**Grade 1 Art Lesson Plan: Color Mixing**
**Lesson Title:** Color Mixing Magic
**Grade Level:** 1
**Duration:** 45 minutes
**Materials Needed:**
- Primary color paints (red, blue, yellow)
- Paintbrushes
- Water cups
- Paint palettes or paper plates
- White paper
- Aprons or old shirts (to protect clothing)
- Newspapers or table covers
**Objective:**
Students will learn about primary colors and how they mix to create secondary colors. They will create their own color wheel and artwork using mixed colors.
**Standards:**
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.A: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions
- VA:Cr1.1.1a: Engage collaboratively in exploration and imaginative play with materials
- VA:Cr2.1.1a: Explore uses of materials and tools to create works of art or design
**Procedure:**
1. **Introduction (10 minutes):**
- Begin with a brief discussion about colors. Ask the students to name their favorite colors and identify the colors they see around the classroom.
- Introduce the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue. Explain that these colors cannot be made by mixing other colors.
- Demonstrate mixing two primary colors to create a new color (e.g., mixing blue and yellow to make green).
2. **Color Mixing Demonstration (10 minutes):**
- Show students a mixing chart or wheel that visually explains how the primary colors mix to form secondary colors: red + blue = purple, red + yellow = orange, yellow + blue = green.
- Invite students to the demonstration table and show them how to mix the colors on a palette.
3. **Hands-On Activity: Creating a Color Wheel (15 minutes):**
- Provide each student with a piece of white paper, a paintbrush, and access to the primary color paints.
- Guide the students to paint circles of the primary colors on their paper, leaving spaces in between.
- Instruct them to mix the primary colors in the spaces to create the secondary colors.
- Allow the students to paint secondary colors, showing the transitions from one primary color to another (e.g., yellow to green to blue).
4. **Activity 2: Free Painting with Mixed Colors (10 minutes):**
- After completing the color wheels, allow the students to use the mixed colors and primary colors to create a free-form painting.
- Encourage them to experiment with mixing to see what other colors they can create.
5. **Conclusion and Clean-Up (5 minutes):**
- Gather the students and have a brief discussion about what they learned. Ask them to share any surprising discoveries or favorite parts of the activity.
- Instruct the students to help clean up their workspace by washing brushes, disposing of water, and removing table covers.
**Assessment:**
- Observe students during the activities to ensure they understand color mixing concepts.
- Review their color wheels for correct primary and secondary color placement.
- Display their free paintings to see how they applied what they learned about mixing colors.
**Extension:**
For students who finish early or need an additional challenge, provide them with a variety of materials (crayons, colored pencils, markers) to replicate their painted color wheel using different mediums.
**Vocabulary:**
- Primary Colors: Red, yellow, blue
- Secondary Colors: Green, orange, purple
- Mixing: Combining two or more colors to create a new color
**Note:**
Be sure to monitor students to prevent excessive paint mixing that could result in muddy colors, and to ensure their safety and cleanliness in the art room.