Kelly Mordock
April 2, 1997
Professor: Dr. Cris Guenter
EDTE 229B - 02 Arts Methods

PLAY DOH COLOR WHEEL
Grade Level: K-1

Time Frame: 30 minutes

TOPIC: Visual arts lesson focusing on a color wheel of the primary and
secondary colors, constructed by the students.

COMPONENT OBJECTIVES:
Artistic Perception: Each student will identify the primary and
secondary colors. Each student will construct a color wheel, using Play
Doh in the three primary colors.

RATIONALE: The visual arts reflect an understanding of visual
characteristics in our environment. The construction of a color wheel
allows students an opportunity to discover the relationship between
colors, and make connections to objects that surround them in their
environment.

STRATEGY:A combination of direct instruction and guided discovery will
be used.

VOCABULARY: Primary color, Secondary color, Combine
- Primary color - pigment or paint that imparts a yellow, red, or
blue hue.
- Secondary color - pigment or paint hue that results from
combining equal parts from two different primary colors,
resulting in green, purple, and orange.
- Combine - to mix or blend into one.

PROCEDURES
INTRODUCTION: Display a yellow piece of paper, and ask the students what
color they think they see. After the correct response has been
determined, flip the piece of paper over to reveal the word "yellow".
Display the paper at the front of the classroom, easily locatable. Repeat
this process with blue and red. Present the color wheel worksheet
pointing out red, blue, and yellow. Identify these as primary colors.
Ask the students how they think the colors green, orange, and purple will
be made. Identify these as secondary colors. Repeat the process of


displaying a piece of paper, and asking the students to identify its
color.

PUPIL ACTIVITY SEQUENCE
1. Demonstrate how the students will split each color into three
equal pieces.
2. Give each student one small piece of red, yellow, and blue Play
Doh (about the size of a cherry tomato).
3. Hand out one color wheel worksheet to each student.
4. Direct the students to press one piece of yellow Play Doh onto the
worksheet, above the word "yellow". Repeat with blue and red Play
Doh pieces.
5. Ask the students to take one piece of yellow and one piece of blue
and squeeze it together until a new color forms. Do not tell the
students what will happen; allow them to discover the process on
their own. Ask them to press the new color (green) above the word
"green" on the color wheel.
6. Complete the rest of the color wheel by combining red and yellow
to make orange, and blue and red to make purple.
7. Allow Play Doh to dry for one or two days before students take
their color wheels home.

CLOSURE: Once the color wheels are complete, review the names of the
colors by pointing to each name and asking for a group response. Ask what
two colors make-up green? orange? purple? Ask what three colors are
called primary colors? secondary colors?

EVALUATION: The students will individually be asked to name the primary
and secondary colors. The teacher will visually check completed color
wheels for the correct placement of all Play Doh colors.

MATERIALS/PREPARATION:
- Color wheel worksheets
- One container each of red, yellow, and blue Play Doh (for 25
students)
- One piece of construction paper in red, yellow, blue, orange,
purple, and green. Label each piece of paper with proper its
proper name.

CLEAN-UP: Collect color wheels when students have completed them. Wipe down tables.

EXTENSIONS:
- Mix colored water together.
- Read Dr. Seuss' My Many Colored Days book


- Take a walk out to the playground and identify all primary and
secondary colors seen along the way.

REFERENCE: Lynn, Lois Ann. Mixing Primary - Secondary Colors. Internet
site:gopher://ericir.syr.edu:70/00/Lesson/Subject/Miscellaneous/cecmisc.39.