Colour Exploration History

Curriculum Connections

• Learning Area: The Arts — Visual Arts
• Level: Years 0-2
• Curriculum Reference:
  • Explore and develop ideas in response to a range of stimuli (The Arts Learning Area, Level 1-2).
  • Develop skills and techniques using formal elements of art including colour (The Arts Learning Area, Level 1-2).
  • Express ideas through making artwork and explaining choices (The Arts Learning Area, Level 1-2).
• Key Competencies:
  • Thinking: Students learn to identify and describe colour use in artworks.
  • Managing self: Students persist in creating art reflecting on an artist's colour use.
  • Relating to others: Working collaboratively during discussions.
• Values: Innovation, diversity, and creativity are fostered through exploration of different artists and colour techniques .

Lesson Overview

Students will explore how famous artists use colour in their artworks. After a shared discussion with visual and auditory examples, each student will create an artwork inspired by a chosen artist’s colour techniques using their preferred medium (paint, crayons, or collage). This supports differentiated learning styles and allows engagement with the material at individual levels.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Recognise and name one artist studied.
• Describe how the artist used colour in their artwork (e.g., bright colours, cool colours, patterns).
• Create an original artwork inspired by the artist’s colour techniques.

Success Criteria

• Identifies at least one artist and describes their use of colour in simple terms.
• Demonstrates use of colour inspired by the artist in their own artwork.
• Shares their work and explains one thing about the artist’s colour style.

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Resources

• Visual examples of artworks by selected artists with distinct colour techniques (e.g., Henri Matisse - bold, bright colours; Claude Monet - soft, blended colours; Piet Mondrian - primary colours and geometric forms).
• Audio recordings about artists’ colour use (dyslexia-friendly).
• Art supplies: paint, brushes, crayons, coloured paper for collage.
• Chart paper and markers for group discussion and recording ideas.
• Name tags with artist names and images.

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Lesson Timing & Activities (45 minutes)

Time	Activity	Notes
0-5 minutes	Welcome & Introduction	Greet students, introduce the topic: How artists use colour.
5-10 minutes	Artist Colour Exploration (Group Discussion)	Show visual and audio examples of 3 artists’ works; discuss colours used. Use simple language and guide responses. Use questioning prompts (e.g., “What colours do you see? Are they bright or soft?”).
10-15 minutes	Artist Selection	Provide a choice of 3 artist cards (with image and name). Students pick one to focus on. Support where needed.
15-35 minutes	Art Creation Time	Students create artwork inspired by chosen artist’s colour techniques using preferred medium. Teacher and aides circulate to support and encourage.
35-42 minutes	Sharing & Reflection	Invite students to share their artwork and say one thing about their artist’s use of colour. Use simple sentence frames like “My artist uses ____ colours.”
42-45 minutes	Cleanup & Conclusion	Assist clean up. Recap the key learning: artists use colour in different ways to make their art special. Highlight persistence. Preview next lesson on colour and mood.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide artists with a range of colour styles and simple facts to cater for varied interests and abilities.
• Use audio descriptions alongside visuals to support dyslexic and auditory learners.
• Allow choice of medium to accommodate sensory preferences and fine motor ability differences.
• Provide sentence stems or a pictorial chart for expressing ideas during sharing.
• Pair or small group work for students needing social or verbal support.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Prompt analysis: "How does the artist’s use of colour affect how you feel about the artwork?"
• Support creating a small comparison chart of two artists' colour styles.
• Encourage use of more complex vocabulary like warm/cool colours, contrast, or pattern in their reflections.

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Dyslexia Friendly Reading Options

• Use audio recordings of short artist biographies highlighting colour use.
• Provide large, clear images with labelled colour swatches.
• Use repetitive, simple sentence structures in captions (e.g., “Matisse uses bright red and blue.”).
• Offer printed artist cards with dyslexia-friendly font and spacing.

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Assessment

• Observe students during discussion: Can they identify colour types and artist names?
• Collect artwork and note use of colour techniques inspired by the chosen artist.
• Listen to students’ explanations during sharing for understanding of the use of colour.
• Provide verbal feedback highlighting successful engagement with colour and artist inspiration.

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This lesson plan supports the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh’s goal of engaging young students in the visual arts through exploring ideas, using colour expressively and responding to the works of others. It incorporates key competencies and values, offers inclusive strategies for diverse learners including those with dyslexia, and encourages creativity and reflection appropriate for years 0-2 .