Discovering Art
from Calvert School
Review by Martha Robinson
Discovering Art by Calvert School. Six videos, parents guide, all art materials required for one student to complete the course. This course has been updated as Discoveries in Art. $187. Second student (or re-use) materials -- $112. Available from Calvert School.
The Discovering Art program combines hands-on projects with a classical and modern art appreciation course in thirty-two lessons targeted at fourth to eighth grade students. The videos weave instruction into a story line to create an appealing and informative course.
The video story is set in a mill converted into an art studio. Several school children, an artist mother of one of the students, another artist who works in her studio, and an older lady who is knowledgeable about art make up the cast of actors in the program. The adults discuss art principles and demonstrate techniques to the students who ask questions and are shown working on the projects or making observations outdoors. Great works of art are used to illustrate the concepts as they are discussed. Interviews with artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, computer design, and photography along with video visits to museums and studios help students see career opportunities, the value of perseverance in pursuing a career in art, and the beauty of many different kinds of art. Lessons build on one another to provide a well rounded viewpoint of art theory. The final lesson offers a review of the year by looking back at the completed art projects for the "art show." Video segments range from eight to fifteen minutes in length.
While the video stories are used to generate interest, explain ideas, and demonstrate techniques, the heart of Discovering Art is the material in the guide. Each lesson begins with material for the parent to read: objectives and a summary of the video. Follow up activities suggest ways for the student to find examples of the material taught in the home and outdoor environment. For example, in the "Value" lesson, students are asked to look around the home and compare shades of gray to the gray scale that they create in the lesson. Discussion questions help to integrate "book learning" with the practical experience in the home. One or two art projects, using paint, clay, balsa-foam (for carving), and drawing materials (pastels, markers, pencils, etc.) among other media, per lesson are detailed in the guide with step by step instructions. The projects vary in complexity and method to maintain interest, and frequently are correlated to great works. Each lesson in the guide ends with a "suggested reading" section in which MANY books that relate to the artists and concepts discussed in the lesson are listed. The back of the guide has lists of museums and galleries visited and their locations, the works shown along with their artists, dates, and locations by lesson, an alphabetical listing of the artists in the lessons with their dates of birth and death and their nationality, a bibliography, and an index.
An envelope containing postcards of six art masterpieces is included with Discovering Art . These pictures are referred to in the lessons for further study that is better suited to a printed copy than to a video image.
The art supplies are contained in a cardboard "suitcase style" box with a carrying handle on the top. High quality, name brand materials are used, and everything that one needs to complete the course down to pencils and blank newsprint "scrap" paper is included.
Recommendation: Discovering Art offers a tremendous breadth of information in both art technique and appreciation of great works. Written by teachers at Calvert School, this program is truly oriented towards the non-classroom, homeschooling environment. While the acting is some times amateurish, the video builds interest and more importantly, exposes the student to wonderful classic and modern art in the context of art theory. Segments are not a lecture, but rather offer a variety of forays into museums, workshops, and the great outdoors. The interesting projects cover a huge number of basic art concepts, and because the materials are included, parents can painlessly implement the program.
What makes this program different from other art programs is the integration of skills and history, its application to the homeschooling market, and its price. At $145 including materials, Discovering Art is an outstanding value for a top quality product that your family will enjoy completing more than one time. I offer a very high recommendation of Discovering Art.
HomeschoolChristian.com resources related to this review:
HomeschoolChristian.com's Art Page with many resources for studying art!
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