Here are the links to our suggestions for beautiful things for August, with a focus on beautiful words, sounds, and places that are mostly American and focused around 1700.
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel lived from 1653-1706 in Germany. He left many compositions, including the very well-known Canon in D, and he instructed many students, including Johann Christoph Bach (older brother and guardian to Johann Sebastian Bach). It may seem strange to include Pachelbel with a group of innovative American composers that we’ll study this year since … Continue reading Johann Pachelbel
Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet (March 20, 1612 – September 16, 1672) was the first writer in England’s North American colonies to be published. She was born to a wealthy Puritan family in Northampton, England. She was well-educated, reading widely and in several languages. After she was married, she migrated to North America with her husband and children. Much … Continue reading Anne Bradstreet
Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart (December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was born in Rhode Island Colony. He is the most well-known portraitist of his time, producing more than a thousand portraits of all kinds of people during his lifetime. He studied in England under American artist Benjamin West, who you can read about in Marguerite Henry’s … Continue reading Gilbert Stuart
Nature Study: Vegetables
Have you ever really looked at the veggies that you eat every day? They really are things of wonder. You can find vegetables in every color of the rainbow. They are full of nutrients that strengthen and nourish your body when you eat them. And, they are pretty tasty too! Use this month to explore … Continue reading Nature Study: Vegetables
Simple Beauty for July 2020
Here are the links to our suggestions for beautiful things for July, with a focus on beautiful words, sounds, and places that are distinctly American.
Poetry: American Poets
These images will take you to the poems on the Poetry Foundation site. One of them is still under copywriter, and treating them all in the same way makes the most sense. The text under each picture is linked to information about each highlighted monument.
Louis Armstrong
Trumpet player and vocalist Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was one of the world’s greatest jazz musicians. Born in New Orleans, he spent his youth in a home for trouble children before he made his way to Chicago and New York to play with several different well-know jazz bands. His jazz style and repertoire was unique because … Continue reading Louis Armstrong
Albert Bierstadt
Albert Bierstadt was born in Germany in 1830. He came to the United States with his parents while he was still a baby. He was raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He returned to Düsseldorf to study painting as a young adult. When he was twenty-seven, he returned to the United States to travel the western … Continue reading Albert Bierstadt
Nature Study: Butterflies
Exploring the World of Butterflies If you ask my kids what their favorite field trip was over the years, they will always tell you that their trips to see butterfly exhibits were their favorite. I always find this surprising because we have had the opportunity to venture on some amazing field trips. Our favorite butterfly … Continue reading Nature Study: Butterflies