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Latin Colors — Colōrēs

Third graders learn colors in Latin — ruber, caeruleus, flāvus, viridis, niger — and discover the English words that come from them, like “ruby” and “verdant.”

Grade 3Colōrēs40 minutes1 class periodClassical LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name the colors.
  • ✓Say each color.
  • ✓Spot English roots.
  • ✓Use colors in Latin.
Essential Question

The Romans saw a world of colōrēs! What are the colors in Latin — and what English words come from them?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Colōrēs Explorer

Project this and tap each color. Have students learn the colors in Latin.

🎨 Explore colors — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Classical Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — A World of Colōrēs

4 min

The Romans saw a world of colors — what are they in Latin?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Point to colors.
  • Ask how to say them.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Colōrēs

10 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Colōrēs Explorer.
  • Present each color.
  • Note English roots.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Repeat.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a color you see.
  • Match colors to roots.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Match.
  • Say.
4

Speak — Speak

10 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say your favorite color.
  • Name a red thing.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Name it.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a color.
  • Say what it means.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Standards for Classical Language Learning (ACL/ACTFL, Introductory).

ACL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand color words.

ACL
Comparisons 4.2

Find Latin roots in English.

ACL
Connections 3.1

Connect to art and the world.

ACL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: describe colors.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Color picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ means ___.”
  • Use color objects.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with ruber and viridis.
  • Use color chips.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add albus and aureus.
  • Find more color roots.
  • Color a Roman shield.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎨Color chips
  • 💻The Colōrēs Explorer
  • 🗣️Audio
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

colorcolorruberredcaeruleusblueflāvusyellowviridisgreennigerblackalbuswhiteaureusgolden
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does “ruber” mean?
Red (like “ruby”).
QUESTION 2
What does “viridis” mean?
Green (like “verdant”).
QUESTION 3
What does “niger” mean?
Black.

Reflect: colōrēs.

Have students find something red (ruber) and something green (viridis) and name the colors in Latin. A printable colors sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Latin Colors (Colōrēs)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Latin Colors (Colōrēs)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Latin Colors (Colōrēs)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: albus, aureus, caeruleus, color, flāvus, niger, ruber, viridis
  1. red
  2. white
  3. color
  4. green
  5. yellow
  6. blue
  7. black
  8. golden

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does “ruber” mean?
  2. What does “viridis” mean?
  3. What does “niger” mean?
Answer key — Part A: 1) ruber · 2) albus · 3) color · 4) viridis · 5) flāvus · 6) caeruleus · 7) niger · 8) aureus
Part B: 1) Red (like “ruby”). 2) Green (like “verdant”). 3) Black.