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Value & Shading

Fifth graders learn about value — how light or dark a color is — and how shading from light to dark makes drawings look round, solid, and real.

Grade 5Value40 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain value.
  • ✓Tell light from dark.
  • ✓Sort values.
  • ✓Shade a drawing.
Essential Question

A drawing looks flat until you add light and dark — that’s value! What makes a value light or dark, and how does shading help?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Light Value or Dark Value?

Project this and sort each into a light value or a dark value.

🌗 Sort each — light value or dark value?Try it
⬜ Light Value
⬛ Dark Value
Tap one, then tap a bucket.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Look · Explore · Create · Share · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

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

1

Look — Light and Dark

5 min

A drawing looks flat until you add value — how?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a shaded ball.
  • Ask what makes it round.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Value

10 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Light Value or Dark Value?
  • Sort each one.
  • Make a value scale.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Scale it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

11 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Shade light to dark.
  • Shade a sphere.
  • Show where light hits.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Shade it.
  • Round it.
  • Light it.
4

Share — Share

9 min

Children share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show your shading.
  • Point to light and dark.
  • Give feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Point.
  • Feedback.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain value.
  • Give a light and dark.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Give 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:Cr2.1.5

Use value and shading.

NCAS
VA:Re7.1.5

Perceive value in art.

NCAS
VA:Cr1.1.5

Explore value as an element.

NCAS
VA:Re7.2.5

Describe value in works.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Value-scale cards.
  • Sentence frame: “This is a ___ value.”
  • Use a value scale.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with white vs. black.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Shade lightly.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make a 5-step value scale.
  • Shade a 3D form.
  • Add cast shadows.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 💻Light Value or Dark Value?
  • 📄Paper
  • 🌗A value scale
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

valuehow light or dark a color isshadingadding value to artlightpale, close to whitedarkdeep, close to blacktinta color plus whiteshadowa dark areahighlightthe lightest areagradienta smooth light-to-dark change
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 is value in art?
How light or dark a color is.
QUESTION 2
What does shading do for a drawing?
It makes things look round, solid, and real.
QUESTION 3
Is a heavy shadow a light or dark value?
Dark.

Reflect: shade it.

Have students shade a simple shape from light to dark to make it look round. A printable value 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.

🃏 Value & ShadingFlip
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.

📝 Value & ShadingQuiz
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.

🖨️ Value & ShadingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: dark, gradient, highlight, light, shading, shadow, tint, value
  1. how light or dark a color is
  2. deep, close to black
  3. a dark area
  4. adding value to art
  5. pale, close to white
  6. the lightest area
  7. a color plus white
  8. a smooth light-to-dark change

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is value in art?
  2. What does shading do for a drawing?
  3. Is a heavy shadow a light or dark value?
Answer key — Part A: 1) value · 2) dark · 3) shadow · 4) shading · 5) light · 6) highlight · 7) tint · 8) gradient
Part B: 1) How light or dark a color is. 2) It makes things look round, solid, and real. 3) Dark.