PROJECT: SYNONYMS | ANTONYMS AND WARM | COOL COLORS

TEACHER: TAI MATHERNE

SCHOOL: RACELAND LOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CONTENT: Language

GRADE LEVELS: 1st

OBJECTIVES:
The student should be able to:

• Identify words that are antonyms and synonyms. (comprehension)

• Determine if a color is warm or cool. (comprehension)

• Create a piece of art work with warm colors and a piece of art work with cool colors. (synthesis)

TIME: 60 minutes

MATERIALS
Two Hula-hoops
Game pieces for Closure activity
Slips of paper in warm and cool colors
Several pieces of art (warm and cool colors) on a Power Point Presentation
Activity Sheet for early finishers
Activity Sheet with color wheel
ELA-4-E2       Giving and following directions/procedures

INTRODUCTION/PREPARATION/ANTICIPATORY SET:
The teacher will show the students two pieces of art, one with cool colors and one with warm colors.  She will ask the students to compare and contrast the two pieces.  The teacher will inform the students that they will be discussing the differences and similarities between two objects during the lesson.

ACTIVITY:
Teach/Model: The teacher will hand each student a slip of paper and place two hula-hoops on the floor.  The teacher will place the students into two groups and describe the two groups as a group of warm colors and a group of cool colors.  The students will each place their card in the warm colors’ circle or the cool colors’ circle.  Together the class will make a list of warm colors and a list of cool colors.  She will explain how although these are all slips of colored paper (synonyms), they are also different types of colors (antonyms). 
HOTS – What do you think determines a cool or a warm color?

Guided practice: The class will work together to determine if a group of words are antonyms or synonyms.  The teacher will include colors as groups of words such as blue and red.  The teacher will explain that blue and red are antonyms because blue is a cool color and red is a warm color.  Using a list of words, the students will determine if two words are antonyms or synonyms and place the group of words in a chart under “synonym” or “antonym” headings. The students will complete color wheel (Appendix A) with warm colors and cool colors.  The students will label the side of the color wheel which has warm colors with the term “warm”.  They will do the same with the term “cool”. The teacher will remind the students that warm colors and cool colors are antonyms.  She will use the example of blue and orange and show the students how these two colors are on the opposite side of the color wheel.
HOTS – What is an example of synonyms? Antonyms?

Independent practice: The students will be given a sheet of plain paper.  The teacher will instruct the class to fold their papers in half.  The class will draw antonyms using warm and cool colors.  The teacher will show an example of a snowman drawn in cool colors on half of a page, and a fire drawn with warm colors on the other half.  The teacher will remind students to use the color wheel they just created to remind them if a color is a warm color or a cool color.  The class will brainstorm ideas and the teacher will observe as the children work.  The class will share their work when complete.  Early finishers will be given a “Warm and Cool” colors coloring page with a poem.  The children who take longer to finish will take this page home.
HOTS – What are some other things we could have drawn to show warm and cool colors?
Do you think that black is a warm color or a cool color? White?

Closure: The class will play a game in the chart at the front of the classroom.  The teacher will give each student a card with a word on it.  The students will have to place their card in the chart next to its synonym.  This will be repeated with antonyms.

EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
The teacher will evaluate the students on the basis of the independent practice (correct use of warm and cool colors, following instructions).

ART CONTENT/CONCEPTS:
The students must use prior knowledge of terms to determine antonyms and synonyms.  The students are also learning new terms such as warm colors, cool colors, antonyms and synonyms.

COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM, GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS AND STANDARDS/BENCHMARKS:
Language Arts: GLE 3: Identify and explain common synonyms, antonyms and homonyms. (ELA-1-E1)
Art: Use art vocabulary and the elements and principles of design to convey the language of art (create and discuss own artwork) (VA-CE-E3)
ELA-4-E2 Giving and following directions/procedures

MODIFICATIONS | ACCOMODATIONS:
Activities include methods for kinesthetic, visual, and traditional learners.
Special needs students will receive simpler word choices that the teacher knows he or she can comprehend.  For severe students, teacher may pair that child up with a higher achieving student.
Early finishers will complete an art sheet with warm and cool colors (Appendix B).

TEACHER'S REFLECTION:
My class thoroughly enjoyed the art integrated lesson.  We learned about synonyms/antonyms and warm/cool colors.  The combination of the two subjects made the necessary (language) subject matter seem much less mundane.  The children are still talking about the lesson. 

I chose to concentrate on only these two area due to the level of my first graders.  While others may have been able to conquer more objectives in one lesson, this was the maximum my students could handle. However, even my severely low children enjoyed this presentation.  I chose to teach warm and cool colors because this is something that can be carried on through other subject matter throughout the year.  By revisiting these terms, the children will be reminded of the language terms as well. 

I was impressed with some of the students’ art work.  They take their art work seriously!  Some of them spent their creative time talking about some of the art work I had shown them…which is a great thrill for me.

I plan to continue integrating art into our curriculum because it seems to carry the idea one step further than needed, while adding a little fun and creativity.

RESOURCES:
http://www.ndoylefineart.com/glossary.html#anchor_1071 --- Acquired Content
http://www.kinderart.com/artbook/warmco.shtml --- activity sheet for early finishers
http://www.dailypainters.com/warm_colors_original_oil_paintings_artists_14.php ---Acquired Art Work Samples
http://www.carearts.org/lessons/explore_color_combos.html ---Blank color wheel for activity

TO DOWNLOAD SYNONYMS | ANTONYMS TEST FOR THIS LESSON, PLEASE CLICK HERE

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