Winter Lesson, Da Darling

I'm gearing up for my next lesson for the little kids - we are traveling to Russia for the winter months ahead. I debated taking them to Lapland or Norway, but the resources are more difficult to come across. So Russia it is, darlings! And of course when I say traveling, I really mean teaching them units about these far-off destinations, relating it to art appreciation.

I'm not sure about the specifics yet, but I thought it would be fun to hit areas of architecture with watercolor St. Basil's Cathedral, performing arts and literature with the Nutcracker story/ballet (as well as contemporary takes on this classic story), and of course what Russian lesson would be complete without a Matryoshka? I've already loaded tons of books onto my waiting list at the library, gathered lesson plan ideas, and checked my art education standards. There are so many resources, projects, and articles, that the LA Times referred to it as Matryoshka Madness. Artists have given their take on the nesting dolls FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, (some suck, but as a whole they are an interesting collection). I am positive the kids will like it and produce some amazing art in the meantime! Here are some cute videos about Matryoshka dolls (not necessarily for the kids, but fun nonetheless).