Thanks! I knew I could count on the great folks on this list. This is the
very one I was looking for in my 'good ideas' file!
Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann Heineman" <aheinema@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu>
To: "ArtsEdNet Talk" <artsednet@lists.pub.getty.edu>
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2001 6:57 PM
Subject: (Making) Edible color wheels
> for Mark Alexander,
> Found this saved in my artsednet Good Ideas file! Hope it is the
> one you need. Thanks to Sharon for the contribution.
>
> Ann-on-y-mouse in Columbus
>
>
> Since a couple of people have emailed me privately asking specifics about
> the edible color wheel, I decided to go on and send this to the group:
> --------------------------------------------------
> This is a simple, yet terrific idea! My hat's off to the person who came
up
> with it!
>
> Before class I scooped out Pillsbury Vanilla frosting into 3 small
styrofoam
> bowls. I used food coloring to dye them red, blue and yellow. The red
was
> still sort of pink, but....
>
> (And be aware that some kids are allergic to Red Dye # 40. Most who are
> *know* they are, so it might be a good idea to ask before they get going
> with this.)
>
> I had the bowls covered with a paper towel and started the review as
normal,
> saying we were going to start with color theory. (I've gotten them to sit
> in groups of 3 or 4, by the way.)
>
> I asked them to tell me the primary colors. Once identified, I uncovered
> the bowls. This got their immediate attention as they weren't sure what
it
> was at first!
>
> I then asked them what secondary colors were and how they would mix them.
> (As I was asking the questions, I was putting globs of each color of
> frosting on pieces of saran wrap. Styrofoam plates would have worked
> better, but I didn't have any.)
>
> I passed out the saran wrap to each group, craft sticks to each student,
> still asking them questions (complementary, analogous, etc.)
>
> Then and only then did I pull out the boxes of Vanilla wafers! And the
> light began to dawn!
>
> I just dumped a good-sized handful of cookies (not broken ones) on the
paper
> towel in the center of each group and told them to work as a team to make
a
> color wheel. And told them NOT to lick the stick, but to wipe it off on
> another piece of paper towel to avoid contaminating the primaries.
>
> It worked out really, really well. After I'd checked each group's wheel,
> they were allowed to eat them. And like I said, some clever kids (ha)
asked
> if they could make tints! And some got very creative making cookies that
> were swirly, both complementary colors on one cookie, etc.
>
> I bought a lot more frosting than I needed--I only used about 2 containers
> for 50+ kids. On the other hand, I used nearly 3 boxes of cookies, since
I
> was trying to find unbroken ones.
>
> This activity would be a great intro to color theory and it also served as
a
> really nice review, too! I did this with my little kids (5th-6th graders)
> as well as with my upper school students.
>
> Sharon
> WEBSITE: http://www.bigfoot.com/~artrageous >
>
>
> ---
>
