"As the sun colors flowers,
so does art color life."
-John Lubbock
Fun activities to expand the learning of
My Box of Color by Lorianne Siomades
For Classroom Discussion
As you read the book aloud to the class, here is a list of suggestions to think about:
• Read the title of My Box of Color and ask the class what they think it means.
• Ask them what color was used on each page.
• Which words rhyme.
• Ask them to answer each question posed in the text.
• Can they find the hidden worm in each spread.
• After the book is read aloud, begin discussion on the meaning of the book and what they learned from it.
• For further discussion, read another book aloud without showing the pictures to the class. Ask the children ..if they can tell who or what the characters are, what they might look like, what color they are, and if it ..matters.
For Art: Creating a "Box of Color" collage
What the children will learn - Another method of creating a picture, the colors of the rainbow, and the various shades and tints of a color.
What you will need - Various colors of construction paper, fabric swatches, brightly colored pages from magazines, catalogs, newspapers, calendars etc., scissors, glue, heavy square paper.
In the center of each group table, create a pile of various materials for the children to choose from. Let each child make a collage of their favorite color by find as many things as possible of that color to glue onto a heavy sheet of
square paper.
square paper.
For Writing Center: Continuing the story
What the children will learn - To follow examples, to think about color.
What you will need - Writing paper, pencils, choice of art supplies for illustrations.
Have the children use the theme from the story to write their own examples. Perhaps this is a fill in the blank exercise.
"If my ______ was _______ would it still be just as ________?
Use these new examples as a springboard for discussion about how we feel about things based on their color.
For Art History: Famous Paintings
What the children will learn - To recognize some famous pieces of art. To observe art objectively.
What you will need - Color prints of impressionist and post impressionist pieces such as Cezanne's "Ginger pot with pomegranate and pears". Van Gogh, Monet, and Manet will work as well.
Hang the prints on the wall. Take a plain piece of white paper and cut a small hole in the center no larger than an inch. Put the paper over the prints
and move it around to isolate a color. What color is it?
and move it around to isolate a color. What color is it?
Now remove the paper to see what the color was used for. You may discover purple was used for a mountain, blue was used to shade a pear, orange was used for a rock, or purple was used for a tree, etc.
Fun activities to expand the learning of
Kangaroo and Cricket by Lorianne Siomades
For Classroom Discussion
As you read the book aloud to the class, here is a list of suggestions to think about:
• Read the title of Kangaroo and Cricket and ask the class what they think it means.
• Which words rhyme.
• Can they find the hidden worm in each spread.
• After the book is read aloud, begin discussion on the meaning of the book and what they learned from it.
• Who is the "I" in the story? Is it the reader? Is it the worm?
For Circle Time Presentation: Connecting with classmates
What the children will learn - About their classmates, make new friends.
What you will need - Paper and pencil if desired
Have each child find a partner in the classroom. As they sit facing each other, tell them they have 5 minutes to discover something they have in common with their partner. After the 5 minutes is up, have the children rotate partners. Continue the process until each student has found something in common with everyone. You may want your students to write down their discoveries and student names. This works well if the children form two circles, one inside the other. Great activity for first week of school!
For Writing Center: Continuing the story
What the children will learn - To follow examples, finding things in common with uncommon things.
What you will need - Writing paper, pencils, choice of art supplies for illustrations.
Have the children use the theme from the story to write their own examples.
