Color Science Lab
K5
Biblical Application:
God created all the colors of the rainbow. Genesis 9:13 “I set my rainbow in the
cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth...”
God promises never to flood the earth again and the rainbow is a sign and reminder
of God’s promise to His people. The Lord delights in His creation and He made all
things colorful so we could enjoy the beauty of color. Today we will explore God’s
creative colors in four centers; we will paint with primary colors and mix primary
colors with water and shaving cream. We will also learn how color separates.
Students must come to lab with a painting shirt on.
Supplies Needed:
Center 1 – red, blue, yellow tempera paint, multiple paintbrushes, wipes, one color
mixing sheet per child, bulletin board paper to protect the table from staining,
color paddles and instruction sheet, orange, green, and purple crayons.
Center 2 – Splash of color kit. The kit includes 24 pipettes, small mixing cups, color
tablets, 24 hole mixing trays. In addition, use of trays for each student would be
advisable. Also a tin pie pan to hold colors is needed.
Center 3 – 3 cans of Equate Sensitive Skin Shaving Cream, quart size Ziploc bags
(zipper kind), red, blue, and yellow paint. Lakeshore Color Learning Center.
Center 4 – filter paper (coffee filters cut into circles about 2 ½ inches wide), black
water soluble pens (vis-a-visa), 6 plastic clear cups, water, food coloring, warm
whole milk, liquid dishwashing soap, bowl.
Center One
Introduce: At this center we are going to see what happens when we mix primary
colors of paint. Each child is given a color mixing worksheet.
ASK – What will happen if we mix red and yellow?
What will happen if we mix blue and red?
What will happen if we mix yellow and blue?
GUESS – Now have the children write down their guesses in the lines provided.
TRY – Spoon a primary color on the spaces provided and allow them to mix the
colors and see if they were correct in their guess. Use the orange, purple, and
green pens to write their guesses. Show them how to paint using the brushes to
paint up or down. Each child will use at least two brushes to keep the colors from
blending.
ANSWER – Discuss the results.
Vocabulary words:
Primary colors – red, yellow, and blue.
Secondary colors – colors which are produced by combining two primary colors. In
this case orange, green, and purple.
Then, allow discovery time with use of the color paddles.
1. View red, yellow, blue color paddles in the light.
2. Then combine any two paddles, hold them up to their eyes and see what
happens.
3. Help them to make the secondary colors using the paddles.
Center Two
Introduction: At center two we are going to mix primary colors using water and the
pipettes and trays. Show the supplies. Have the primary colors ready for them to
mix.
ASK- What will happen if we mix red and yellow?
What will happen if we mix the result of the red and yellow with blue?
Continue to ask about all colors as they are mixing.
GUESS – Let the children call out their guesses.
TRY – Begin mixing colors in the tray with the pipettes, Make sure they take from
each new color created and make more colors.
ANSWER – Begin to compare color trays and the colors each student created.
At the end have all the children dump their color tray into a dish and see what
color they come up with. Usually black will be made, and then you can discuss how
black contains all colors.
Next observe the test tube rainbow.
Vocabulary words:
Primary colors – red, yellow, and blue.
Secondary colors – colors which are produced by combining two primary colors.
Center Three
Have ready blue, red, yellow paint. Squirt a small amount of shaving cream in each
child’s bag. Ask them which two primary colors they would like to combine with the
shaving cream. Ask them what secondary color they think they will make.
Introduce center: At center three we are going to mix colors using shaving cream.
ASK – What will happen if I give (child’s name) a small amount of red paint and a
large amount of yellow?
Continue to ask various questions about the color and amounts as you are
squirting the paint into their individual bags. The helper should tape the bags shut
and label them with the child’s name.
GUESS – Let the children call out their guesses.
TRY – Tell the children to start mixing their shaving cream baggie using their
hands.
ANSWER – What colors did we get and are they all the same? Compare and discuss
results.
Lakeshore Color Kit
Have the students guess what colors they can create with the paddles and crayons
in the kit.
Center Four
Introduce the center: We are going to explore the question is black really black?
1. Write your name in pencil around the edge of the filter paper.
2. Draw a circle of dots or a ring of black in the middle of the filter paper.
3. Cut a piece of pipe cleaner 2 inches ling. Fill a cup ¾ full of water. Carefully
push the pipe cleaner through the filter paper. Make sure the pipe cleaner
is wet before the first use. Use the same pipe cleaner for each group of
students.
4. Place the filter paper and pipe cleaner on top of the cup so the pipe cleaner
gets wet, the water will slowly wick its way up to the filter paper.
5. Set this cup aside while you perform the next experiment and tell the
students you will come back to this experiment.
Rainbow Reactions Activity
Introduce center: To observe the reaction of milk, soap, and food coloring causing
a rainbow.
Use the ASK, GUESS, TRY, ANSWER AS YOU DO EACH STEP
1. Pour the milk in the bowl (then ask what will happen when I drop these colors
in the bowl). Let each child guess.
2. Drop three colors of food coloring in the center of the bowl. (Now ask what
will happen when I put a drop of soap in the bowl?) Let each child guess.
3. Put a drop of soap in the middle of the food coloring arrangement.
4. Watch what happens.
5. Discuss the colors created and how they got into the bowl.
Discuss that when the soap was dropped into the milk a reaction occurred. The milk
molecules begin to twist, swirl, and make shapes. The food coloring just allows us to
see this reaction.
Now check on your first experiment and discuss what is happening.
This technique of color separation is actually called chromatography (this is the
vocabulary word). The ink dissolves in the water (that’s why they call it water
soluble) and moves between the fibers of the paper where it is separated into
bands of color. You might see as many as six or seven different circles of color.
Questions for Review
1. What are the three primary colors? (red, yellow, blue)
2. What are the three secondary colors? (orange, purple, green)
3. Is black really black? (no it can be separated out into all the colors of the
rainbow)
4. What does the word chromatography mean? (the technique of color
separation)
5. Which one of our experiments today had to do with chromatography? (the
black marker and filter experiment)
6. What happens when we mix all the colors? (we get the color black)
Parents,
We use the Scientific Method in Explore Lab. Ask the students
guided questions that enable them to think and explore.
The Scientific Method
1. Ask a question
2. Gather information through observation
3. Make an educated guess or hypothesis about the answer to
your question
4. Design an experiment
5. Evaluate the results