Gwynedd Mercy University

School of Education
Art Lesson: Color
Cara Sabo

November 11, 2013

Kindergarten/ Color
STANDARDS: 9.1Production and Performance: Visual Arts
9.1C Visual Arts
Key Learning Area: Creative Thinking and Expression
2.1.K Numbers, Number Systems, and Number Relationships
Key Learning Area: Mathematical Thinking and Expression
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION: The students will be able to sort the leaves and
label graph according to shape or color. Following this the students will be able to
complete the color wheel and identify the difference between warm and cool colors.
Lastly, the students will create their own fall scenery using paper and paint.
1.PLANNING AND PREPARATION
1.Briefly describe the students in your class, including those with special needs,
explain how you will meet the needs of all learners.
This lesson plan is developed for a kindergarten class of fifteen students. None of the
children in the class have IEPs or special needs. I will provide concrete examples of
leaves for tactile learners. I will give clear examples of the directions verbally, and I will
have a step-by-step direction list on the board for children who work better with written
directions.
2. What are your expectations for this lesson? What do you want students to learn
and be able to do with the knowledge?
The kindergarteners will acknowledge the differences in leaves, and will learn to sort and
categorize them according to shape or color. They will also participate in filling out a
graph to number and count the different leaves. The students will be able to understand
and recognize warm and cool colors. They will also be creative in the future when using
different materials such as crayon and paint. Students will also be able to find inspiration
from nature and then will interpret what they see into their own form of art. This will
result in recognition of the season change, the comprehension of warm and cool colors
and the ability to sort concrete objects.
3. Why are these expectations suitable for this particular group of students?

These expectations are suitable for this particular group of students because multiple
learning styles will be addressed in this lesson. Each student will be provided with a color
wheel that will be colored in together as a class. This will be a guide for them when
choosing what colors to paint with. As stated in the handout Elements of Art, color
surrounds us in our daily lives and is the element of art children seem to understand best,
and they particularly enjoy discussing it. This lesson will reinforce their natural
inclination to discuss the element of color, and further it into discussion. This lesson will
also help the children develop a sorting method such as shape or color. The ability to sort
will benefit the children in other areas of mathematics as they develop. Developing a
sorting method using a chart will support the P.A. standard to increase a childs
ability to combine, separate and name how many concrete objects are present. Using
the color wheel, paints, crayons and the discussion of color found outside will
support the P.A. standard to identify different colors in art and connect it to
everyday life.
4. How do these expectations support the school districts curriculum, state
standards, and content standards?
Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Kindergarten
Standard 9.1: Production and Performance
Represent common themes and patterns in visual arts (9.1c.1)
Standard 2.1: Numbers, Number Systems, and Number Relationships
Concepts and Applications of Operations (2.1.6)
5. Explain the psychological principles/theories you used in constructing this
lesson.
In constructing this lesson, Jean Piagets Stage Theory of Cognitive Development was
used. Piaget categorized child development into four stages; sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete and formal. This lesson was created for students in
kindergarten that would fall under the preoperational stage of Piagets theory.
During this preoperational stage children begin to gain skills such as mental
imagery, language and symbolic thought. Piaget described children at this stage
being egocentric. This lesson encourages children to use their own outside
environment and choosing how they want to create their own tree. They can choose
what colors they want their leaves to be, how many branches should be on their tree,
and how large to make their tree trunk. The lesson has the children think of the
world around them, and it also allows them to create their own version through art.
II. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT:
6. Describe the effective classroom routines and procedures resulting in little or
no loss of instructional time.

There will be five tables covered in newspaper with three students at each table. The
teacher will have a pile of white paper, printed sheets of labeled color wheels, boxes of
crayons, paints, paint brushes and leaves on a separate table out of the childrens reach.
Clear directions will be verbally given and modeled by the teacher so the children can
physically hear and see what step is to follow. The students will be seated at tables with
three children at each table. This will encourage them to discuss what they see in nature,
and it will allow them to inspire one another with ideas. After the opening discussion and
directions are given, materials will be given out by one student that will be assigned from
each table. At the end of the lesson all of the students will be responsible for the cleanup
of the materials and their table. To wash their hands, the children will be called two at a
time to use the sink. Any questions will be answered, if a student raises their hand and the
teacher calls on them.
7. Identify what you will do to set clear standards of conduct and behavior
management of student behavior.
The classroom rules will be visible for the children to view, and will be reinstated at the
beginning of the lesson. The following are the standard classroom rules:
- Listen when others are speaking
- Raise your hand
- Use inside voices
- Respect and take care of classroom materials
Rules that are specific to this particular lesson:
- Share art supplies and leaves with classmates at your table
- Be cooperative in your group
- Stay in your assigned seat, at your assigned table
- Help clean up your table when everyone in your group is done their project
8. Identify what you will do to establish expectations for student achievement.
At the beginning of the lesson the teacher will encourage the children to sort the leaves
appropriately. The graph will be labeled and the teacher will point to the column that is
being filled out as the lesson follows. Along with clear verbal directions, step-by-step
directions will be written on the board for the children to view for the art portion of the
lesson. This will be written in short simple phrases for all children to read and
understand. During the lesson the teacher will also be walking around the classroom
monitoring the childrens behavior, answering questions, and encouraging the childrens
artwork.
III INSTRUCTION:
9. What will you do to motivate students?

Using Blooms Taxonomy, to get the students the following questions will be asked;
Who knows what season it is? (Fall) What colors do you see this time of year?
(Brown, yellow, red, orange, green) The children will be asked to look out the window
and count how many different colors they see and discuss with their table. The teacher
will have multiple examples of colorful leaves for each table to hold and observe. (The
students will be motivated through the rich colors they can see from outside and the
colors that are in the leaves they can feel themselves). The teacher will ask the children
how to sort the leaves. (By color) This will answer the analysis questions from
Blooms Taxonomy of how one object is like another, how the objects are different
and how to classify the objects. Then the students will be asked to create their own
picture to represent fall best they can.

10. What will you do to activate prior knowledge?

To activate prior knowledge at the beginning of the lesson the teacher will ask openended questions to the students about fall. These questions will be; What do you see
outside this time of year? What happens to the trees? What and how many colors can you
see outside? Before completing the color wheel the children will be asked to name all of
the colors of the rainbow. (Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) They then will be
asked if there are any other colors that they can think of. These will be questions referring
to the childrens knowledge. After completing the color wheel the students will be asked
comprehension questions such as; what are the cool colors? (blues, greens and purples)
What are the warm colors? (reds, oranges, yellows) Then the students will be asked to
apply what they just learned to what they see outside this time of year. This application
will help them use the right colors when coloring and painting their pictures.
Questions that will be asked in accordance with Blooms Taxonomy will be as
following:
- What month is it? (Knowledge)
- What are the colors of the rainbow? (Knowledge)
- What are the cool colors? (Comprehension)
- What are the warm colors? (Comprehension)
- How are the leaves alike? ( Analysis)
- How are they different? (Analysis)
- What are some ways we can sort the leaves? (Analysis)
11. How do you plan to engage students in the content? What will you do? What
will students do?
Materials needed for this lesson:
One piece of white paper per student
One color wheel per student to complete
Newspaper on top of every table
Crayons at every table

 Paint and paintbrushes at every table

Leaves from outside on every table
Multiple examples of half-completed trees will be presented to the students
as an example of the objective to meet
One large graph and marker in teachers possession to be filled out by students
Books about leaves, fall and color will be provided for the students to read
when they are finished the lesson
Once the class is all seated and quiet, the following will occur for this lesson:
The class will be reminded of the rules of the classroom and will be informed of
the rules for this specific lesson
The teacher will start asking motivating questions and prior knowledge
questions about Fall and the element of color.
Color wheels and crayons will then be passed out and completed using crayons
Leaves will be placed on every table for children to hold and observe
A Discussion will be led on sorting the leaves
Children will be called on to fill out to count and sort the leaves, and tally the
graph (Guided by teacher)
White paper will then be handed out to each student
Plates of finger paints and paintbrushes will then be placed on each table
The students will then use their forearms, wrists, hands and fingers to create
their own trees using paint
The students will be called two by two to the sink to wash their hands
The students will be directed as to where to place their artwork to let it dry in a
safe place
After the students are done painting and everything is cleaned up, there will
be a closure class discussion on the different colors of leaves and parts of the tree
being made
12. Describe the use of questioning and discussion strategies that will encourage
students to participate in class.
Students will be asked several open-ended questions about the season and the colors they
see outside. They will be asked questions of their knowledge of color and where they are
present in nature. A discussion strategy will be one that the teacher will ask the students
to sort the leaves and show what leaves are similar. Taking turns filling our the graph
will encourage the students to participate and get a turn to sort the leaves. After
completing the color wheel, and at the end of the lesson the students will be asked
questions regarding their comprehension of the different colors and how they
complement each other. The students will have time to discuss the colors they see
outside and tell each other what colors they are going to use to make their own tree,
and why they chose those colors.

13. What difficulties do students typically experience in this area, and how do you
plan to adapt/modify to meet their needs?
Some students may find it difficult to label colors as warm and cool. Because of this
the teacher will be modeling and filling out the color wheel with the children so they
know exactly what colors are to be filled in. When sorting and completing the graph of
leaves, the teacher will help direct the children what column to fill out, if they cannot
read what the column is labeled as. While the students are working on their artwork
the teacher will be walking around to each table monitoring the childrens work,
making specific comments on childrens work, giving vocal warnings when only a
few minutes are left in the lesson, and will be reminding the students of classroom
rules if necessary. If any students are to finish their work early, there will be several
books about fall and color that they can silently read when the rest of the class is still
working. This will keep the children occupied, but also allow the other children to work
in a peaceful environment at their own pace.
14. Identify what informal and/or formal assessments you will use to monitor
student learning.
Some informal assessments the teacher will use to monitor student learning will be the
responses given to the teachers questions and the ongoing teacher observation of the
students during the whole lesson. Some formal assessments will be the completion of the
color wheel by each student, and the sorting graph that will be filled out collectively by
the class. The childrens paintings will also be a formal assessment of their acknowledge
of the colors seen in Fall. This will indicate to the teacher whether the students
comprehended the element of color, and if they applied it in their own way through their
artwork.

15. What will you do to bring closure to the lesson?

When the students are done the lesson, they will discuss in their groups what they drew
and how they used the element of color. They will be asked to be observers when they go
outside next, and see how color fills their world. As a result, the students should walk
away from this lesson with a knowledge and understanding of the color wheel the
difference of warm and cool colors, the similarities of the leaves, how to sort concrete
objects such as leaves and to be aware of the presence of color in nature. The teacher
will close the lesson by telling the children of tomorrows related lesson that will use
the colors they learned today.