SPOTLIGHT ON COLOR: SCIENCE AND ART SEE EYE TO EYE

MASTER TEACHER  Marilyn Cook

GRADES K-1

OVERVIEW
This lesson provides students with an understanding of how light contains more than one color and that these colors occur  in a specific sequence.   In an art extension the students will see how color is  light  that is reflected back to our eyes.   Students will determine that without light there is an absence of color which we see as black.   The students will learn that light from the sun is made up of  a spectrum of  colors  and that objects that give off or reflect light have a different mix of colors. 

ITV SERIES
3-2-1 Classroom Contact: Living Color
Bill Nye the Science Guy: Light and Color
Reading Rainbow: Arthur's Eyes - #113

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
*use a prism to separate light into the color spectrum
*name the colors of the spectrum in sequence beginning with red
*recognize that a rainbow is a light spectrum 
*make accurate measurements of his/her own shadow 
*show on an analog clock the times that are shown on sundial (to the hour) - in a math extension

MATERIALS
(for a group of four)
triangular prism
mirror (12 x 17 cm)
1  piece of white poster board
sheet of green, blue, red construction         paper
flashlight 

(for each student)
pack of 8 crayons
white drawing paper
pencil
ruler
measuring tape

(per class)
overhead projector
screen or projecting area
light source
sundial for use in the math extension - can be
   made with a paper plate and pencil), post-it
   notes for making a graph
box with a small pin hole made in on one of 
   the sides (to use in case students are not able
  to see what happens to colors when it is dark)

VOCABULARY
light                      pigment
spectrum               shadow

PREVIEWING ACTIVITIES
Have students go outside and measure their shadows by working in pairs (one student will measure and then record the measurement in inches on a piece of post-it note, then the students will change roles.)  Have students do this in the morning and then again in the afternoon so that they will be able to see that shadows will be different lengths at different
times during the day.  This could be done the day before the lesson to save time.  Ask students why the shadows are dark and not the color of the students' clothes.  (Because your body is blocking the sun, sun can't shine through your body.)  Have the students post their measurement notes on a chart in the room in sequential order from smallest to largest.  There will be two charts, one for the AM measurements and one for the PM measurements.  Pass out white paper and crayons and have students draw their shadows.  Ask students what their shadow looked like and then take up drawings.  These will be used later in the lesson.  Make the classroom as dark as possible and ask the students what colors they see. (If it is very dark the students' responses will be "only dark or no color but black".)  Say, "It looks like if there is no light, there is no color.  So let's turn on the lights and see what happens. "  Turn on the lights.  "Do you see color now?"  (Yes.)  Ask them what is different.  (The light is on.)  Say, "Can we say that if there is no light, we do not see color?"  (Yes.)  Ask if anyone knows why this is true.  (Accept reasonable explanations.)

FOCUS FOR VIEWING
Say, "What did you use to draw your shadows? (Crayons and paper.) " What do you use when you paint?" (Paint, brushes, water, paper.)   " If we do not see color if there is no light could you draw or paint if there is no light?" (Hopefully after this open-ended question the students would answer that they could not or a similar response.)  "You are going to see an artist who doesn't use crayons, or paint."    To give students a specific responsibility while viewing say, "Watch the video to see what this artist uses to make his picture and where he makes it." (Students will see that the artist uses light and prisms and makes the painting on a wall without paper or canvas.)

VIEWING ACTIVITIES
3-2-1 Classroom Contact: Living Color
Begin tape right after Keenan says, "Pretty as a picture,"  and the light spectrum is projected on the screen. Pause tape after Robin says, "Where are all these colors coming from?"  Ask students to predict where the colors are coming from.  (Accept any reasonable predictions.   If no student has a close prediction now do not explain about the prism and light.)  Say, "Let's watch to find out if any of our predictions are correct and to find out where the colors are coming from."  Resume tape . Pause  when the artist says, "Sunlight.  The sun painting only works when the sun shines, because that's where the colors come from," and he is polishing the mirror and talking to Robin. Say, "Let's check our predictions.  Did we predict that the colors came from sunlight?  (If students are not sure of the answer yet, encourage any reasonable explanation.)  How did this artist paint this picture if he did not use crayons or paint? " ( Encourage any reasonable explanation. The artist used light.)   Say, "Let's see how he painted  his picture as you continue to watch." Resume tape where Robin says, "What's a sun painting?"  Pause tape where Keenan says, "Full of color.  Beginning to see the light?  I thought so," and he is standing in his room.  Ask, " How did the artist  paint his picture?"  (Students may or may not be able to articulate the exact way the artist painted or created his picture but his use of prisms and mirrors could be an acceptable answer at this point.)  "The artist said that if there was no sunlight there would be no painting.  Is this true for all paintings or drawings?" (No.) "What about your drawing that you made of you and your shadow?  What color was your shadow?" (Answer may be more colors than  black and gray.) "If you are drawing your shadow from what we observed when we measured our shadows what color would you use?"  (Black or gray.)   "What colors could you see when we turned off the lights in our room?"  (Very dim.)  "If there is no light at all will there be color?" (No.)  " What colors do you see in your closet at home if there is no light?"  (Colors couldn't be seen.)  If students are not able to respond correctly at this point put an object in a box that has a small hole in the side to let as little light in as possible and have the students try to describe the object by the color. This artist on this video painted with sunlight, and we said that if there was no light there would be no color.  We've seen how the white light was broken down into the color spectrum. Let's find out more about color.  Say, "See if you can find something that is similar to the artist's light painting but it occurs in nature if the sun is shining and it is raining.  Resume.  Pause tape as Keenan says, ". .. and light is full of colors," and there is a rainbow on the screen.  Say, "Is a rainbow something that you have seen before?"  (Yes.)  "Let's see if we can name the colors."  (Red, orange, green, blue, purple, but may not be able to add indigo or call purple violet at this point.)  If this image is not clear enough show students another picture or poster of a rainbow that has the correct sequence of colors.

"Let's see another rainbow on a tape."   Say, "See if this rainbow has the same colors."  Begin the Reading Rainbow tape Arthur's Eyes with the theme music and the butterfly flying across the screen with a rainbow coming from the butterfly's wings. Pause tape when the butterfly is near the bottom left hand corner.   Say, "Let's say the colors here on this rainbow."  (Red, blue, yellow, orange.)  "Are these colors in the same place as they were when Keenan showed us the rainbow?"  (No;  this is a drawing, not one outside or in nature.)

Say, "Let's see if we can learn more about the colors from Bill Nye the Science Guy as he visits a crayon factory.  Let's watch to see if your favorite color is being made and also to find out what ROYGBIV means."  Write ROYGBIV on the board.  (Have the Bill Nye tape cued up to just after Bill says, "The sky is blue," and he sighs as he is sitting by a lake with his back to the screen.  The beginning of this section of the tape will be eyeballs and the words "Hey Look at This" on the screen.  Play tape and pause tape after Jandin says, "It's art and it's science," and she is looking at the screen holding up the paper with the markers and marker changer drawn through it.  Resume the video with the sound off as Bill shows his fingers with paint on them and the color blocks with the letters ROYGBIV on them appears on the screen.  Pause the video when all the color blocks have appeared.  Say, "Now try to tell me what ROYGBIV means."  (Red, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet. Students still may be able to respond with indigo and violet instead of purple but for now it is OK.)  Say, "If some of you did not know about the colors after blue let's listen to see if Bill tells us."  Rewind tape to Jandin saying, "It's art and it's science," and holding up her paper with the  colors and the marker changer drawn over them. Now when we see Bill let's say the colors with him."  Resume video with the sound on and have students respond with Bill as he names the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.  Stop video after Bill says, "ROYGBIV" and he smiles. 

POSTVIEWING ACTIVITIES
Say, "Now that we have seen white light broken into the color spectrum, ROYGBIV,  a rainbow and a drawing of a rainbow on Reading Rainbow, let's do it ourselves with a prism like the artist at the beginning of the first video tape."    When you have broken the white light into the spectrum on your board, color the spectrum and label the colors with a pencil.  Have materials for each group ready (triangular prism,  piece of white poster board, and light from the window or the flashlight to separate the light onto the poster board, pencil, crayons) Demonstrate this to the class.   Pass out materials and monitor groups.  After each group has the spectrum colored say,  "Are your colors in the same sequence as ROYGBIV?"  (Check and say yes).  "Now each group will report their findings by showing us their spectrum and naming the colors in sequence."   ( Student groups will present their spectrums and name the colors).  Say, "We have seen white light broken into the color spectrum.  Now think about your shadow and the drawing you made.  Did your shadow have color?  (No.) Would you have a shadow if light was shining directly on you?  (No.)  If light was shining would you be able to see color? (Yes.)  How would your drawing that you made be different? (Color could be added.) 
Ask students if they would draw their shadow differently now that they know that light is full of colors.  Some students may have drawn their shadows with color.  If so, explain that their shadow has to be black or at least gray because there was no light.  Pass out the drawings and have them make a drawing on the other side of themselves instead of their shadow.  Have students label the drawing "my shadow" and the other side "myself in full light" and display these drawings so that both sides can be seen (on a window or a line hung in the classroom).

ACTION PLAN
Visit a TV station (your local PBS station) and see how cameras work. Write to the Crayola company to find out what the favorite colors are and how color changer crayons and markers work as seen in the Bill Nye video.  Check with the vision education person in the special education department at your school or someone in the community who is blind and ask about their experience with color.    (The Reading Rainbow video (series 100) Arthur's Eyes shows different ways of seeing  and color blindness and Reading Rainbow (series 500) Knots On A Counting Rope  deals with a young boy who is blind.)    Try to make a sun painting with prisms and mirrors on a small scale like the one done in the 3-2-1 Classroom Contact video.

EXTENSIONS
Language Arts
Use the Hailstones and Halibut Bones poem about colors and have students write a Haiku about their favorite color.  See the film The Day the Colors Went Away and write a paragraph about what it would be like if there was no color.  Show the Reading Rainbow video, 1100 Series, My Shadow that examines light and shadow and shows how shadow can be used to tell time (in the math extension of this lesson). 

Math
Use a sundial to show how people told time before clocks.  Have students tell time to the hour using the sundial.  Have students measure their shadows at different times of the day by using the sundial.  Use the sundial to tell time for one day in your classroom (Reading Rainbow view, series 1100, My Shadow shows this.)  Have students make a graph of their favorite colors. The artist in the 3-2-1 Classroom Contact video "Living Color "describes how different colors bend different amounts, such as blue bending more than red.  The students could see how far the different colors of the spectrum bend and then measure and record the length of the color that appears when they work with a prism.

Art
Have an artist who works with neon come to speak to the class. Visit the art lab at the high school or the school that has an art lab that is closest to you to have the older students show how they use the colors in the spectrum.  Visit a commercial art studio to see how ads are made and how color is chosen to make ads.  Visit the art museum or have the museum educator come to speak about light and color.  Visit a newspaper printing plant and see how the color ads are printed.  The videos used in this lesson (3-2-1 Classroom Contact,   Living Color and Bill Nye the Science Guy, Light and Color) also contain segments that examine pigment and explain how color is a reflection of light so that students can see how both are related in art and in science.
 

Updated:  April 01, 2008