In this fun color mixing lesson plan, children hear a story about a color crazy mixed up Siamese kitty that thinks he is a Chihuahua. They learn about mixing two primary colors to create a secondary color and participate in two hands-on experiments. This lesson is age appropriate for older preschoolers through early elementary students.
Lesson Objectives
Students follow directions and complete experiments. Color identification skills are encouraged as well as pre-reading and letter-sound recognition skills. The art and science projects encourage creativity and exploration, and the student’s answers to questions asked during the projects demonstrate their comprehension and retention of the material.
Reading the Story
Teachers need a copy of the book Skippyjon Jones Color Crazy for this portion of the lesson.
Show the book to the class and ask them to make guesses about the story. Read the first two pages, and then ask them what kind of animal Skippyjon Jones is and what color they think he will use next. Read a few more pages and ask them what kind of animal Skippyjon Jones thinks he is, and what they think he will color next. Continue reading, but stop before the last page of the book. Ask the class what they think the last thing Skippyjon Jones might color will be.
Color Mixing Experiment
This simple exercise allows students to experiment with prediction. They learn what happens when certain colors are mixed.
You will need:
- paper plates
- blue and yellow food coloring (liquid, not gel)
- craft sticks
- water
Give each student a plate and a craft stick. Pour a tiny amount of water on each paper plate. Say something like “What color is the water?” Add a drop of blue food coloring to water and invite the students to stir the mixture with the craft sticks. Have the class say the color name and identify the letter with which the word starts. Ask them if they can remember what object Skippyjon Jones painted blue.
Hold up the yellow food coloring, and lead them in saying the word yellow and naming the letter the word starts with. Encourage them to predict what will happen when the yellow food coloring is added to the blue water. Add the yellow food coloring to the blue water, and encourage them to mix the two colors together. Invite them to identify the color they created. Now say something like, “Who can remember what Skippyjon Jones used his green crayon to color?” Save the plates with the mixed colors for the color drip experiment below.
Color Drip Experiment
In this portion of the color mixing lesson plan, students experiment with dripping color on an absorbent surface.
You will need:
- color mixtures from the previous project
- paper towels cut into squares (fold the paper towel in quarters and cut into squares)
- paper plate
- pipe cleaners
Give each child a paper towel and plate. Encourage children to dip the craft stick into the colored water and let the color drip onto the towel. Let them create a pattern if they chose or simply drip the water into one spot. Encourage them to talk about their observations about what happens as the water drips onto the paper's surface. Leave the paper towel pieces on the plates to dry. When they are dry, invite the children to fold them accordion style and tie them in the middle with a pipe cleaner to create a butterfly.
Use these conversational guides as the children are creating their artwork to encourage them to think about the process involved in the creation:
- I like the way you are making a pattern by dripping the colors. Tell me about your design.
- What part of your body are you using to hold the craft stick?
- What part of your body helps you see the colors?
- What sound does the colored water make when it drips onto the paper towel?
These are simply suggestions for ways to engage the students as they work. Use them as is or as a starting point for your own set of discussion questions.
Lesson Extension
Extend the lesson by making a simple recall worksheet activity. Create a sheet that include pictures of a sun, tree, bee, bunny, and dog. Encourage the children to color the objects using the same colors that Skippyjon Jones used in the story.
Use this color mixing lesson plan to build on previous lessons about identifying colors. Hearing a story, creating an art project, and participating in an experiment engages the students on a variety of sensory levels and provides a deeper, richer learning environment.
Sources:
Schachner, Judy. Skippyjon Jones Color Crazy. Dutton Children’s Books, 2007.
Author’s experience in the classroom.
Donna Cosmato - Donna is a Certified Image Consultant, author and public speaker, whose first book Buying Your First Home? will be available in bookstores ...
