CFA AR 610

THE INCLUSIVE ART CLASSROOM

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BOSTON UNIVERSITY LESSON PLAN FORMAT
FINAL PROJECT LESSON PLAN
GRADES 2-4

COMPONENT INFORMATION

TITLE OF LESSON Chameleons are Cool (Adapted from Cool Chameleons (2020)

GENERAL TEACHER NAME: Healey

INFORMATION
DATE OF LESSON: 10/01/2019
SCHOOL: Landmark Elementary School
GRADE: Grade 3
LENGTH OF LESSON: 1 week, 50 minutes a day

RELATIONSHIP UNIT: Color Mixing

TO UNIT This lesson offers students the opportunity to learn about chameleons while practicing
secondary color mixing.

RELATIONSHIP INSTRUCTIONAL IMPORTANCE:

TO LIFE Learning with an illustrated book gives the students the ability to engage in multi-level
learning. Students will learn about chameleons and the science behind their camouflage
while also discussing color theory at an elementary level. Comparison of student knowledge
and experiences of chameleons and prior learning of color theory will offer insight into the
mixing practice.

HOW DOES THIS LESSON ADDRESS THE DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL OF GRADE LEVEL:
Students in this grade level are excited to draw what is in their imagination as well as begin to
control their materials in a specific and personalized way. Providing students the opportunity
for color mixing gives them space where they are not necessarily limited to the same color
spectrum as their peers. This new flexibility will open up new pathways to learning and give
students greater control and ownership of their work.

PROBLEM/ACTIVITY Students are challenged with drawing a chameleon using knowledge used from the book
STATEMENT Chameleons are Cool and its illustrations as reference. Being provided only the primary
colors, students are challenged to create a secondary color in order to paint their drawings.

GOALS BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS SHOULD UNDERSTAND:

Their own preferences in art form distinguish them from those of others. (MCFA, 3-4.V.Co.10)

BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW:

How to develop ideas that explore different art elements such as color using watercolor and
crayon (MCFA, 3-4.V.Cr.01)

BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

Respond to an artistic challenge and draft possible resolutions (MCFA, 3-4.V.Cr.03)

OBJECTIVES BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE:

The way colors, patterns, and lines may be made
BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANALYZE:
Types of lines and colors in exemplars and their peers’ artwork

BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY:

Primary and secondary colors with some gradations.
 BY THE END OF THE LESSON STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE:
Watercolor and crayon correctly and understand how to use them to produce different visual
effects.

INSTRUCTIONAL QUOTE:
CONCEPTS • “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things
I had no words for.” - Georgia O’Keeffe (Creative Activities, 2020)

FORMAL CONCEPTS:
• Line can be thick, thin, or both
• Line can be used to invent forms
• Color can be changed by mixing
• Color can be used for emphasis in a composition

ARTISTIC BEHAVIORS:
• Introducing children to other artist work (illustrations) develops their visual awareness and
provides a springboard to personal image-making
• Practicing color mixing helps students develop their appreciation for the color wheel and
color theory

RESOURCES MATERIALS:
AND MATERIALS • Brushes
• Watercolor paper
• Water
• Water container
• Crayons
• Watercolor tray
• Paper Towels
• Scrap Paper
• Pencil
⚫ Small color wheels with primary and secondary colors, labeled with the name of the colors
and each color labeled “primary” or “secondary.”
The color wheel is similar to this image, but without the tertiary colors:

(Olesen, 2023)
⚫ iPad (if needed for reading Chameleons are Cool online)
⚫ Online translator/translator app if needed

EXEMPLARS:
• Chameleons are Cool illustrated book (more than one hard copy of the book or access to
an online version of the book)
⚫ A hardcopy or online book of Chameleons are Cool translated in the ELL’s primary
language
 • Past student examples

(Jenkins,

2021) (Cool Chameleons, 2020)

OTHER RESOURCES:
⚫ The baskets, trays, drying rack, and other materials are labeled in English and the ELLs’
primary language.
⚫ A Visual Line Poster that includes names of various lines, including thick and thin lines

(CreativeCrayon, n.d.)
⚫ A physical and/or digital Vocabulary Word Chart for this lesson. Each word has visual
examples as definitions. The words include:
➢ Line
➢ Color
➢ Primary colors
➢ Secondary colors
➢ Mixing
➢ Pattern
➢ Chameleon
⚫ A Survival Words and Phrases Poster for the art classroom. The poster includes action
words in English and the ELLs’ primary language. Teachers and students can use this
poster to support the ELLs when translating instructions throughout the lesson. The
words include:
➢ Read
➢ Discuss
➢ Share
➢ Draw
➢ Outline
➢ Color
➢ Paint
➢ Mix
 ➢ Clean up
➢ Wipe
➢ Throw away

Of MOTIVATION The teacher will engage the students in a class reading of Chameleons are Cool by Martin
Jenkins. After reading through the book and taking an extended look at the illustrations,
students will draw their own version of a Chameleon using a color they choose based on an
imagined camouflage scenario they could share with the class.

QUESTIONS TOPIC QUESTIONS:

• What are 2 new things we learned about chameleons from the book?
• What are some of the colors a chameleon can change into?

ASSOCIATION QUESTIONS:
• Has anyone ever seen a real chameleon before?
• What colors did we see the chameleon change in the book?

VISUALIZATION QUESTIONS:
• What color might a chameleon change if it was in this room?
• What color might a chameleon change if I was holding it now?

TRANSITION QUESTIONS:
• If the chameleon is green, what colors do we mix together to get green?
• If the chameleon is orange, what colors do we mix together to get orange?
• If the chameleon is purple, what colors do we mix together to get purple?

PROCEDURES DEMONSTRATION:
⚫ Students will read the vocabulary words and discuss the definitions on the Vocabulary
Word Chart. When talking about the word line, students will review the various lines on
the Visual Line Poster.
⚫ Teacher will pass out the color wheels, and students will review the colors on the color
wheel.
⚫ Teacher will read Martin Jenkin’s book, Chameleons Are Cool, to the class.
⚫ Students will read the book again but by themselves, so ELLs will have time to read the
book in their primary language. Students can read the hard copy or the online version of
the book using an iPad.
⚫ While students read the book by themselves, the teacher will write the discussion
questions and sentence frames on the board or present them on a presentation slide.
➢ Sentence frames:
◆ I learned that chameleons can…
◆ I learned that chameleons have..
◆ Chameleons change color because…
◆ I saw a chameleon when/from/at…
◆ The chameleon was…
⚫ Students will have two to three minutes to read the questions and sentence frames and
prepare for the discussion. Students will write their answers on scrap paper if they want.
Students will refer to the book and the color wheels to prepare their answers.
⚫ Teacher will lead a discussion about chameleons, using student participation to talk
about why they change color and other specifics derived from the book as well as prior
student knowledge and experience.
⚫ Class will take the time to re-examine the book illustrations.
➢ Class will use Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to analyze some of the
illustrations.
◆ What's going on in this picture?
◆ What do you see that makes you say that?
◆ What more can we find?
(Grand Valley State University, 2023)
 DISTRIBUTION:
⚫ Teacher will distribute white paper and place baskets of crayons on the center of the
tables for students to share.
⚫ Teacher will distribute watercolor trays, brushes, and containers of water.

WORK PERIOD:
⚫ Teacher will visually demonstrate how to do the activity in step-by-step progress.
➢ Teacher will refer to the Visual Line Poster and the color wheel while
demonstrating the activity.
⚫ Students will draw a chameleon on a branch.
⚫ Students will outline a chameleon with a crayon.
⚫ Using crayons, students will color the sky, branches and leaves, as well as add stripes
and other patterns to the chameleon.
⚫ Once ready to paint the chameleon, each student will choose two of the primary colors
to paint with. Using these two primary colors, students will create their third, secondary,
color. Students will finish their painting using their three colors.
⚫ Extra paper will be provided for students to test their color mixing.

CLEAN-UP:
⚫ Students will place dirty brushes in the water cups and leave them on the table for the
teacher to collect.
⚫ Students will line up to give their teacher their paper to put on the drying rack.
⚫ Using a pre-moistened wipe, students will wipe down their work area and dispose of the
wipe in the correct trash bin.

CLOSURE:
⚫ Teacher will check in with the class before clean-up begins to talk about expectations
and action plans for the next class.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:
• Teacher will observe student progress informally by moving around the classroom and
checking in with each student individually.
➢ Use an online translator or translator app to translate and describe the steps if ELL
students need more support.
• Teacher will note student’s ability to use materials correctly.
• Teacher will note students' ability to mix colors correctly

REFERENCES
Cool Chameleons. (2020). Retrieved September 2020, from https://www.crayola.com/lesson-
plans/cool-chameleons-lesson-plan

Jenkins, M. (2001). Chameleons Are Cool (S.Shields, Illus.). Candlewick Press.

Creative Activities. (2020). Retrieved September 2020, from

https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/creative-activities/

Massachusetts Department of Education (2019). Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Arts.

(MCFA Standard No.3-4.V.Cr.01). https://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html

Massachusetts Department of Education (2019). Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Arts.

(MCFA Standard No. 3-4.V.Co.10). https://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html

Massachusetts Department of Education (2019). Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Arts.

(MCFA Standard No. 3-4.V.Cr.03). https://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html

ANNOTATED CreativeCrayon. (n.d.). Elements of art #1 - line poster. TPT. Retrieved April 29, 2023, from
REFERENCES https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elements-of-Art-1-Line-Poster-2769119

Grand Valley State University. (2023). Visual thinking strategies. Art Gallery. Retrieved April
 15, 2023, from https://www.gvsu.edu/artgallery/visual-thinking-strategies-152.htm

Olesen, J. (2023). What are primary, secondary and tertiary colors? Color Meanings.
Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://www.color-meanings.com/primary-secondary-tertiary-
colors/