in school, I thing it is a great idea to start introducing some great book for the kids to start recognizing this great composers. I found this great book and I must say that Mike Venezia did a great job by writing and illustrating all this books. The kids would love it and is also a great way to introduce some of the greatest sonatas from different composers. Is never to early to teach your kids about this great musician and their lives. You are also introducing them to really good  classical music.

If you are a parent that wish to have a little Beethoven in your family or Mozart, this books are great for you to start doing that with your little musician, specially if they are already in the music field. Each book talk about the life of each musician and also show great pictures!

Age range: 7+

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn Germany in 1770. He came up with a new, ways of putting musical sounds together that let people feel the joy, sadness, and stress of life. Beethoven began to lose his hearing, just as he was starting to do his greatest work.

Here is a video of one of my little Rascal favorite song from Beethoven's Wig . (is Beethoven Symphony No.5 with lyrics for kids!)

To extend a little more this book can ask question after to the kids like who knows.

1- What is a concert? A concert is a musical composition, usually in tree movements, in which a solo instrument performs a solo part accompanied by a full orchestra.


2-What is a movement? A movement is the largest, unified division of a musical composition, separated by pauses.

3-What is a Sonata? A sonata is a piece of music, usually in tree or four movements for a solo instrument or  a solo instrument accompanied by a piano, for example a flute and a piano.

4-What is a Symphony? A symphony is a long, highly organized composition for full orchestra, usually in four movements.

5- What are the name of some instruments in a orchestra? 

Strings: Violins, violas, cellos and double basses
Woodwinds: Flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons
Brass: Trumpet, French horns, trombones and tubas.
Percussion: Timpani

After that you can have a dramatic play with the kids take out some instrument and try to make a orchestra using all the instrument that you might have in class or at the house.

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, Art by Ed young

Dear Parents/ Caregivers 

I would like to introduce you a little more in the Asian culture with this book and the meaning of certain names like "Wabi-sabi " is underplayed and modest, the kind of quiet, undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discovered. 

This book talks about the story of a cat named Wabi Sabi who lives in Kyoto, Japan.  Within the story, Wabi Sabi begins to wonder what her name means, and sets out determined to discover its meaning.   After receiving similar answers from her master, a cat, and a dog that her name was too difficult to explain, she sought out a monkey at Mount Hiei.  Wabi sabi is a way that one may see the world; this concept began from the ways of the Ancient Chinese, and began to sculpt Japanese culture.Basically, wabi sabi is a way or a feeling in which one can see harmony and beauty within simplicity.This concept also incorporates humility, and its importance in the world. 


Age range : 7+

This book can be classified as a multicultural children’s picturebook that incorporates fiction, a nonfiction concept, as well as poetry.  This book includes a cat’s story and haiku poems that can be found in both Japanese and English. I really enjoyed reading Wabi Sabi, as it took a concept that was difficult to understand, wabi sabi, and broke it down into a children’s story.  I found the narrative to be especially useful to understanding the concept, and the haiku complemented the story beautifully; however, such poetry may be difficult for young readers to understand.  The back of the story does include several translations for several haiku phrases in both Japanese and English.




                                  Here is a short story from the book so you can have and idea.

 Below are 2 motivational activities and reader response questions that would be beneficial for students within the classroom:  (3^rd/4^th grade Activites)         

1.  The first activity would incorporate art and poetry for the students.  After reading Wabi Sabi, students would be able to create a collage of something that represented beauty to him or her within nature/the world.  Students would be encouraged to use watercolors, realistic objects, outlining, and any other media or techniques that would bring the picture to life.  After the collages were finished, students would begin writing a haiku about the beauty within the collage.  (Remember, haikus are poems with 3 lines; the 1^st has 5 syllables, the 2^nd 7, and the 3^rd has 5 syllables.  Haikus also use one’s senses and objects of nature.)  As in the concept of wabi sabi, the collage may appear simple, but holds great beauty!
2.   The 2^nd activity would allow students to look up one’s own name and its meaning.  Each student would be given the opportunity to search for the meaning of one’s name on the computer.  Students would also be able to ask one’s parents why this name was chosen for him or her.  After all of the information was gathered, students would create a small poster with his or her name, including pictures and text describing the meaning. 

Reader Response Questions:

1.  What was the author trying to tell you through this book?
2. Have you ever seen something that others thought was simple and imperfect, but you thought it was beautiful? Explain!
3. Why do you think Wabi Sabi’s friends had such a difficult time explaining the meaning of her name?

Listen to the wind by Greg Mortenson and Susan L.Roth

Dear Parent's/ Caregivers.


Today  I will share a book that tell's the story about  the people and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world in a gorgeous collage, while sharing a example of how one person can change thousands of lives.


-Interes leves: k-2
- Reading levels: 4
-Gender: Adventure
-Theme/Subject
Social studies
communities and way of life in other country like Asia, middle east, kindness and compassion.

Listen to the Wind, by Greg Mortenson, is a beautiful true story of a man who lost his way on a climb of K2 in Pakistan, but was rescued and nurtured back to health by the people of the Korphe village.  Mortenson knew he had to give something back to the people of Korphe so he asked the village wise man what he should do, the wise man told him “Listen to the wind” and when he did Mortenson knew what he needed to do…


The story Listen to the wind is told from the children of Korphe’s point of view. It is a very inspiring story of one mans gratitude and a villages strength to work together. The illustrations in the book are by Susan L. Roth. When making her collages she uses materials just like the women of Korphe do to make their clothing. Roth’s collages alone tell such a heart warming story.



At the end of the book there is a collection of photographs of the villagers journey through this story. It allows readers to see how true the story really is and it gives readers more insight to how the people of the Korphe village look and where they live.

Curriculum connections.

Listen to the Wind is a great book that can be used in multiple areas of education. There are so many lessons being taught in this story from the one that Dr. Greg learns about giving back to those that help you to the lesson of community and how working together can accomplish some wonderful things. This book is a great tool to introduce China and the mountains that separate it from Pakistan (Geography 2.4). There is a great lesson in cultural differences and in economics with showing how different cultures have different wants and needs (Economics 2.9) The book can be used in an art class to show how everyday materials can be used to make beautiful clothes just as the people of Korphe do. There is a strong message of community service and a good way to introduce different charities like Pennies for Peace (Civics 2.10c). Listen to the Wind is a true story and it can be used in a language arts lesson to talk about the differences between non-fiction and fiction. The book is written from the eyes of the children of the Korphe village and this can be used to have students write their own stories.

Five Minute's Peace by Jill Murphy

Dear Parents / Caregivers

Today I would introduce one of my favorites books, which I think parents will love! What's special about this book is not only the illustration but how it relates to the real life with parent's. It tell the story about a mother trying to have her five minute break from all chaos that is in the house and as you read the story you will realize how easy it is to explain after to the kids that even though mommy loves them very much some times she also need a five minutes break.!

Speaking and Listening.

In pairs the children's  can retell the story to each other. For example if they are Mrs Large then the other's might ask, “How did you feel when everyone interrupted you?” The children can re-enact the story or mime the parts when the story is reread.  Each illustration tells a story in itself and is an opportunity for children to play a memory game and recall what each character is doing in a particular picture.


Writing
Adjectives describing each  member of the  family could be found.For younger children a sequencing event to check if they can recall what happened and when. Or if they are to young you can always practice the "where, when, why" by asking them.

Numeracy.

The title refers to time. For children who are studying time then this book makes an excellent starting point. The children can explore questions such as “What is five minutes?” At random intervals the teacher can ask, “What time will it be in five minutes? 

                                         Here is  a shore video of the story.

                                                Hope you enjoy it as I did!

Bath Salts for Mothers Day.

The recipe assumes you are making this with a few children or if you're making the project to package as gifts for a couple of people.  You can half or quarter it if you are only want one batch.

Materials:

• Large Bowl (ex:  empty margarine container) per color for mixing
• 4 cups Epsom Salts (purchase at the drug store)
• 2 cups coarse salt or 1 cup table salt  - I prefer coarse salt
• 1 cup baking soda
• food coloring
• jars with wide mouths and lids (baby food jars and small jam jars work well)
• spoon
• ribbon.
   
• Optional:  1/2 tsp glycerin  (purchase at the drug store).
   
• Optional:  essential oil  (scented oils like vanilla or citrus) -- available at most craft stores (I also use them for candle making)
  OR
• Optional:  a few drops of strong perfume (erm, this is a good use for some of the perfumes you might get for mother's day that you don't really wear much *grin*)
   

Instructions:

• Mix the two kinds of salt and baking soda together in one large bowl
   
• Optional:  Add 1/2 tsp glycerin and about 10 drops essential oil (or about 5 drops of perfume) to the big batch of salt. 
  • Sprinkle it all over instead of dumping in one spot so it's easier to mix.
  • Mix well.
     
• split the salt into as many batches as you need for the colors you want (for example, if you want pink, blue and white you'd use three bowls and split the salt into three batches).
   
• Add two to six drops of the color you have chosen and mix well with the spoon. 
  • don't get too carried away with the food color -- keep it pastel -- we don't want to turn grandma blue!
  • (note:  Put each drop in a different spot so the mixing is easier)
     
• Carefully spoon the salt into the jar.
   
• While spooning, you can alternate colors to give a nice pattern.
   
• Tightly seal the jar.
   
• Tie a ribbon around the jar and add a gift tag if you like.
   
• Use up to 1/2 a cup of the salt per bath.

Let's make some great finger print!

Dear Parents/ Care givers.

Today I was at the library looking for some new ideas for the fall as you must now I try to keep each little rascal engage in any kind of developmentally activity from 0-10. Today I found this great book that caught my attention because of the color and cover. After opening the book Neither Liam a 3 1/2 year old little rascal or me couldn't put it back down!.

This amazing Art work book would keep your little one entertain four hours..!

 Lets talk a little a bout the descriptions of the book.

It discover a different and surprising ways of creating pictures with finger and hand prints. You can create all kinds of animals  from birds, reindeer's until lions in the must easy and simply way. I'm telling you, creative art  has never being that fun, just by combining fingerprints and blowing painting, you can make fingerprint stencil art or create your own gallery of aliens and monsters and "let the inky fingers begin!"

Age range.

6 and up, but you can also try it with the young one's I did it with a 3 1/2 years old and he love it!

Lets talk a little about the Author.

Marion Deuchars is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning illustrator. Marion's artwork has graced the covers of Penguin books, the pages of the Guardian and New York Magazine. Also she has made some advertising for auto mobile companies like Volkswagen, Ford and Formula One. Not very common to see an Author that makes publicity for cars company and at the same times involves art for a very young audience.

Here are is her web page were you can interact to and share your own art!

http://www.letsmakesomegreatart.com/activities 

http://www.letsmakesomegreatart.com/drawings/2013/08/20/c6b0cbc7-1bc2-4ec5-93bb-fdd6e954e54b.html  

If you go to that link you will see my picture that I did on her web page online.

http://vimeo.com/49689817

 "All Children's are Artist" -Pablo Picasso.

The Very Busy Day by Diana Henry

This book is not only wonderfully written but the illustration {done by Jane Chapman} are so bright and creatively detailed. Your students will have fun looking at all of the human objects that Big Mouse and Little Mouse have used to make their special home. My favorite is the drain stop used as a tree swing...sooo cute!

Big Mouse has a lot of work to do and really wants some help. Unfortunately, Little Mouse is too busy thinking about his dream to help. As the day wears on Big Mouse is growing more frustrated with Little Mouse as he makes daisy chains, collects clovers, and lays around thinking about his dream. Finally, at the end of the day with Big Mouse tired and grumpy, Little Mouse comes running out of the kitchen with a surprise for Big Mouse. While Big Mouse was working and thinking that Little Mouse was doing nothing, he was really making Big Mouse a sun hat! Big Mouse was so surprised the he was no longer in a bad mood. He realized that Little Mouse really was doing something, making him a special sun hat.

Here is some more information that you might find useful.
  

Reading level: 2.5

Theme: behavior, social skills

Genre: animal stories

Suggested Vocabulary: grumbled, wheelbarrow, mopped his brow, indignantly, muttering angrily, annoyed

Reading skills and strategies:

• asking questions - {before} - What is going to keep the characters busy? Why do they have a wheelbarrow made out of clothespins? {during} - What was Big Mouse planting in the garden? Why wouldn't Little Mouse help Big Mouse? What is Little Mouse dreaming up? Why did Big Mouse dump Little Mouse out of the wheelbarrow? Where did Big Mouse and Little Mouse get all the stuff they have? Why is Little Mouse collecting bird feathers? {after} Why was Big Mouse not mad at Little Mouse any more? Why did Little Mouse make a sun hat for Big Mouse?
• author's point of view - 3rd person point of view
• author's purpose - entertain
• beginning, middle, end - {beg.} Big Mouse was working in the garden and wanted Little Mouse's help. {mid} - Little Mouse would not help Big Mouse because he was busy doing something else. {end} Little Mouse gave Big Mouse the sun hat that he was making all day and Big Mouse was happy. They were so tired from all their work that they took a nap.
• cause and effect - Why was Big Mouse upset with Little Mouse? because Little Mouse would not help Big Mouse in the garden. Why did Big Mouse dump Little Mouse out of the wheelbarrow? because he didn't want to push the weeds AND Little Mouse. Why did Big Mouse and Little Mouse take a nap? because they were both tired from all the work they did.
• characterization - describe Big Mouse, describe Little Mouse
• compare & contrast - compare Big Mouse to Little Mouse
• connections - text-to-self - having to do all the work while a brother or sister does nothing. Working in the garden. Being tired after a long day of work. Text-to-text - connect this book to The Little Red Hen. They both ask others for help and don't get it.
• drawing conclusions & inferencing - What feelings does Big Mouse have toward Little Mouse during the story? {clues from text} Big Mouse keeps asking Little Mouse to help and he wont.{what I know} I know that when I ask for help and no one helps me I get angry or frustrated.{conclusion} Big Mouse is angry and frustrated with Little Mouse during the story. How does Big Mouse feel about Little Muse at the end of the story? {clues from text} Little Mouse gives Big Mouse a new sun hat. {what I know} I know that when someone gives me a gift I get happy. {conclusion} I think Big Mouse is not angry at Little Mouse anymore because even though he didn't help him he was doing something, he made him a sun hat.
• predict - What do you think Little Mouse was dreaming about? What do you think Little Mouse is doing?
• problem & solution - {problem} Big Mouse wants some help in the garden and Little Mouse won't help him because he is busy doing something else. {solution} At the end of the story Little Mouse gives Big Mouse a sun hat that he had been working on all day. Big Mouse realized that Little Mouse was actually doing something.
• sequencing - Big Mouse asked for help in the garden. Little Mouse said he was too busy to help. Big Mouse asked Little Mouse to plant some seeds. Little Mouse said that he was thinking about his dream. Big Mouse needed the wheelbarrow so he dumped Little Mouse out of it. Little Mouse made a daisy chain while Big Mouse picked up all the weeds. Little Mouse picked clover as Big Mouse dumped the weeds. Big Mouse wanted Little Mouse to help rake but Little Mouse was busy collecting feathers. Big Mouse wanted Little Mouse to help carry strawberries but Little Mouse ran into the kitchen to get something and didn't help. Little Mouse rushed out of the kitchen with a gift for Big Mouse, it was a sun hat he made for him. Big Mouse and Little Mouse were so tired from their busy day they both lay down to take a nap.

Fun in the sun!

Dear parents

Today we started our morning with a summer story by Doctor Seuss.

 After reading the story we shared what is our favorite part of the summer, the places we go oh and the fun that we all have playing out side in the nice warm sun. Each little one had the opportunity to share their family vacation with the class and boy we were all really excited in everyone story. We took a little day trip to the beach and had some fun in the sun.

After spending a great morning playing in the sea we decide to do some creative art some of us love the sand so much that we decided to do some sand feet.

While others decided to do some animals that live in the sea.

Well that's it for our day trip at the beach, I hope next time the adventure is even bigger and with more exploration to do.

A day at the beach

Today we created a electronic book story with the kids using 2simple app. The point was to use their imagination to created their own story by drawing or adding images. This app is great because it helps out in literacy since it allows the kids to add words or even record themselves. The app itself is a very educational tool that will help the children in developing their verbal skills and creativity.

The story that I created as an example is a story about a little girl that is going to the beach on the first day of summer. By using the different tools and different options that the app gave me I created a scenery at the beach with the sand castle. The little girl having fun and the big waves that brought her castle down. We wrote certain parts with words and the rest with voice recorded in that way we can show more sound effects and it makes the story more interesting. The purpose of this app is for kids to develop their social skills by interacting with their peers and reaching themselves with more verbally skills. Their is no right or wrong to this in which it wont make the kid feel like a failure. The good thing about this app is that it's designed for 3 year old's and up. The app requires an adult interpreter to figure out the beginning but after that the child will be able to use it on its own. The app invites social skills as I mentioned this before. Also invites the kids to explore the world outside of their own story.