Easy first grade color wheel coloring page: Why aren't color wheels all the same?

I teach first graders how to mix primary colors during an oil pastel project.  I have always had the students practice mixing on a scrap paper as I demo in the front of the room.  I suddenly realized that the class should be mixing on a color wheel!  In Illinois, it's not technically an assessment till fourth grade, so I never even considered it!  However; the flow of the wheel would definitely help some students understand it.  Plus, it starts to make a basic foundation and connection to many projects in the future.

Of course, 30 minutes before my class I get this grand idea.  I google "Color Wheel Coloring Page ."

  I sift through a million results and cannot find a nice basic six color - color wheel with yellow on top.  Every color wheel I have ever had hanging on my wall has yellow on top.  The concept can be confusing enough to some kids, changing the order could really mess them up!

So, I made my own.  The Color Wheel Coloring Page for primary and secondary colors only, with yellow on top, is now available for download.  Enjoy!

Art & Me: Get to know your students while they get to know you worksheet.

Art & Me page 1

Art & me page 2

Several years ago I had a class that I just could not connect with.  They hated me from the get go.  No matter how cheery or enthused I acted, it usually turned into bitter sarcasm by the time the hour was over.  It was miserable.  Week after week I would try new, fun, exciting projects - but I usually had to modify everything.  The blatant disrespect kept art class from being a nurturing experience and made it torture for me.

At the beginning of my teaching career a wise principal told me that nobody wants to be told what to do by a stranger.  Isn't that true?  No one wants some lunatic in the Target parking lot yelling at them for their driving. Whereas, if your husband says, "You just cut that guy off!  What are you doing?"  It's a little more sympathetic.

I knew I had to make a connection with this class, no matter how much they fought.  I had the odds against me though.  I only saw them an hour a week.  I was only in the building two days a week.  I was new to their school, so I had no past relationship.

I made up the Art & Me worksheet so that I could share a little about myself, and hopefully learn more about them.  It wasn't completely successful.  It wasn't like we all immediately bonded or anything.  In fact many of the students' attitudes remained the same until they left in 5th grade.  But, what it did do was open up some conversation with the kids that really did like art class, and really did want to be there, but were often taken in by the behaviors of others.

Now I have been teaching the same kids for several years.  I'm not the new guy and almost all of my kids I've known since kindergarten.  It makes it easier.  I know that doesn't help new teachers who might be struggling to make that relationship, but keep in mind, it's not really you.  Those tough kids I taught didn't really hate art class, or hate me.  Even though it seemed like it, and they probably thought it, and even though I heard them say it several times.  They just didn't want some stranger gettin' up in their business.  They were already getting told what to do and how to act five other hours of the day.  Some dorky art teacher spouting about color theory was not on the radar.

Here is the version I passed out to my class.

The teacher has to fill in the bubbles before copying, and your kids fill in the other parts.

Drawing Masks - Another Substitute Lesson

Here is another lesson I made inspired by a worksheet in Ande Cook's book Art Starters.

Here is the lesson and here is the page to help your students out.

Light and Shadow: Practice Handout

Fourth and Fifth graders can have some difficulty understanding how to draw shadows and how to see things in 3D.  I like to set up still life objects and shine a harsh light to really get them to see the difference between light and dark.  This two-page handout could lend itself to some nice practice, but in my experience has proven to be confusing and not really necessary for the elementary set.  It would be a useful take-home, sketchbook page, or substitute assignment for older students.

Portrait of a Friend Handout and art class substitute lesson

Here is another Ande Cook Handout from SchoolArts.  The Portrait of a Friend handout is a good lesson for substitute teachers!  I even wrote up a lesson with super easy to follow steps.  Print them out and leave them with your sub binder.

Creative Coloring: Design Elements by Art Sherman & Element of Space coloring page

This download includes a little advertisement for Art Sherman's Creative Coloring: Design Elements book.  I have this book and have used it occasionally for sub lessons, or sketchbook fillers.  I found most of the lessons to be confusing for intermediate students to be able to work on independently (and not very creative.)
The second page includes two of his coloring pages that help students "practice" the element of space, a long with color and pattern.  It could be good practice, but I don't recommend building a lesson around these.

Mat Cutting Instructions Handout

I haven't had to teach a kid how to cut a mat in a very long time, so not sure if this is the most current or accurate way to make them.  But, I came across this handy dandy handout that will help your student do it step-by-step with a Dexter Mat Cutter.

Cubism Handout - Ande Cook

Ande Cook's Cubism Handout is pretty good.  I think it does a nice job of explaining this art movement.

Animal Stamps Handout - Ande Cook

The Animal Stamps Handout gives nice instructions.  This one is geared for older students though.  It involves cutting a gum eraser with an x-acto blade - which is awesome - but not really practical for the little guys!

Make a Simple Sewn Book Handout - Ande Cook

Here is another Ande Cook handout from SchoolArts magazine.  The Make a Simple Sewn Book Handout is good for secondary students.

Coil Pots Handout - Ande Cook

Here is an easy handout to pass out to students learning ceramics!

Construct a Diamond Polyhedron Handout - Ande Cook

The Construct a Diamond Polyhedron handout by Ande Cook came in a packet I received a million years ago when I subscribed to SchoolArts.  They are dated 1996 - but I wasn't teaching back then, so I am not sure when they originally came out.  I will be posting the rest of the packet as well!

Each handout is simple for most intermediate and secondary students to understand.  They would also be handy to leave for a sub!

Dia de las Muertos - Day of the Dead Handout

This Dia de las Muertos/Day of the Dead handout is an introduction to the holiday for primary or secondary students.

Day of the Dead is a great holiday to study. There is a lot of cool art and folk imagery.  It could also be integrated in with History, Social Studies, Spanish, and even Science by learning about human anatomy!
My students have made tin ornaments, alters, and milagros.

Family Portrait Worksheet and Sculpture Handout

Family Portrait Worksheet and Sculpture Handout helps introduce students to family portraits as a subject matter.  Page two introduces students to bas relief sculpture and new media and techniques they could use

Ceramics Vocabulary worksheet

The Ceramics Vocabulary worksheet lists important terminology students studying ceramics should know.  It's a great worksheet for review, or to discuss as a class.

Hieroglyphics Handout

The Hieroglyphics Handout is a pretty extensive breakdown of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics.  Unfortunately, I do not know where it came from and this copy is not the best.  But it is so detailed!  I wanted to include it on the blog.

Invent Your Own Cartoon Character! handout

From SchoolArts in 2001, here is a Invent Your Own Cartoon Character! handout.  This is fun for all ages!  This can be a sketchbook supplement, in the drawing center, or used as a resource for a unit on cartooning!

Color Theory Color Mixing take home worksheet

The best way to learn how to mix colors is to actually mix colors!  It may seem like artists just know instinctively how to mix, but it doesn't just come naturally.  Students who are just learning color theory and color mixing need to understand how the colors react with one another.  This Color Theory/Color Mixing take home worksheet will have kids problem solving to get the right answer.  This is a useful review for students who have already had some color mixing experience.

Color Theory Worksheet - Intermediate/Secondary

This Color Theory Worksheet is a little bit more inclusive than the worksheet I had previously posted.  This worksheet is full of color theory vocabulary words that the students would have to find the definitions for, or review and go over with you.

Composition and Design Handout

Composition and Design can be a little confusing to teach.  Sometimes kids get it and sometimes they just don't.  This handout explains composition and design pretty good to secondary or high school students.  It is a nice handout to put in a sketchbook and refer to for a project or to brush up on some composition terms.