Creating and teaching art requires a sense of humor and an understanding of organized chaos - as there is no way to create something original without spreading out supplies and getting a little messy.
3.04.2011
3rd Grade - "Black Book Of Colors"
I was wandering around a bookstore in Brooklyn with my sister one summer and ran across a very neat book called, "The Black Book of Colors" by Menena Cottin. This book's pictures are meant to be felt instead of seen - they are black on black, but raised. I bought this book knowing that someday I would do a lesson inspired by it.
Two years later I had a group of 3rd graders that were calm, thoughtful, and a little adventurous - the perfect combination for a unit about being blind and an artist.
The first lessons started out with a questions, "Can people who are blind understand colors?" This question provided lots of good discussions - if you have never seen colors how would you know what orange was?!
I then gathered them in a group on the floor at the front of the room and asked for a volunteer that would be willing to be blind folded, then handed an object in which they needed to tell us the color. I told the group they could not even whisper what the object was or it would give it away - our goal was to see if someone who can't see can figure out what color something is. I was kind of surprised when I had a bunch of volunteers - so I picked a student, blind folded them and reminded the class to stay quiet. I handed the blind student an orange (the fruit) and asked them to tell me the color. They held it, touched it - I suggested maybe using their other senses. Sure enough as soon as the student smelled it they knew the color!
We repeated this process with things like - grapes, carrots, a cup of dirt.... The students could tell the color each time.
Now, yes I picked obvious things - but the whole idea was to get them thinking about using their other sense to understand colors. I then read "The Black Book Of Colors" to them.
After reading the book I passed out black sheets of paper and had the students draw something that a certain color - grass for green, red for cherries -- ect. They then outlined their pencil with glue - creating a raised line. When these were dry the students made their own black book of colors which they tried out on each other.
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2 comments:
Oh wow..this books looks super cool..I'm gonna be on the lookout for it!!
It is an amazing book. I have only ever seen it at that bookstore - might be something you'll have to order.
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