Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Visual Arts · Grade 4

Color Theory & Mixing

Fourth graders explore color theory — the three primary colors that can’t be mixed, and the secondary colors (orange, green, purple) made by mixing them — discovering how the color wheel works.

Grade 4Color45 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name the primary colors.
  • ✓Mix secondary colors.
  • ✓Read the color wheel.
  • ✓Mix colors in art.
Essential Question

How do artists make every color in the rainbow starting with just a few? The secret is color mixing! What are the primary colors, and what happens when you mix them?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Color Mixer

Project this and tap two primary colors to mix them. Watch red, yellow, and blue combine into orange, green, and purple!

🎨 Mix two primary colors — what do you get?Try it
Pick two!
Tap two primary colors to mix them.

The Lesson · Artistic Process (Look · Explore · Create · Share · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

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

1

Look — Colors from Colors

5 min

How do artists make every color from just a few? Let’s find out!

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show the color wheel.
  • Ask how colors are made.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • See the wheel.
  • Wonder how.
  • Predict mixing.
2

Explore — Explore Mixing

10 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Color Mixer.
  • Mix each pair.
  • Note the secondary colors.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Mix them.
  • Note results.
  • Explain them.
3

Create — Create

15 min

Students make art.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Mix real paint colors.
  • Make orange, green, purple.
  • Paint with mixed colors.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Mix paint.
  • Make secondaries.
  • Paint.
4

Share — Share

8 min

Students present.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show their color mixing.
  • Name the colors made.
  • Give kind feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Name colors.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the primary colors.
  • Name a secondary color.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name primaries.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts).

NCAS
VA:Cr2.1.4

Explore and invent art-making techniques (color mixing).

NCAS
VA:Cr1.2.4

Collaborate and plan art using color.

NCAS
VA:Re7.2.4

Analyze how color is used in artwork.

NCAS
VA:Cr2.3.4

Document and use color choices.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Color-wheel poster.
  • Sentence frame: “___ + ___ = ___.”
  • Mix real colors.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with two primaries.
  • Mix real paint.
  • Use the color wheel.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Mix tints and shades.
  • Explore complementary colors.
  • Paint a color-wheel.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎨Paint (red, yellow, blue)
  • 💻The Color Mixer
  • 🖌️Brushes and palettes
  • 📄Paper
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

color theoryhow colors work togetherprimary colorsred, yellow, and bluesecondary colorsorange, green, and purplecolor wheela circle showing how colors relatemixto combine colorshuethe name of a colortinta color plus whiteshadea color plus black
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 are the three primary colors?
Red, yellow, and blue.
QUESTION 2
What color do you get by mixing blue and yellow?
Green.
QUESTION 3
What are the three secondary colors?
Orange, green, and purple.

Reflect: paint the wheel.

Have students paint their own color wheel by mixing the primary colors to create the secondary colors in between. A printable color-theory sheet is in the Arts 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.

🃏 Color Theory & MixingFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Color Theory & MixingQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

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.

🖨️ Color Theory & MixingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: color theory, color wheel, hue, mix, primary colors, secondary colors, shade, tint
  1. a color plus white
  2. red, yellow, and blue
  3. to combine colors
  4. a circle showing how colors relate
  5. how colors work together
  6. a color plus black
  7. the name of a color
  8. orange, green, and purple

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What are the three primary colors?
  2. What color do you get by mixing blue and yellow?
  3. What are the three secondary colors?
Answer key — Part A: 1) tint · 2) primary colors · 3) mix · 4) color wheel · 5) color theory · 6) shade · 7) hue · 8) secondary colors
Part B: 1) Red, yellow, and blue. 2) Green. 3) Orange, green, and purple.