Schools and Instruction Books

My 6 year old daughter picked this up at the library and she and I kind of like it. The pictures are interesting and the author approaches the uses of hats from a variety of directions.

She discusses, amongst other things: What makes a hat, the functions of hats, and hat connections. See below for a little explanation.

--What makes a hat - they can be made out of fabric, leaves, flowers, shells, feathers and skins. Be small, huge, etc.
--Functions of hats - they can keep you cool or keep you warm or be relative useless
--"Hat Connections" - how hats can indicate your team, work, place of origins, status and beliefs

From a social studies point of view it's an excellent exercise in diversity. From a more puzzle-solving thinking-child point of view it is interesting to speculate and discuss the how and why of hats. For example, the railroad conductors hat in China is "designed to make the conductor seem a few inches taller, so she will be visible on a crowded train platform."

Four Stars. [B-] An interesting book about hats that covers the world and provides insight in the reasons behind the diversity of styles that are present.

A good text to see what was going on in the early 1900's in music education. It should be supplemented with another, more comprehensive text, however. I recommend Mark's text.

This is a great book for novice drawers (I bought it for my 10- and 7-year-old daughters). It gives easy step-by-step basics for form, posture, etc. The eyes on these critters are kinda goofy-looking, but my kids can just draw their own eyes that look better. LOL

The style is more cartoonish than realistic, but realism is present in the posture, head tilt, etc. Also, since the basics of posture, et al are clearly presented, a budding artist can easily "grow with" the book by making their own drawings more realistic as their skills improve.

Kids really enjoy this book because they enjoy finger painting a lot. It's a chance to let them be messy and have fun and create pretty paintings. The ideas are easy yet good and entertaining.

Just what I and my student colleagues were looking for. I'm going to use the case studies in my next teaching practice. It's the ideal balance between theory and classroom reality.

There are already many books that cover the "most comprehensive and best researched" Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Model. This book does not explain the learning style. It covers 33 success stories and may inspire other school leaders to follow the principle, "when children do not learn the way we teach them, we must teach them the way they learn" (p. xii). "Seeing students snacking in class, working in various social groups, listening to portable cassette players, learning through huge kinesthetic floor games, and sitting on classroom floors is not uncommon..." (p. 11). The consistent postive outcomes over the years are the dreams of school adminstrators and teachers. The path in adopting the Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Model throughout a school is of course not that simple. So it is very valuable to get the experience and tips of these innovative, dedicated and admirable leaders. But much of the book is a record report written by diverse authors, succintly expressed in the title above, borrowed from Rita Dunn. You can glean some key ideas for future reference or be just inspired and feel greater enthusiasm for educational reforms.

This book helped me know what I needed to get started. I like his use of classics in pastel to illustrate the beauty and range of the medium. Excellent tips for beginners from what you need, to creating your own paper for pastel work. It also give good information on how to decide what type of pastels to use - by showing different types in action.

This book could be used as a suplement in Middle School Social Studies.It does give good visual presentation of different hair styles, clothing, and armor during medieval times.The level of drawing skills I feel would be to hard for lower elementary students.

This is without a doubt the best way to learn the drums without hassle. It is a very easy book to read and has everything it could teach you about drums. It is without a doubt the easiest and best way to learn.

Learning Through Art is a wonderful teacher tool to expose students to art and artists through fun filled reading, writing, and observational activities. Many students have never visited or explored a museum. Learning Through Art gives students a feeling they have been able to visit a museum to discover and learn about art, art history, and art of many cultures. I share this book with students at the beginning of every school year and they love the activities.