Lesson 7: The Element of Colour

 Lesson Plan

Tuning In

• Ask the students to close their eyes. Explain that you are going to name a colour, and that you would like them to notice the first thing that pops into their mind when that colour is mentioned. Conduct the activity a few times, then discuss the students’ associations with the colours used in the activity.
• Watch the Elements of Art: Colour video on YouTube (Teacher note: You may wish to point out the American spelling of the word ‘color’ on the video and reiterate the Australian spelling of the word). After watching, ask the students:
  • What are the three primary colours?
  • What are tints and shades?
  • What are some common colour associations you know of?

Teacher Instruction

• Display and discuss slide 5 of the Visual Arts Elements Colour PowerPoint – Upper Years presentation. Remind the students that:
  • art is a visual language
  • art can express ideas, feelings and stories
  • artists use tools and techniques to help them create artworks.
• Display and discuss slides 6–14. Ensure the students understand that:
  • the colour wheel shows the relationships between colours
  • black and white are not usually considered colours
  • opposite colours on the colour wheel are considered ‘complimentary’
  • colours beside each other on the colour wheel are considered ‘harmonious’.
• Display slides 15–18. View the example artworks on the slides and discuss how the colours chosen by the artists evoke a particular mood.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Discuss the use of colour to express emotion, as outlined on slide 19, then read through the group activity on slide 20.
• Place the students into small groups or pairs. Provide each group with a copy of the What’s In a Colour? Sorting Activity. Explain that the aim of the activity is to sort the cards by grouping the colour cards, fact cards and feeling cards. Ensure that the students understand that there are no wrong answers for the activity – it has been designed to promote discussion about how colour can be used to create meaning and express feeling in artworks.
• Complete the activity, following the instructions provided. Monitor and support the class as required.

Wrapping Up

• Gather the class together and ask each group to share their groupings. Encourage the students to provide justifications as to why certain decisions were made, e.g. We matched the colour yellow with the word ‘happy’ because yellow is the colour of the sun, and people feel cheerful and bright when the sun is shining.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• Using this activity as a basis for investigation, students requiring extension may like to research some additional facts about colours and their associations.

Supporting Students

• Support students by allowing them to perform the activity in a group situation that suits their learning and communication styles.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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