TITLE:    Color Mixing

AUTHOR:   Sue Fischer;   Cheney, WA

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:   K-3    Science 

OVERVIEW:
   Science needs to be integrated and hands-on right from the
beginning of school.  Students need to get used to handling the tools
and materials of science as well as learn scientific method and how
science is a part of almost everything.

PURPOSE:
   This lesson introduces 1st - 3rd graders to the idea of scientific
experimentation - data collection, hypothesis forming, and trial and
error.

OBJECTIVES:
   At the conclusion of this lesson the student will know:
      The primary colors, red, blue, and yellow
      How these colors mix to make other colors
      How to use a simple data chart.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
   6 baby food jars or equivalent for each group
   four or more straws (thin ones work best) for each group
   three test tubes or equivalent for each group
   large bottle of red, blue, and yellow food coloring
   sponges to clean up spills water
   bucket for waste if no sink
   data sheet for each group

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
    * Students work in groups of two to three (or one large group if
no one can write except the teacher) to brainstorm as many colors
as possible.  Research may be done at this point by looking in crayon
boxes, dictionaries, wallpaper books- whatever resources are
available if a group cannot think of at least thirty colors.
    * Each group then gets:
      Baby food jars with the following contents:
        1 - red food colored water
        2 - blue food colored water
        3 - yellow food colored water
        4 - plain water
        5 - empty ( for dumping waste)
        6 - empty ( for holding test tubes)
      Four straws
      Three test tubes, along with many admonitions about the
fragility of said test tubes (baby food jars can be substituted for
the test tubes, but you will need 6 times as much food coloring.)
    * Using the straw as a pipette, students put drops of colored
water from the baby food jars into the test tubes to make different
colors.  Allow ten to fifteen minutes for exploration.
    * When everyone has had a chance to play and experiment on their
own, introduce the data sheet.  On this sheet each group records how
many drops of each color it takes to make a new color.  Some will
need to record the drops of each color and then write what color
they made, some will be ready to hypothesize what it will take to
make a certain color. The activity can be continued for older
students by having groups exchange sheets and try to replicate
others' colors.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
   At the end of the time, groups share prettiest, ugliest, and most
unusual colors they made and tell how they made them.  Only colors
with formulas may be discussed.  Ask who might do this task for a
living and why.  How will what they learned today help with any
other tasks they might encounter in school or at home?