Friday, February 3, 2012

Colors - Primary to Secondary

I absolutely adore doing a Color Unit! It is all about the kiddos discovering for themselves what colors they can create. They have to be scientists and their job is to make a new color using the primary colors and record their observations. They are beyond excited when they create a new color, even though most the time it turns out brown. ;D

My favorite color wheel - Oriental Trading Company

Introduction to math equations through art! My go-to art project every time we do colors because it truly shows the kiddos exactly how to make a secondary color while using primary colors.

Primary Color Equations

Not only shows how to combine colors to make a new color, but also shows that 1 hand + 1 hand = 2 hands!

Mouse Paint


We read Mouse Paint in order for the kiddos to get a better grasp of how to mix primary colors to get secondary colors. To put their new found mouse mixing skills to work we did a marble painting art project.
- Three clear marbles for each student (clear to represent the white mice blending onto the white paper to get away from the cat)
-1 white sheet of paper per student
- red, yellow, and blue paint in cups for each child with spoons
-1 plastic tray per student


Have students place marbles on white paper in tray and swivel tray back and forth to see the marbles "run and dance" around the paper. After they get how to control the marbles, have students place one marble in each of the paint cups. Pick up marbles with spoons and place on paper. Students will continue to swivel tray up,down, back, and forth to watch the "mice" paint!


Mouse Paint! Where did the primary colors mix to make a new color?

Here are some other books I use during the color unit:

" Little blue and little yellow share wonderful adventures. One day, they can't find one another. When they finally meet, they are overjoyed. They hug until they become green. But where did little blue and little yellow go? Are they lost?"


"The girl in red, the girl in yellow, the girl in blue, and the boy in black and white are all set to stir up the rainbow. Watch them create a living kaleidoscope, step by step by step."
 
 
 
 
 

"Colors, feelings, images, and words jostle and bounce off one another in this lively picture book, creating as much fun as any box of crayons has ever had."
"Clear bright illustrations show all the cars of a train bringing the reader the excitement of movement through day and night, country and city."--Booklist.
This was just a snippet of our color unit. I will add to this post soon. Thank you for visiting Classroom Conspiracy and feel free to share ideas and projects that you have done!

-Jackie