Lesson Overview:
Students observe that a variety of objects are tints and shades of purple, and classify the objects in several ways. Students see purple created when translucent red and blue films are put on top of each other. Then, students mix red and blue paint to make purple hues and create portraits of characters from Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. A journal activity follows, in which students record a visual or written list of purple objects.
Length of Lesson:
One 45-minute period
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for grade 2.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- identify the color purple.
- sort purple objects in a variety of ways.
- create the color purple by mixing red and blue.
- create hues of purple by mixing different amounts of red and blue, and blending white and black into purple.
- create a purple portrait of a character from the play.
Supplies:
- Pencils
- Measuring spoons
- For sorting purposes: Examples of purple objects
- Flowers (real or silk): irises, lilacs, violets, or pansies.
- Food (real or plastic): eggplant, grapes, raspberries, or plums.
- Several purple objects, such as a letter, puppet, sock, or even a plastic purse for sorting in a variety of ways.
- For color film purposes:
- Translucent red and blue report covers or theatrical light gels.
- For color mixing purposes:
- Red, blue, white, and black tempera paint
- Mixing palettes or saucers
- Stirring sticks
- For purple portraits purposes:
- Paint brushes
- Water
- Bowl or glass of water per group
- White paper
- For purple swirl purposes (optional follow up):
- Frozen grape concentrate
- Yogurt or soft ice cream
- Spoon
- Glasses
Instructional Plan:
Warm Up
Display purple props, such as flowers (iris, violet, lilac, pansy), fruits (eggplant, plum, grape, raspberry), purple blocks, letters, socks or a purse. Discuss with students what all of the objects have in common.
Introductory Activity
Have students sort the purple objects in a variety of ways using a Venn diagram.
Ways to sort could include:
- living/non-living
- food/not food
- play thing/not a play thing
- dark purple/medium purple/light purple
- red purple/blue purple
Guided Practice
Ask students to guess which two primary colors make purple, then demonstrate the answer with the activities below.
Transparent Color Blend (as a whole class):
Take red and blue transparent covers or theatrical light gels and place one on top of the other. Discuss what color now shows through.
The Exploratorium site offers a color mixing image that you may wish to use as an example.
Paint Mix (individually, in pairs, or as a group):
Give students equal amounts of red and blue tempera paint to mix with pallets or on saucers. Tell them they are to use this purple as the original color. Have them divide the purple paint into fourths. Have them set one fourth aside, and instruct them not to blend anything else with it.
Give students a bit more red. Have them add this to one fourth of the original purple paint, blend the colors and set the paint aside. Instruct them not to blend anything else with this color.
Give students a bit more blue. Have them add this to another one of the fourths of the original purple. Blend and set aside; do not blend anything else with this color.
Have students divide the last remaining fourth of purple paint in half, add white to one half, add black to the other half, and blend.
Discuss the different hues and how they were achieved. Do any of these colors match the props from the Warm Up activity? Do they match identically? Where would you use the white blend? (Answer: to show where the light is coming from) Where would you use the black blend? (Answer: to show where the shadow is)
Go to the Crayola site to compare the purple crayon shades named in their database with the hues created in class.
Independent Practice:
List characters from the play or book Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse on the board.
Have students select a character from the book and create a portrait. Students should use only the previously blended purple hues to paint the character’s portrait (monochromatic color scheme).
Display and discuss students’ work.
Have students write observations or put samples of colors in their Student Journal Handouts.
Assessment:
Assess students on the extent to which they sucessfully completed the following tasks:
- Objects were sorted by type correctly.
- Directions were followed and purple was created when mixing red and blue.
- The colors with purple hues were created when extra red, blue, white, and black were added.
- Purple portraits of characters from Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse were painted.
Extensions:
For fun, make a "Purple Swirl":
Swirl a tablespoon of frozen grape concentrate into a ½ cup of yogurt or soft ice cream and taste.
Sources:
Print:
- Adrey, Neil. The Science Book of Color. Gulliver Books, 1991.
- Bower, Jane.Arts and Crafts Skills, Painting. Children’s Press, 1998.
- Butterfield, Moira. Fun with Paints. Hamlyn Children’s Books, 1994.
- Fairclough, Chris and Pluckrose, Henry. Paints. Franklin Watts, 1987.
- Harris, Anne and Waters, Elizabeth. Royal Academy of Arts Painting. Dorling Kindersley, 1993.
- Hauser, Jill Frankel and Kline, Michael. Science Play. Williamson Publishing, 1998.
- Heller, Ruth. Color.Putnam & Grosset, 1995.
- Henkes, Kevin. Chester’s Way. Greenwillow Books, 1988.
- Henkes, Kevin. Julius,The Baby of the World. Greenwillow Books, 1990.
- Henkes, Kevin. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Greenwillow Books, 1996.
- Savage-Hubbard, Kathy, Solga, Kim, and Speicher. Art Fun. North Light Books, 1997.
- Wesley, Kathleen. A Color Sampler. Ticknor & Fields, 1993.
Web:
Authors:
-
Mary Beth Bauernschub, Teacher
Kingsford Elementary School
Mitchellville, MD
