Mozart & Divinci

World History Biographies: Mozart: The Boy Who Changed the World with His Music (National Geographic World History Biographies) (Hardcover)
At 5 years old, he composed a minuet. By six, he was performing for royalty. The compelling story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a timeless tale of musical genius, its rewards, and its pitfalls.

Author and musician Marcus Weeks takes us around Mozart's world—from the Royal courts of 18th century Europe to the opera houses and balls where Mozart enjoyed triumph and fame. We meet the kings and queens of the age, learn of the young Mozart's favorite games, see the clothes he wore, and the new musical instruments of the time. The lively text also gives readers an appreciation of Mozart's vast legacy of immortal music.




What Makes a Leonardo a Leonardo? (Paperback)
by Richard Muhlberger (Author

The name on the painting isn't the artist's only signature. Recognizing an artist's work may seem a mystery at first, but it can be as easy as spotting a friend's handwriting. Containing full-color photos of 12 masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, this book gives clues to identifying his paintings through color, line, shape, composition, and more.

Even More History

Time Life's Lost Civilizations: Africa

These videos really reinforce our ancient history concepts.

Engineering An Empire, Part II

Engineering An Empire, Vol. 2: Carthage, China & Russia
Engineering An Empire continues its quest to unearth the framework of the ancient world. Witness the sophistication and defense techniques of Carthaginian engineers, learn about the unparalleled feats of ancient China, and trace the brutal rise and fall of the Russian Empire. * CARTHAGE: Find out how Carthaginian engineers harnessed their extensive resources and manpower to develop some of the ancient world's most groundbreaking technology. * CHINA: Century after century, China's regal emperors mobilized immense peasant armies to accomplish unfathomable feats - including the most ambitious construction project ever accomplished. * RUSSIA: From the Moscow Kremlin to St. Petersburg to the Trans-Siberian railroad, examine the architecture and infrastructure that led to the rise and fall of the Russian Empire.

Engineering An Empire, Vol. 4: Napoleon-Steel Monster, Byzantines, & Da Vinci's World [DVD]
Follow the rise of one of the greatest military strategies in history, and uncover one who spurred on some of the world's most iconic masterpieces, and uncover the brilliant gem of the Dark Ages:the Byzantine Empire. Finally, watch Italy magnificently reawaken and build on a scale not witnessed since the ascent of Rome. * NAPOLEON AND BEYOND: When France stood on the precipice of disaster, one of the most legendary military strategists in history arose from its ashes: Napoleon. * THE BYZANTINES: As much of the world descended into the Dark Ages, the Byzantine Empire emerged with ruthless might and supreme ingenuity, ruling over vast swaths of Europe and Asia. * AGE OF ARCHITECTS: After the deep sleep of the Dark Ages, it wasn't until the 11th-century that autonomous city-states emerged in Italy, revitalizing metropolises and paving the way for the Renaissance.

These videos will help with our ancient civilization studies as well as art. We are studying Leonardo Di Vinci this month.

Nature Studies

I found this fun looking nature journal to help with our nature studies. It includes different activities to do outside as well as information about various habitats.
We began today and it seems like it will be a worthwhile addition to our curriculum.

Geography Resources

As part of our geography study using the Trail Guide Series, we make a geography dictionary, a geography notebook, including mapwork and facts about the world, and a flag notebook for each country. I found this book to help with the flag study.



We're also using the Jumpstarts to World History series (Ancient History) for a quick review each morning.

History Notebook pages

We are creating an Ancient History notebook to enhance our study of world history. Here's a sample of some of the pages. These feature Ancient Egypt.
Our history notebook includes things like timelines, important accomplishments from different civilizations, studies of their gods, pertinent information from different cultures, maps of the ancient regions and more.

The Human Body Study

We've been making various models of the human body to accompany our science study. Here's some of the projects we've completed. We've completed experiments and done reading on these parts as well as worksheets for reinforcement.

The five senses model opens to reveal different parts of the senses.



The mouth model tells the different tastes as well as the parts of the mouth.



The eye includes the various parts of the eye.



The heart includes the veins and interworkings of the heart.

Composers and Artist Study for September

Here are the composer and artist notebooking pages we finished on Van Gogh and Beethoven for August.




We're continuing our Mozart and Leonardo Di Vinci study this week using the book "Mozart" by Wendy Lynch. We also have a cd of Mozart's piano sonatas to enjoy.


We'll also be watching this video on Leonardo Di Vinci.

Engineering An Empire

For our supplemental history videos this week, we'll be watching the following videos.
Engineering An Empire, Vol. 3: Britain-Blood & Steel, Persians, & Maya-Death Empire [DVD]The incredible displays of technological prowess continue in the third volume of Engineering An Empire. Watch the mights rise of the British Empire as it paves the way for the modern world, and explore the incredible engineering feats of the Persian Empire. Learn about Mayan ingenuity from 250 to 900 AD and search for clues regarding the civilization's strange disappearance. * GREAT BRITAIN: Through the centuries, the British Empire used extraordinary engineering technology to become an industrial and military titan, giving rise to such inventions as the first locomotive. * THE PERSIANS: The engineering feats of the mysterious Persian Empire include a water management system, a paved cross-continent roadway, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. * THE MAYA: By 900 AD, the once-glorious Mayan cities disappeared. Unravel the mystery surrounding this mythic civilization through its spectacular infrastructure and architecture.

Engineering An Empire, Vol. 1: Greece, Age of Alexander, & The Aztecs [DVD]
Engineering An Empire initiates its architectural investigation with mighty Greece, the Empire that gave rise to western civilization and produced some of antiquity's greatest treasures. Next, discover how Alexander saved the Greek Empire from its period of civil unrest, then voyage to Central America to unlock the mysterious and magical world of the ancient Aztecs. * GREECE: The cradle of Western civilization sustained remarkable technological advancement for over 1,000 years, including such masterpieces as the Tunnel of Samos and the Parthenon. * GREECE: AGE OF ALEXANDER: After a century of tremendous accomplishment, Greece's territorial ambitions were stymied by constant warfare - until Alexander ventured abroad and initiated the Hellenistic era. * THE AZTECS: The Aztecs became one of the greatest civilizations in history through brilliant military campaigns and technological mastery of their harsh environment.