Our new thematic unit is Leonardo da Vinci. I spent the summer pondering on how to make this unit memorable and fun/fact-filled. I certainly spent a small fortune on paints, canvasses, paper, books and paintbrushes, as well as sorting through the art cupboard and visiting the scrap store for card, paper and recycled bits, all in preparation for today and the coming weeks!
Da Vinci's The Last Supper
I organised the morning into three sections. Each section consisted of a story: of Leonardo's life as a young boy; as an apprentice in Florence under the guidance of Verrochio; and then his experiments with oil painting. After each story the children tried their hand at sketching, fine art copying and then an oil painting on canvass.
I LOVE my Boy's interpretation of Da Vinci's horse sketch.
Halfway through our morning the postman delivered our monthly Discovery Box magazine with, UNBELIEVABLY, Leonardo Da Vinci as its main feature. We all squealed and laughed a bit.
Creating 3D paintings with oil. Previously all drawings were in 2D and it was only the Renaissance that brought with it the understanding of perspective drawing, of which Leonardo was a master.
Monkey Girl's Powerboat Wake oil painting
The Boy's House, Sea and Fence oil painting
Ballet Girl's Bat in the Stars oil painting
Panda Girl's Panda in the Bamboo Forest oil painting.
After lunch...
...we did poetry: The Boy and Panda Girl had fun with The Pobble Who Has No Toes by Edward Lear.
Maths
Nature Study
And Geography/Map Work
We ended the day with trampolining, a birthday party and Sea Cadets for Ballet Girl.
