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Lesson Plans


Re: Color Wizard

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Linda Kelty (lckelty)
Fri, 22 May 2099 19:56:19 -0400

Hi Lori, I haven't had time to respond to this recently, but briefly, some
of what you do would depend upon your grade level. In kdg. and first grade
I taught color with frosting and graham cracker sections. Got 2 gallons of
frosting from the food service, red, yellow and blue food coloring, sandwich
bags (pre-zip lock...yeah, I'm one of those "old" teachers) and store brand
graham crackers. We'd painted with primary fingerpaints on glass and paper
and they still forgot what made what with what, sigh. So, I thought
"Everyone remembers favorite foods." and came up with this. Each kid got a
paper towel, standard issue, six 1/4 crackers and fingers. They were only
allowed to eat their crackers when they made the secondary colors. Put the
food coloring in the bag with about a cup of frosting. Each student gets to
"massage" a bag for about 30 seconds before passing it on. When each child
has had their turn you snip the tip of the bag of one primary color and
traverse the room, giving each child a squirt of frosting on two crackers.
Then follow with each of the other two colors on two crackers apiece per
child. No one is allowed to touch it until everyone has their pallette.
We discussed pallettes in prior classes. ) The teacher has to have their
pallette and crackers too. Then the teacher holds up a cracker with a
primary frosting and makes a great show of mixing it and eating it with
gusto, including finger licking. The kids love this!! Then they get to mix
and eat theirs with you. Turn your back to them, mix one of the
secondaries, turn with a flourish to show them while exclaiming about the
lovely taste of green,etc. Hold it up, have them look at their crackers to
see which one they think made it, exclaim "Good Guess!!" or "THAT is
absolutely correct, ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" then everyone
gets to mix the green, eat it and talk about it before doing the next two
colors. It's simple, fun and those kids from the first group are out of
high school and still remember it from 13 years ago. It really works to
make it into exaggerated play, mystery and magic because they are so
enthralled and remember those lessons forever.

I have developed a unit of color I call "Color Scientists" with my 6th
graders that they really enjoy and has practical applications and real life
transfer. It's lengthy also.

Any grade loves to paint on the windows and create a mural. If you want to
teach them color, start with the primary colors in liquid tempera with a
little liquid dish soap mixed in.

Any time I teach color I find a way to celebrate when someone discovers the
way to make black or brown. We also celebrate when they find ways with
tints and shades to create all those exotic colors in the crayon box.
That's called "Color Mix 'n' Match". I have several other lessons in the
unit including a color dictionary, student design workshop, artists parodies
and color in perspective.

It's fun to teach, isn't it? Gives us permission to play ourselves. The
Giselle Institute espouses that children learn through play and Howard
Gardner talks about multiple intelligences and we've all heard about
learning modalities. Play expresses and provides an outlet for multiple
learning needs without chaos because it is directed play with a modicum of
freedom within parameters.

"Art is not freedom from discipline, but disciplined freedom."
Rev. E.M. Catich, professor, mentor, friend
He understood.
-----Original Message-----
From: L. Conrad <martay>
To: Linda Kelty <lckelty>
Date: Friday, May 21, 1999 6:05 AM
Subject: Re: Color Wizard

>Linda,
> Great ideas! Yes, I am interested. Lori
>
>----------
>> From: Linda Kelty <lckelty>
>> To: BluesTruth
>> Cc: artsednet.edu
>> Subject: Re: Color Wizard
>> Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2099 11:12 AM
>>
>> Jill, I made it up because I was totally bored with the standard ways of
>> teaching color and needed to hype it up for myself as well as them. It
>> really turned them on and they remembered it. Have several others that
>> "sticks" with the kids if anyone is interested. Simple twists can
>generate
>> a lot of learning if you use dramatics or hunger. Thanks for the
>> compliment. Linda
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: BluesTruth <BluesTruth>
>> To: lckelty <lckelty>
>> Date: Wednesday, May 19, 1999 7:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: Color Wizard
>>
>>
>> >Linda-
>> >Where on earth did you find this idea--or did you create it yourself?
>It
>> is
>> >fabulous! ...And I thank you ever and ever so much for sharing it with
>> me!!
>> >I love it. Can't wait to try it out!!
>> >Thanks again!
>> >Jill
>> >
>>
>