Color – Preschool Lesson Plan
We perceive color as a result of light reflecting at varying frequencies. Low-frequency light appears red while high-frequency light appears violet; the frequencies in between make up the rest of the spectrum.
When all frequencies are combined they appear white. Receptor cells in our retinas – cones – cause our brain to perceive color; damage to these cells results in color blindness.
OBJECTIVE
To familiarize children with the concept of color in terms of how it is created and how it is perceived.
CONCLUSION
Many things are related to the colors we see: types of light, the way colors are mixed together, and how our bodies work all affect the way we see colors.
The colors of objects are reflections of the light that shines on them. Without light, there would be no colors.
All colors are combinations of the three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow.
Our eyes have cells called cones that help us see colors; if our cones are damaged, we might be color blind.
VOCABULARY
Prism – triangular see-through object that separates (refracts) light into the spectrum
Spectrum – band of colors that combine to make up white light
Absorb – to soak up, like a towel; towels absorb water
Reflect – to bounce back, like a mirror; mirrors reflect images
Primary colors – red, blue, & yellow; they combine to make all other colors.
Color blindness – a condition that makes it hard to tell the difference between colors
Cones – special cells in our eyes that help us see colors
RECOMMENDED READING
All the Colors of the Rainbow (Rookie Read-About Science)
Light and Color (Straightforward Science Series)
The Science Book of Color: The Harcourt Brace Science Series