Art and Emotions Lesson: Colors
Lesson Plan
1 hourGradesK, 1, 2Visual and Performing Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Monica Lilley
About this lesson
Students explore color in art using a read-aloud and artwork related to pollution and climate change. They consider how artists’ color choices, including their own, connect to emotions.
Inquire: Students engage in a read-aloud to explore colors, matching colors that relate to how they are feeling.
Investigate: Students investigate climate change artworks and identify colors and the feeling connected to that artwork.
Inspire: Students create their own artwork to demonstrate a chosen feeling.
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Suggestions
- Students engage with hands-on activities to demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between color and emotions.
- Dispel misconceptions about some negative color associations by pointing out positive connotations, as well.
- Before or during the lesson, let students play with different colors and mediums to create new colors and understand color mixing. This may include using paints or pastels or layering colored pieces of cellophane.
- Students understand why artists use color in their artwork and practice painting techniques.
- This unit can be used as a part of an art unit or to accompany science or language arts content.
- This lesson could be taught in 2 days. Day 1- Inquire & Investigate; Day 2: Inspire.
- The read-aloud can be extended into a reading or ELA block with teachers developing more guided discussion and reading comprehension questions.
- The lessons in this unit may evoke strong feelings. Refer to the Climate Anxiety Toolkit: SEL Resources for Teachers for support in navigating student emotions.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 2 of 3 in our K-2 Art and Emotions unit.
- Teachers will need to prepare the Feelings Cards, templates, and art materials prior to the lesson.
- Teachers can use cut-up colored paper instead of printing the Feelings Cards.
- Teachers will need to print the artwork in the slides if students participate in a gallery walk.
- Teachers should be aware of the cultural contexts as students express specific emotions.
Differentiation
- Students can complete the activities in pairs, small groups, or a whole class, depending on ability.
- Students could also split into ability groups to support all students.
- Students in various phases of language development or who speak a different language can show emotions by looking at pictures, pointing to how they feel, and using body language.
- Students can do a gallery walk of their peers’ artwork and repeat the Investigate questioning.
From the scientist review
This lesson builds the capacity of students to analyze the contents in an artwork, probe why the artists used the colors in the piece, and explore the underlying feelings attached to the colors. The activity in this lesson would also enable them to interpret the colors in artworks and communicate their feelings towards extreme climate impact. All the materials featured in the lesson have been verified, and this lesson is recommended for teaching.
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