Today I taught a lesson to a class of 25 Year 1s and 2s. The aim of this lesson was to introduce the students to colour associations to do with mood, essentially cool colours for happy feelings and warm colours for unhappy feelings.
This lesson was connected to the Visual Arts section of the Australian Curriculum (awaiting endorsement): 'Use and experiment with different materials, techniques, technologies and processes to make artworks (ACAVAM107)'
Facial Expressions
We began the lesson by looking at the features of facial expressions from a picture I found through Pinterest sourced from this website. (I actually added eyeballs to all of them to make them look less scary).
This lesson was connected to the Visual Arts section of the Australian Curriculum (awaiting endorsement): 'Use and experiment with different materials, techniques, technologies and processes to make artworks (ACAVAM107)'
Facial Expressions
We began the lesson by looking at the features of facial expressions from a picture I found through Pinterest sourced from this website. (I actually added eyeballs to all of them to make them look less scary).
I printed out each of these faces to half an A4 page. I began by randomly selecting students to come to the front of the classroom and I gave them one of the expressions. The class then had to guess how they were feeling. Once they had guessed, the students stuck up their expression on a large sheet of brown paper under the category of 'happy' or 'unhappy'.
Another way this could have been done would be to tell the class what the expression was and not the person out the front, and then the class would've had to describe the expression to the person at the front for them to guess.
I then asked the students to make observations about each expression. What did their eyebrows look like? What did their eyes look like? What did their mouth look like? Students noticed commonalities between the eyebrows and eyes of the happy expressions compared to that of the unhappy expressions.
Another way this could have been done would be to tell the class what the expression was and not the person out the front, and then the class would've had to describe the expression to the person at the front for them to guess.
I then asked the students to make observations about each expression. What did their eyebrows look like? What did their eyes look like? What did their mouth look like? Students noticed commonalities between the eyebrows and eyes of the happy expressions compared to that of the unhappy expressions.
The Story
Prior to reading the story, I briefly mentioned the connection between warm colours being associated with anger and cool colours being associated with happiness.
I read the book to the class, asking questions regarding their predictions, observations and literary techniques they noticed. This book was a great example of the connection between feelings and colours as the happy monster is blue and green and the angry one is red and orange.
I was so happy that after not long one of my students noticed that one was the warm colours and one was the cool colours! This was a topic that the class had covered previously with their normal teacher.
The Colour Wheel
Once we finished the story and the student mentioned the warm and cool colours, we began to look at a picture of the colour wheel and a chart of the colours that I had printed out earlier.
I was so happy that after not long one of my students noticed that one was the warm colours and one was the cool colours! This was a topic that the class had covered previously with their normal teacher.
The Colour Wheel
Once we finished the story and the student mentioned the warm and cool colours, we began to look at a picture of the colour wheel and a chart of the colours that I had printed out earlier.
I talked a little about why we have these associations with mood. Mentioning that anger is like fire, and the students guessed that the happiness was associated with calm things such as the ocean, grass and the sky.
The Paper Bag Monsters
Before making their own monsters, the students were asked to complete a writing task where they were to choose how their monster would feel, the associating colour to go with that feeling, and to write why we use that colour to go with that feeling. In making their paper bags, they were also asked to incorporate features of the face, especially the eyes and eyebrows, to make the monster's expression more clear.
The Paper Bag Monsters
Before making their own monsters, the students were asked to complete a writing task where they were to choose how their monster would feel, the associating colour to go with that feeling, and to write why we use that colour to go with that feeling. In making their paper bags, they were also asked to incorporate features of the face, especially the eyes and eyebrows, to make the monster's expression more clear.
The class did a great job of this and were so excited to make paper bag monsters. They used coloured markers and coloured paper to design their monster however they pleased. I've posted a few examples of student work below which I thought was just excellent.
What I would do differently
Next time I do this task, instead of spreading the paper bags on each table at the start of the lesson I would have made sure that each of them had completed their writing neatly and to an appropriate standard before giving them a paper bag.
I would give more visual examples of warm colours used in anger and cool colours used for happiness.
I would focus on better strategies for concluding the activity and set a time limit for students to pack up by.
I would have repeated the task more than once to reiterate the importance of the writing activity.
What I think I did well
I think that this lesson was appropriate to the level of understanding that the students already had of colour and visual arts.
All students were engaged with the lesson and grasped the concept of warm for anger and cool for happy.
I was well organised, had all craft materials, pictures, colour charts, and sheets ready to go before the lesson. I had also written the lesson out in full and made connections to the Australian Curriculum before presenting the lesson to the class.
The lesson followed a natural progression of growth and understanding. I took on suggestions given by students and used these to guide the conversation in the right direction.
Next time I do this task, instead of spreading the paper bags on each table at the start of the lesson I would have made sure that each of them had completed their writing neatly and to an appropriate standard before giving them a paper bag.
I would give more visual examples of warm colours used in anger and cool colours used for happiness.
I would focus on better strategies for concluding the activity and set a time limit for students to pack up by.
I would have repeated the task more than once to reiterate the importance of the writing activity.
What I think I did well
I think that this lesson was appropriate to the level of understanding that the students already had of colour and visual arts.
All students were engaged with the lesson and grasped the concept of warm for anger and cool for happy.
I was well organised, had all craft materials, pictures, colour charts, and sheets ready to go before the lesson. I had also written the lesson out in full and made connections to the Australian Curriculum before presenting the lesson to the class.
The lesson followed a natural progression of growth and understanding. I took on suggestions given by students and used these to guide the conversation in the right direction.