DESCRIPTION: Students demonstrate an understanding of color relationships by listening to the clues relating to the color that has been placed on his or her back.

OBJECTIVES: Students demonstrate an understanding of color relationships and use their imagination to determine artist's intent.

PROCEDURE: Let's play a game where one of you has to guess what color you are by the answers the rest of the group gives to my questions. This is how you play...I'm going to stick a color on one of your backs. Then I'll ask some questions that the rest of the group has to answer. After a number of questions the person with the color on their back has to guess what color they are.

(Place the color on someone's back and begin asking questions.) Is this person a primary color, secondary color, or tertiary color? Who is their complementary color? What colors can you mix together to get this person's color? Now, what color are you? (Continue this with several students.)

Now let's change the game a little. This time someone is going to choose a color that only they know. I will ask the person questions about their color and all of you will try to guess what color this person is. (Have the student pick a color out a bag and begin the questions.) What color does your color sound like? Is it loud? (soft, high, low, shrill, soothing) What do you think it would taste like? Would it taste bitter? (sweet, bland, spicy, hot, cold, salty, sour) Tell me how your color smells. does this color seem to move or stay in place? Is this color light or heavy? So, what color is this person?

MINNESOTA GRADUATION STANDARDS:
(1) Read, View, Listen
(2) Write and Speak
(3) Literature and the Arts
(5) Inquiry

Age level: Appropriate for grades 2-5.
Artworks used: After this activity guide the students to paintings or sculptures that you can discuss some of the same questions.
Props needed: Color stickers or cards.
Related to Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: No
Notes: Do the activity in an area of the galleries that have artworks with many various colors.


© 1998 WALKER ART CENTER