Saturday, December 22, 2012

Middle Earth



My students and I finished reading The Hobbit just in time for the opening of the movie. One of our projects was to make a map of Middle Earth together, so we could trace Bilbo's travels.  We made our 3D Relief map using bright white drywall joint compound on a 24" x 36" canvas panel.  We painted it with watercolor to show elevation.  I then photographed it and added map labels using a graphics program.  The students had fun moving small clay figurines I made around the map to re-tell the story.

If you're a Hobbit fan, can you tell what is happening in the scenes below?  Highlight the "white on white" text to the right of each number to check your answer.

1 Gandalf and Thorin and company set off from Hobbiton and go on an adventure.
  
2  The company encounters some hungry trolls and Bilbo comes to their rescue.

3  The company reaches Rivendell and seeks counsel from Elrond the Elf

4 Bilbo meets Gollum in the mountain of the Elven King

5 The company travels through Mirkwood and comes across spiders

6 Bilbo explores the Lonely Mountain and finds Smaug and the treasure

7 Bard shoots an arrow at Smaug during Smaug's attack of Laketown

8 The Battle of the Five Armies

9 The Goblin King kills Thorin, and Beorn kills the Goblin King

10 Gandalf and Bilbo return home to Hobbiton


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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Willows


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Doesn't it look like someone gave these willow trees a haircut?  How can the willow fronds all be the same height above the water level?

Monday, October 15, 2012

Golden woods


Mixed media:  cardboard, string, foil, acrylic paint
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Monday, August 27, 2012

Late summer in Hoover Park


Fungus


Hops


Jewelweed (Touch me nots)


Evening primrose


Bindweed


Russian olive?


A path for Hobbits!
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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Daffodils, crocuses and robins





The Daffodils are up, the Crocuses are in Bloom, and the Robins are Here!
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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Saturday Morning in Holmes, County


Saturday we drove to Amish Country to buy cheese and some bulk foods.


We stopped at Heini's Cheese Chalet in Bunker Hill.


Heini's makes over 150 different types of cheese, including Moon Cheese, though we bought several types of their delicious yogurt cheese.


You can see the large vats where they produce their cheeses.


Amish farmers bring their milk to Heini's place in these milk cans.


There were a lot of horses and buggies out this morning, despite the weather.











We passed by a small Amish school south of Mt. Hope.

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