Frost on the Windowpane

 Frost on the Windowpane

Art and composition activities for
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

     This guide integrates art, discussion, and writing activities with the reading of the book Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Pre-reading activities prepare the reader for the subject of the story, that is, the telling of Laura's life through the seasons of one year.

   The lessons for the reading of the book include reading, discussing, writing for all chapters, and experimenting with art for most chapters. Post-reading activities bring closure to the reading of the story and extend the ideas in it.

     The art lessons include an art appreciation section, as well as directions for completing the art projects. The masterpieces of artwork are used to demonstrate and discuss artistic principles before attempting the projects. The masterpiece artwork can purchased as postcard sized prints or the pieces may be viewed online or in art books.

     The following artwork is used is this guide and included in the postcard package (Item #401A):

• "Van Gogh's Bedroom," by Vincent Van Gogh
  (http://www.vangoghgallery.com/)
• "Starry Night," by Vincent Van Gogh
  (http://www.moma.com/)
• "Adoration of the Shepherds," by Giorgione
  (http://www.nga.gov/)
• "Autumn on the Hudson River," by Jasper Francis Cropsey
  (http://www.nga.gov/)
• "Winter Harmony," by John Henry Twachtman
  (http://www.nga.gov/)
• "Haystacks (Effects of Snow and Sun)," by Claude Monet
  (http://www.metmuseum.com/)
• "Bella Dona" by Georgia O'Keeffe
  (http://www.sfphotographics.com/)
• "Picking Wildflowers," by Auguste Renoir
  (http://www.nga.gov/)
• "Breezing up (A Fair Wind)" by Winslow Homer
  (http://www.nga.gov/)
• "Brittany Landscape" by Paul Gauguin
  (http://www.nga.gov/)
• "American Applique Quilt"
  (not available online)

For a review of this product visit http://www.love2learn.net/.

Sample page from Frost on the Windowpane

Chapter 6

Discussion:

1. What would you have done if you were Pa and there was a big bear
     in the road?

2. How do you think Ma felt about finding a bear in the pasture? How
    can you tell that's how she felt?

Writing:

1. Write a story as if you were the bear. Tell about your meeting with a human woman (Mrs. Ingalls) in the barnyard. What would a bear think about this strange meeting and a pat on the back? What did he do after Mrs. Ingalls went inside?

Art:

"Animal Paw Prints"

Materials: various colors of tempera paint, sponges, tag board (or manila file folder if you have some on hand), white construction paper

Procedure:

1. Trace paw print patterns (next page) onto the tag board and cut out with an exacto knife.
2. Student uses the patterns as stencils
3. Dip sponge into paint and stipple (apply with small short touches that produce an even and softly graded shadow) over the stencil onto white construction paper creating the paw print
4. Repeat as many times as desired. Student may make a design using the paw prints, using several different prints on one page, or varying colors.