Lesson # 4 - Color Mixing
Objective: The student will mix red, yellow, and blue to create secondary colors and
form a color wheel.
Focus Element - color
Standards
(AP) Artistic Perception- Identify the elements of visual art.(1.2, 1.3)
(AV) Aesthetic Valuing- Analyze one's own and others' artwork. (4.2, 4.3)
Open Court Themes
Pictures Tell Stories
Stick To It
Shadows
Friendship
School
Concept
Two colors can be mixed together to make a new color. A color wheel shows which
colors can be mixed.
Resources
This lesson is taken directly from the PORTFOLIOS Teacher’s Guide*.
ADVENTURES IN ART: pp. 60&61
ART CONNECTIONS: pp. 82 & 83
ART EXPRESS: pg. 22
*PORTFOLIOS: pp. 26 - 29
Art example:
Yellow Cow, Franz Marc
Vocabulary words
color wheel
primary colors- red, blue, yellow
secondary colors- green, orange, purple
Materials
 red, yellow, and blue tempera
 fingerpaint paper
 white butcher paper (or chart paper)
 color wheel poster
 paper towels
Kindergarten, lesson #4
DIRECTED LESSON
Get Set
Show the color wheel poster. Identify the primary and secondary colors. Identify color
names in Yellow Cow and in the classroom environment.
Focus
Ask children to predict what will happen when two colors are mixed together.
Develop
1. Give each child red, blue, and yellow finger paint, placed in a triangle on finger
paint paper.
2. Choose a volunteer child whose paper can be seen by the rest of the class.
Standing behind the volunteer child, guide two of his/her fingers to scoop some
yellow paint and deposit it on the paper in between the red and yellow. Scoop
some red paint. Ask children to predict what color will be made when the two are
mixed together. Guide the child to mix the paint, using two fingers. Ask the class
to describe what happened when the colors were mixed. Clean fingers on a wet
paper towel.
3. Ask the children to mix the same two colors together on their papers and then
wipe their fingers. Repeat this process for the other secondary colors.
4. When the children have all colors mixed, show them how to make a design with
their colors, drawing into the paint with their fingers.
5. While they are occupied with this, make a class color wheel or rainbow with
fingerprints for every color on butcher paper or chart paper, using different
children for each color.
Evaluation
Ask students what colors should be mixed for orange, green, and purple. Check for
understanding: Can we mix two colors to make red, blue, or yellow?
Summary
Artists can mix many new colors to make their artwork.
Journal writing prompt
Draw a color wheel in your journal. Label the colors. Which color is your favorite?
Why?
Extensions
 MATH - Make a class graph of your favorite colors.
 READING - Read Little Blue And Little Yellow by Leo Lionni.
 VA - Make a color wheel on a paper plate. Mix secondary colors.
 VA - Play a color bingo game.
 VA - Learning center activity: Students arrange 6 colored paper circles, red, blue,
yellow, green, orange, and purple, in order of the color wheel.
Assessment
(AP) I can explain how to mix secondary colors.
(AV) I can talk about a work of art.