Unit 2: First Grade
Day 1
We Go Together (Color and Value)
Objective: In these lessons students will see how artist use color and value in their
artworks. Students will create artworks using color and value exploring how they
work together.
Resources: Book: “Art Everywhere”, Harcourt Publishers
Lesson 6: The Color Wheel
Objective: Students will describe colors in an artwork. Students will understand
how the primary colors mix to make the secondary colors. Students will create a
painted fan using the primary to make the secondary colors.
Resources: Artwork: I and the Village by Marc Chagall
Vocabulary: Colors (primary colors, secondary colors), color wheel
Materials: 9x12 #80 drawing paper, tempera paints primary colors, paintbrush,
paper towels, water
Teach: While looking at the artwork, Ask the questions “What does the painting
show? Tell what colors you see?” Tell students that artist use a color wheel when
mixing colors.
Plan: Show students how to fold their paper to create a fan. Then show students
how to mix paint on their palette tray to make the secondary colors.
Create: 1. Students will fold their paper into a fan and write their name on the
back.
2. Paint three parts with red, yellow and blue.
3. Mix colors to paint the other parts.
Reflect: How did mix colors to make the secondary colors?
Assessment: Artwork, Writing Journal
Day 2
Lesson 7: Warm and Cool Colors
Objective: Students will identify warm and cool colors in artworks. Students will
understand that red, yellow and orange colors can make a picture feel warm. Blue,
green and violet can make a picture feel cool. Students will use warm or cool colors
to create a seasonal artwork, showing how the place feels.
Resources: Artwork: Afternoon Ride by Ernest Martin Hennings and Snow Fields
by Rockwell Kent
Vocabulary: warm colors, cool colors
Materials: 9x12 light blue or white construction paper, construction paper crayons
Teach: Ask the question “Which painting looks warmer?” Explain to students that
red, orange and yellow are warm colors and they can make a picture feel warm.
Blue, green, and violet are cool colors and they can make an artwork feel cool.
Plan: Have students think of a playground in winter or summer. Have them think
of the things that they would find on a playground.
Create: students will use warm or cool colors to show how the place feels.
Assessment: Artwork, Writing Journal
Day 3 & 4
Lesson 8: Making Colors Lighter
Objective: Students will identify light colors in an artwork. Students will mix white
with colors to create a tint.
Resources: Artwork: Two Girls in Field by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Vocabulary: Value, tints
Materials: 9x12 #80 drawing paper, tempera paint (primary colors, green and
white), paintbrush, paper towels, water
Teach: Ask the question “Where do you see light colors in this painting?” A color’s
lightness or darkness is its value. Artists make tints, or lighter colors, by adding
white to colors.
Plan: Students will think about a sunny morning to paint.
Create: 1. Students will use tints to paint a morning picture.
2. Students will add details using tints.
Reflect: How did using tints help you show morning?
Assessment: Artwork, Writing Journal
Day 5 & 6
Lesson 9: Making Colors Darker
Objective: Students will identify dark colors in an artwork. Students will mix
black with colors to create an evening painting.
Resources: Artwork: Mount Rainier Reflecting by Anna Belle Lee Washington and
Portrait of Louise-Duchess of Parma and her son Ferdinand by Adelaide LabilleGuiard
Vocabulary: shade
Materials: 9x12 80# drawing paper, tempera paint (primary colors, black and
white), paintbrush, paper towels, water
Teach: Ask “Tell about the colors you see in the paintings? Tell them that artist’s
can make a shade, or darker color, by adding black to a color.
Plan: Have students think of a nighttime picture.
Create: 1. Students will make shades to help show nighttime.
2. Students will paint a landscape at night with the moon.
Assessment: Artwork, Writing Journal
Day 7 & 8
Lesson 10: Stained Glass Window
Objective: Students will understand that when light shines through stained glass
you can see colors and shapes. Students will create a stained glass about spring
using tissue paper.
Resources: Artwork: Stained Glass by Student Bibi and Unknown Artist
Vocabulary: stained glass
Materials: black construction paper, tissue paper, glue, scissors, spring templates,
pencils
Teach: Ask “ How are these artworks alike? Tell them that when light shines
through stained glass, you can see colors and shapes. Today they will create a
spring stained glass with tissue paper and black construction paper.
Plan: Have students think about colors and shapes they like.
Create: Students will trace a spring shape onto a piece a black construction paper.
Students will cut out shapes from the inside of the black construction paper.
Students will glue tissue paper on the back side covering the holes.
Reflect: What happened when you held your artwork up to a light.
Assessment: Artwork, Writing Journal
Day 9
Unit 1 Review and Reflect
Objective: Students will review the vocabulary and concepts that they learned in
Unit 2.
Resources: Book: Art Everywhere
Vocabulary: tint, stained glass, shade, color wheel
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