3 of 15

Notes for teachers

*Follow the link for the printables of the journal, worksheets, and a decomposed image. (You can also choose your own image to decompose at this website: https://javalab.org/en/filedrop_cmyk_en/)

*You can use the premade slidedeck while teaching this unit if you would like. Primary Predicament - The REAL Primary Colors - Part 1

*This unit is 3 parts and has been developed using the 5E Instructional Model. This Primary Predicament Unit goes through two complete 5E lessons. If you would like more information on the 5E model you can visit this website: https://bit.ly/5Emodelofinstruction

Lesson 2 Lesson 3

List of Materials

For each student:

Journal 1: Paint Predicament (printed double-sided, flipped on the SHORT edge, folded and stapled)https://stemazing.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Primary-Colors-3rd-Grade-Journal-1.pdf
Decomposed Color Image (printed in COLOR on transparency film)https://stemazing.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Wilbur-and-Wilma-CYMK-Photo.pdf
Rainbow-ish RYB and CYM (printed on white cardstock)https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QEBuncUwKm1bRqiosw7cSaJk42cS80Y6/view?usp=sharing
Ish Drawings Handout (Not mandatory for lesson but part of a great art extension for students.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BuoRjf3xOZOYHYYUZc26Hj1j6psJXGxR/view?usp=sharing

For the Class:

Post-its
Red, Yellow, Blue, Cyan (Turquoise), and Magenta Paints (You can find these colors at Dollar Tree)
Paintbrushes
Paint trays/paper plates
Chart paper
Ish By Peter H. Reynolds (This is not essential for the lesson but is a great extension for students. It can also be found on YouTube.)

4 of 15

Standards

3.P2U1.1: Ask questions and investigate the relationship between light, objects, and the human eye.

5 of 15

Objective:

Students will learn the real primary colors by analyzing a decomposed image and experimenting with different paint colors to understand the primary colors of paint are cyan, magenta, and yellow.

6 of 15

Agenda

Estimated Time: In each part, there are lessons which may be a little shorter or a little longer than the estimated length. Some sessions can also be split into two for shorter sessions.

Part 1: Paint Predicament – 6 sessions of approximately 30 minutes each

*Engage-Complete Probe first. Phenomena and notice/wonders (25 minutes)

*Explore-Testable wonders from chart (25 minutes)

*Explain-Introduce cyan, yellow, and magenta. Students will combine transparencies to make red, blue and green. (25 minutes)

*Elaborate-Read Ish and students do Ish drawings (optional). Students will paint rainbows using 2 sets of colors. (45 minutes)

*Evaluate Part 1-Display zometools picture and students decide colors. (25 minutes)

*Evaluate Part 2-Revisit probe. (10-15 Minutes)

7 of 15

Probe/Pre Assessment

Have students complete the “Paint Predicament” probe found on p.1 of “Paint Predicament” Journal 1.

Create a post-it bar graph on chart paper to record student thinking. Have students place a post-it on their vote for which answer they select and leave posted for later discussion or to document changes in thinking over time.

8 of 15

Driving Question-What are the Primary Colors?

Give students the four colored transparency photos cut apart. Record any ‘testable wonders’ on a chart to revisit the next day. NOTE: Guide students to the wonder about the order in which the colored photos should stack if no students naturally test or question if order matters.
Students stack images to recompose the photo and record what they notice and wonder on journal pp. 3-4. Be sure students are using the photo recomposition page when layer the transparency pieces. They must do it on a white surface.

Engage

9 of 15

Testable Wonders

Present the chart of testable wonders created during Engage. (Be sure to have students test the order and make observations about if they think it matters.)
Ask questions using the Cross-Cutting concepts as students test, observe, record.
Students select 2-3 testable wonders from chart and explore using the transparency photos from Engage. (Be sure students are using the photo recomposition page in the journal. It must be done on a white surface.)
Students record extra observations and any data on extra paper.
Students share (in partners/ tables/class discussion) their discoveries to the testable wonders they explored.

Explore

10 of 15

What are those colors?

Introduce the names of the colors on the transparencies as cyan, magenta, and yellow.

Challenge students to combine two colors to make the colors red, blue, and green. (See slides)

Students use transparency photos to layer in different ways to discover combos and record how to make red, blue, and green journal p.6.

Lead class discussion about what they notice about creating these colors. NOTE: students should start realizing that they can make the colors red and blue from other colors

Explain

11 of 15

Ish

Read the picture book Ish, by Peter H. Reynolds, to the class and talk about what it means to create an ish picture.

OPTION: After teacher read-aloud of Ish, students make some of their own “ish” drawings to demonstrate how everyone's drawings are unique and different.

NOTE: If you choose the drawing option, this will add some extra time not included in the initial time estimations.

Elaborate-(Optional)

12 of 15

Rainbow-ish

Assign half the class to paint rainbows by mixing red, yellow, and blue paints. Assign the other half to paint rainbows by mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow paints.

NOTE: You may need to give some time to practice mixing paints and show a model rainbow visual on the board so students know the (ROYGBIV) order.

Students partner with someone who painted with the opposite set of colored paint and discuss what they notice and wonder about the two rainbows.

Students record their notices and wonders on student journal p.7.

NOTE: Students will be returning to this during part 2 of this module to have a better understanding of which “rainbow-ish” is scientifically 'correct’.

Elaborate

13 of 15

Crayon Colors

Display, on the board, the image “Crayon Colors” of crayons that are grouped by primary colors but decomposed into cyan, magenta, and yellow (slide 27).

Students use what they have learned, the notes in their journal, and even the transparencies from previous lessons, to figure out what color each group of crayons will be.

Students discuss in groups and then have groups share out what their thoughts were.

After student discussions, show the composed image of the crayon colors on the board and have students discuss how they knew which colors were which. They can record this on page 6 in their journal.

Evaluate-Part 1

14 of 15

Assessment

Revisit the probe “Paint Predicament” to have students record what they think now.

NOTE: The hope is students will start to have a shift in their thinking but if not that is ok.

Students reread the probe on student journal p.1 and record current thinking on p.2.

Students record who they now agree with from the probe and place post-its (consider a different color) on the class graph created in the Pre-assessment Task.

After students place Post-its on the graph, see if there is a shift. Spend some time talking about what students are thinking and trends for the class.

Evaluate-Part 2

15 of 15

Differentiation

*While students are working on recomposing images, you may want to give students a full blank piece of white paper to use if they need the extra space not allowed in the journal.

*Students can work in partners to create their Rainbow-ish for students needing extra help with the fine motor skills.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

*If time allows, you can have students make both rainbow-ish rainbows.

*Elaborate on student Ish drawings. Display Ish artwork around the classroom.