Colour and Emotion

Overview

In this 45-minute lesson designed for year 0-2 students in New Zealand, learners will explore how colours can express emotions and create artwork representing a chosen feeling using colour. The lesson emphasises hands-on engagement, accessibility, and oral articulation aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for The Arts and key competencies development.

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Curriculum Links

Learning Area: The Arts – Visual Arts

Phase: 1 (Years 0-3) – Thriving in environments rich in literacy and maths, including expressive skills in art.

Achievement Objective:

• Develop ideas in response to exploration of experiences, observations, and imagination (The Arts, Visual Arts, Phase 1).
• Use the elements of art to communicate feelings and ideas (colour as an element).

Key Competencies (NZ Curriculum):

• Thinking: Students use creative and critical thinking to make meaning of emotions expressed through colour.
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Students express their ideas verbally and visually.
• Managing self: Students make choices about colours and emotions.
• Relating to others: Discuss and share artwork emotions.
• Participating and contributing: Collaborate in discussions and sometimes work in pairs or groups.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand that different colours can evoke or express different emotions.
• Use selected colours intentionally to represent an emotion in their artwork.
• Verbally express the emotion their artwork represents and justify their colour choices.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Name the emotion their artwork represents.
• Explain why they chose certain colours to show that emotion.
• Share their ideas clearly with peers or teacher.

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Resources

• Emotion cards with pictures and words (happy, sad, angry, calm, excited, scared, etc.)
• Colour paints/crayons/markers
• White art paper or card
• Audio descriptions of emotions and colour meanings (to support dyslexic learners)
• Visual emotion charts linking colours to emotions
• Examples of art that use colour to show feelings (simple and relatable images)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Discussion (10 minutes)

• Engage students by showing emotion cards and asking what emotions they see.
• Discuss how colours might make us feel — e.g., "Red can feel angry or excited," "Blue can feel calm or sad."
• Use audio descriptions to explain emotions and colours for dyslexic or auditory learners.
• Prompt children with simple language: “Can you think of a colour that shows happy? Sad? Angry?”
• Show examples of artworks or simple colour swatches linked to emotions.

Teaching Tip: Use emotion cards with images and words to cater to diverse learners and support understanding.

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2. Creative Art Activity (25 minutes)

• Students choose an emotion from the cards or select their own.
• Provide painting or drawing materials and paper.
• Ask students to create an artwork using colours they think show that emotion.
• Encourage them to think about why they choose each colour.
• Teacher circulates to support, asking questions like, "Why did you choose that colour for feeling happy?"
• Allow freedom of expression — this could be abstract colour splashes, shapes, or simple forms.

Differentiation:

• Support students who need help by offering colour-emotion suggestion cards.
• Students with motor challenges can use larger brushes or crayons.
• English language learners benefit from paired sharing before starting.

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3. Sharing and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Each student shares their artwork with the class or in small groups.
• Teacher prompts them to state: "This is my artwork. It shows (emotion). I used (colour(s)) because…"
• Celebrate all contributions positively.
• Students practicing writing or advanced learners can write or dictate a sentence about their work.

Extension Activity:

• Advanced learners can write a short poem or story about their artwork and the emotion they expressed (using teacher scribing if needed).
• Encourage use of descriptive language and sensory words.

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Assessment

• Informal observation during discussion and sharing, noting students’ ability to identify emotions and justify colour choices.
• Use anecdotal notes of students' oral expression and engagement.
• Collect artworks as evidence of understanding use of colour for emotion.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use emotion cards with images and words – visual and verbal support for connection.
• Provide audio descriptions to assist dyslexic learners.
• Scaffold language by modeling sentence starters: “My picture shows ____. I used ____ because ____.”
• For ADHD/short attention spans: alternate between short bursts of talk and hands-on activity.
• Pair students for shared ideas and support.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Options

• Pre-recorded audio of emotion words and colour explanations for students to listen to.
• Use clear, large font on emotion cards with a simple image.
• Avoid dense text; keep language simple and direct.
• Use visual colour swatches paired with emotion symbols for non-readers.

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Teacher Reflection & Tips

• Engage multiple senses – look, hear, touch colours/emotions.
• Use plenty of praise to encourage risk-taking in expression.
• Incorporate te reo Māori terms for colours and emotions when appropriate (e.g., "māku" for white, "whero" for red).
• Encourage students to think about feelings in themselves and others to build empathy.

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This lesson exemplifies a student-centred, multi-modal approach that makes emotional expression accessible and enjoyable, reinforcing the New Zealand Curriculum’s focus on key competencies and inclusive education from the outset of schooling.

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If you wish, I can help create templates for the emotion cards or audio scripts.