Whitney L_Final Project

Final project:
Learning about primary and secondary colors

Age for projects: 1st grade

Quote:
“The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color.” – Hans Hofmann

Overview: This lesson is about teaching the students about primary colors, and how secondary colors are made. The students will learn this by using red, yellow, and blue watercolors and painting them on a coffee filter. This will allow the colors to blend and create secondary colors. In the end, the students will have a colorful collage of flowers.

Goals:
1.The students will be able to identify primary and secondary colors
2.The students will be able to create secondary colors by using the primary watercolors.
3.The students will create a flower collage using coffee filters, and watercolors.

Materials:
White Coffee Filters
Watercolors (red, yellow, blue)
Color palates
Water
White Construction paper (large sheets)
Glue
Safety Scissors
Temper Paint

Procedures:
First the teacher will explain to the class what the primary colors are, and why they are primary colors (because no color can be mixed to make red, yellow, or blue). Then the teacher will explain to the students that the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue make secondary colors such as, green, purple, and orange. For example, when yellow and red are mixed together, they make orange.
After the students understand primary and secondary colors, the teacher will introduce artwork from Hans Hofmann and Wassily Kandinsky. These artists use bright primary and secondary colors.
Then the teacher will explain that the students will be creating colorful flowers using primary watercolors and coffee filters.
The teacher will handout about 4 coffee filters to each student. The teacher will also hand out white construction paper, watercolors, and palates to each student. The teacher will then model how to blend the primary colors on the coffee filter to make secondary colors. The students will then be allowed to paint on all four of the filters with the watercolors. (Let dry)
When the filters have dried, the students will fold the filter in half, and then fold it in half again (this will make a pie shape). Then the student will use safety scissors and make cuts on the round edge. When they open the filter it will be in the shape of the flower. Then students will glue their filters to the white construction paper. Have the students use the temper paint to paint a vase, a table, or whatever they want on the paper.

Contemporary Artists:
Hans Hofmann: http://www.hanshofmann.org/
Hans Hofmann uses bright colors in all of his paintings. This will show primary and secondary colors to the students

Wassily Kandinsky: http://www.wassilykandinsky.net/painting1896-1944.php

Literature:
Little Blue and Little Yellow By Leo Lionni
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Both of these books introduce primary colors and secondary colors to children.

Assessment:
In order to assess the students, the teacher will ask the students questions relating to primary colors and secondary colors after the activity. For example, “What are the three primary colors?” and “What color does red and blue create when mixed together”. These answers will show the teacher that the goals have been met. Also, the students will sign all of their collages and hang them up to show everyone. The finished projects will allow the teacher to see that the goals have been met.