Springfield College

Unit Plan Template

Teacher: Amanda Howell
Subject: Visual Arts

Date: --Grade Level: 1

Brief Summary of the Unit:

This unit is an in introductory to color theory.
Lessons will build upon each other to first identify then review the primary and
secondary colors and what defines them as such.
Some teaching strategies that will be practiced in this unit include
a) try, check, and revise when the students are making their color wheels
so they may guess and learn in a hands on manner which colors can mix
to produce another
b) step by step painting to ensure all students are aware what is being
asked of them
c) observation of an artist and his art work to inspire our project
d) Review and expanding upon concepts to reinforce information
Students will first be introduced to the color wheel and primary colors. They
will be asked to create an art piece where the super hero is colored with the
primary colors only. The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. The color
wheel, primary colors, and examples of the project will be posted as
references for students who need reminding. The purpose of this lesson is for
students to memorize the three primary colors. Working with the colors on a
subject most of them are highly interested in will make the three colors easier
to remember.
Students will then finger paint to explore and mix colors and produce their
own color wheel. The order of the color wheel is specific to where the primary
colors are. Students will remember from the previous week on their
superheroes which colors are primary. Each secondary color can be made by
mixing the primary color to the left and the primary color to the right of the
desired secondary color. Primary colors are red, yellow and blue; these colors
cannot be produced by mixing any other colors together. Secondary colors are
violet, orange, and green; these colors can each be produced by mixing two
primary colors together. The color wheel will begin with the painting of the
primary colors, which they already know. Students will then determine which
colors to mix into the secondary triangles by observing the primary colors
neighboring the triangle. Students will guess what color it will make before
mixing.
In the last lesson the students will observe and question the work of Wassily
Kandinsky. Students will then create a painting using Kandinskys techniques
to display their understanding of primary and secondary colors.
The concepts in this unit include paint, primary colors, secondary colors, color

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template
sticks, and mixing. These concepts and ideas are important to understand
because the rest of color theory is based off of the color wheel. An
understanding of the subject will reinforce the steps to achieve the desired
outcome of future pieces, supply knowledge to expand a limited pallet, and
provide a deeper understanding for the world around them.

Stage One Desired Results

What do we want the students to learn?
Massachusetts Framework Standards:
1.1 variety of media,
1.3 learn and use appropriate vocabulary,
2.1 exploration of color in dry and wet media
2.5 pattern
Enduring Understandings:
Big Ideas:
Simple colors can be grouped into primary and secondary colors.
Primary colors mix to create secondary colors.
Blue, red, and yellow are primary colors.
Orange, green, and violet are secondary colors.
There is a specific order that the colors go in on the color wheel.

Concepts:
Primary
Secondary
Mix
Paint
Wheel
Pattern
Kandinsky
Essential Questions:
When might I need to know my primary colors?
What colors can we make from the primary colors?
How do we make the colors that arent on the color wheel?
What is color?
Why might Kandinsky have painted circles?
Content:
Primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
Secondary colors are violet, orange, and green.
The order of the color wheel is specific to where the primary colors are.
Between each primary color is the secondary color made by the neighboring
primary color.
Critical Thinking Skills:
The students will recall the primary colors as they color in their super heroes.

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template
Students will determine which colors to mix in the secondary color triangles by
observing the primary colors neighboring the triangle. Students will predict
what color it will make before mixing.
Recalling of primary and secondary colors.
Deciding where to put each color in order of circles to complete an inspired art
piece with each box fully representing the primary colors or fully representing
the secondary colors.

Stage Two Assessment Evidence

What will the students have to do in order to demonstrate their
understanding of the material?
Performance Tasks:
Completed piece, used only primary colors for hero, used only secondary
colors for background.
Did the student successfully place and mix each color on the wheel?
Did the student show control over the medium and pay attention to his or her
craftsmanship to ensure neatness and the desired color.
Does the students work include primary and secondary colors in separate
squares?
Is there three different colors in each square?
Other Evidence: quizzes, tests, prompts, etc.
Class Story time with the story Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll. Class discussion
on book and color.
Self-Assessments and Reflection:
Students will engage in a round robin upon completion of each piece to
observe classmates work. Students will then participate in a class discussion
about what they saw, what was similar, and what was different, and how they
created their work.

Stage Three Lesson Plans

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template

Teacher: Ms. Howell

Subject: Visual Arts
Title of Lesson: Primary Super Heroes

Date: 9/13/16
Grade Level: 1
Lesson Length: 40min

Overview of the Lesson

Lesson Summary:
In this lesson students will review the color wheel and display their knowledge
of primary and secondary colors by creating an art piece where the super hero
is colored with the primary colors and the background is colored with the
secondary colors.
Massachusetts Framework Standards:
1.1 variety of media, 1.3 learn and use appropriate vocabulary, 2.1 exploration
of color
Lesson Objectives: The students will be able to..
Identify the primary and secondary colors and display them in an organized
fashion in a drawing of their superhero.
Materials/Equipment to be Used in Teaching the Lesson:
Mouse Paint story by Ellen Stoll, Reference posters of color wheel, primary,
and secondary colors, worksheet, colored pencils
Enduring Understandings:
Big Ideas: The students will understand that
Primary colors mix to create secondary colors.
Blue, red, and yellow are primary colors.
Orange, green, and violet are secondary colors.
Concepts:
Primary
Secondary
Mix
Essential Questions:
When might I need to know my primary colors?
Content
Factual Content:
Blue, red, and yellow are primary colors.
Orange, green, and violet are secondary colors.
Vocabulary:
Tier 1:

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, color wheel
Tier 2:
secondary
Tier 3:
primary
Critical Thinking Skills (Reading, Writing, Speech, Listening)
The students will recall the primary colors as they color in their super heros.
They will display their knowledge of secondary colors when the color in the
background of their super hero.
Assessments (Performance Tasks/Tests/Quizzes Formative/Summative,
Informal/Formal)
Performance:
Completed piece, used only primary colors for hero, used only secondary
colors for background.

Action/Instructional Procedures
1. Story time!
2. Discussion of colors, reference color wheel.
Go around saying all the colors.
Red yellow and blue are very important! Does anyone know why?
Talk about primary and secondary colors.
3. Pull out example super hero.
-Choose a person, say why they are your hero, color your hero in primary colors, and
background in secondary colors.
-Name & Class code on paper.
4. Round Robin to look at everyones superhero.

Reflection on Lesson
a. The Lesson Plan:
Needed more information as to what the primary and secondary colors are. Introduce
superheroes differently, though it was a subject that got their attention. When passing out
supplies it was a little crazy, next time them have them thinking which option of superhero they
want to use before handing them out.

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template

b. Teaching Skills:
Perhaps not let them make themselves the hero, and they would get more out of the lesson. Or
maybe not teach primary and secondary colors at the same time. Focus on primary colors being
the clothes of the superheroes and the backgrounds can be whatever they want, then next week
talk about secondary colors. Good thing there were many visuals.
c. The Students:
Tried really hard but kept forgetting primary and secondary colors.
Got distracted after I said superheroes.

Teacher: Ms. Howell

Subject: Visual Arts
Title of Lesson: Color wheel

Date:
Grade Level: 1
Lesson Length:40 minutes

Overview of the Lesson

Lesson Summary:
Students will finger paint to explore and mix colors and produce a color wheel.
Massachusetts Framework Standards:
1.1 variety of media
2.1 explore color in wet media
Lesson Objectives: The students will be able to..
Create a color wheel with only the primary colors provided.
Materials/Equipment to be Used in Teaching the Lesson:
Paper plate with red paint, yellow paint and blue paint; newspaper, worksheet,
pencils, wet wipes.
Enduring Understandings:
Big Ideas: The students will understand that
The primary colors can be mixed to make the secondary colors.
There is a specific order that the colors go in on the color wheel.
Concepts:
Color wheel
Primary
Secondary
Paint
Essential Questions:
What colors can we make from the primary colors?
How do we make the colors that arent on the color wheel?
Content

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template
Factual Content:
The order of the color wheel is specific to where the primary colors are.
Between each primary color is the secondary color made by the neighboring
primary color.
Vocabulary:
Tier 1:
Mix paint color
Tier 2:
primary
Tier 3:
secondary
Critical Thinking Skills (Reading, Writing, Speech, Listening)
Students will determine which colors to mix in the secondary color triangles by
observing the primary colors neighboring the triangle. Students will guess
what color it will make before mixing.
Assessments (Performance Tasks/Tests/Quizzes Formative/Summative,
Informal/Formal)
Did the student successfully place and mix each color on the wheel?
Did the student show control over the medium and pay attention to his or her
craftsmanship to ensure neatness and the desired color.

Action/Instructional Procedures
Procedures:
1. All supplies will be set up on table (aside from paint)
2. Discussion of color and primary and secondary colors.
3. Review of paint, behavior and safety
4. Paint is passed out (primary colors only)
5. Teacher leads students through painting the color wheel, one finger per color at a time.
6. Students guess and mix each secondary color
7. Color wheels are put on the drying rack
Extra time:
8. Teacher describes a color, students walk to that color table.

Reflection on Lesson

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template
d. The Lesson Plan:
Exciting for the students to finger paint. Important to paint along with them and stress the
importance of clean fingers when mixing new colors. Could have use a similar activity
with more independence as a conclusion assessment.
e. Teaching Skills:
One step at a time was important, allowed more control over the medium and in the
classroom. Painting on the board at the same time helped a lot of the students.
f. The Students:
Excited to finger paint. Wanted to rush ahead, but were concerned if they were doing it
right or not.

Name:____________________________code:_________________

Color Wheel

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template

Teacher: Ms. Howell

Subject: Visual Arts
Title of Lesson: Kandinsky Circles

Date:
Grade Level: 1st
Lesson Length: 40 minutes

Overview of the Lesson

Lesson Summary:
Students will participate on discussion of Kandinsky and his works then create
a painting using Kandinskys techniques to display knowledge of primary and
secondary colors.
Massachusetts Framework Standards:
1.1 variety of media
2.1 explore color in wet media
2.5 pattern
Lesson Objectives: The students will be able to..
Students will reflect upon Kandinskys work to inspire an art piece that
demonstrates their knowledge of primary and secondary colors.
Materials/Equipment to be Used in Teaching the Lesson:
Posters, paint, paper, brushes, water, paper plates, paper towels
Enduring Understandings:
Big Ideas: The students will understand that
Colors can be grouped into primary and secondary colors.
Primary colors can be mixed to create secondary colors.
Concepts:

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template
Pattern
Primary
Secondary
Kandinsky
Essential Questions:
What is color? Why might Kandinsky have painted circles?
Content
Factual Content:
Primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
Secondary colors are violet, orange, and green.
Vocabulary:
Tier 1:
Circles pattern
Tier 2:
Primary, secondary
Tier 3: Kandinsky
Critical Thinking Skills (Reading, Writing, Speech, Listening)
Recalling of primary and secondary colors.
Deciding where to put each color in order of circles to end with all three colors
in all three squares for either primary or secondary.

Assessments (Performance Tasks/Tests/Quizzes Formative/Summative,

Informal/Formal)
Performance:
Does the students work include primary and secondary colors in separate
squares?
Is there three different colors in each square?

Action/Instructional Procedures
Procedures:
Day 1
1. Students discuss Circles by Kandinsky
2. Papers and supplies (only primary colored paint) is passed out to students.
3. Students are directed to fold paper the hotdog way, then in thirds to make a total of 6
squares.

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template
4. Students mark an x in top left and right squares, and the bottom middle square. (these
are the squares will be painting in today.
5. Students will be instructed to put a dot in one square, a circle in another, and outline the
square in the last.
6. Students continue doing this with each color until the three squares are filled with the
primary colors.
Day 2
1. Students review and discuss Circles by Kandinsky
2. Supplies (only secondary colored paint) is passed out to students.
3. Students will be instructed to put a dot in one square, a circle in another, and outline the
square in the last.
4. Students continue doing this with each color until the three squares are filled with the
secondary colors.
5. Round Robbin observation and discussion.

Reflection on Lesson
g. The Lesson Plan:
Could use more time on Kandinsky, or refer back to him on the reflection day.
h. Teaching Skills:
Lead the class step by step day one, verbally and on the board. Allowed more freedom during
secondary colors.
i. The Students:
Some were confident and excited to do secondary colors independently. Some students were
uncomfortable with the freedom.

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template

Springfield College
Unit Plan Template

Wassily Kandinsky
1826-1944
Abstract and Nonrepresentational
Painting