Butchart Gardens: Warm and Cool Colors
Task Analysis
Grades K-3
Learning Objective: Students will identify warm and cool colors and discuss moods
associated with those colors.
Anticipatory Set: Colors in artwork can express feelings. Think about how you feel
when you look at different colors. Do some colors make you feel happy? Do any colors
make you feel sad? Do you ever look at a color and feel warm or cold? Today we are
going to learn about two kinds of colors and talk about how they make you feel.
Subobjective 1: Students will identify the three cool colors.

Input: When we look at the color wheel, we see the primary colors: red,
orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. We call three of these colors “cool
colors.” The cool colors are next to each other on the color wheel: green, blue,
and violet.

Model: I can find the cool colors on the color wheel. I know that green, blue,
and violet are called cool colors.

Activity: Tell your partner the three cool colors from the color wheel. See if
you can find cool colored foods when they are mixed in with other colors!
Subobjective 2: Students will identify warm colors on the color wheel.

Input: The other three colors on the color wheel are called “warm colors.”
These colors are also next to each other on the color wheel: red, orange,
yellow.

Model: I can find the warm colors on the color wheel. I know that red,
orange, and yellow are the warm colors.

Activity: Tell your partner the three warm colors. See if you can find the
warm colored flowers when they are mixed in with other colors!
Subobjective 3: Students will discuss things in nature that are cool colors.

Input: We can find cool colors in nature. We can find cool colors in water,
plants and trees, and the sky.

Model: When I close my eyes and think about the cool colors, I see an icy
blue lake.

Activity: With your partner, think of as many things as you can that are cool
colors in nature. Share your answers with the class.
Subobjective 4: Students will discuss things in nature that are warm colors.

Input: We can also find warm colors in nature. We can find warm colors in
fire, plants and trees, and the sun.

Model: When I close my eyes and think about the warm colors, I see autumn
leaves on the trees in red, yellow, and orange.

Activity: With your partner, think of as many things as you can that are warm
colors in nature. Share your answers with the class.
Subobjective 5: Students will describe feelings and moods associated with cool colors.

Input: Colors can express feelings. The cool colors might make us feel cool
or cold when we look at them. Cool colors might also make us feel calm or
even sad.

Model: When I look at this picture, I can see the artist used cool colors. The
colors make me feel like it is chilly outside and that the water is very cold.
The colors also make me feel calm and peaceful.

Activity: Look at the pictures that use cool colors and describe your feelings
about the picture.
Subobjective 6: Students will describe feelings and moods associated with warm colors.

Input: Artists may use colors to show us feelings. The warm colors might
make us feel warm or hot when we look at them. Warm colors might also
make us feel active, excited or even dangerous.

Model: In this painting, the artist used warm colors. The colors make me feel
like the fire and the air are burning hot. The colors make me think of danger
and excitement

Activity: Look at the pictures that use warm colors and describe your feelings
about the picture.
Closure: Students will create their own painting using either only warm or only cool
colors.
Extensions: Explore colors on the webquest “Carmine’s Introduction to Color.”