ESL & Teaching Secondary Colors
Color words are a basic vocabulary item in any English as a Second Language classroom. The primary colors consist of red, yellow and blue. The secondary colors are ones that consist of two primary colors. Purple consists of red mixed with blue, orange consists of red mixed with yellow and green consists of yellow mixed with blue. Students should learn the secondary colors after they have mastered the primary ones. The lesson ideas here are appropriate for students in elementary school.
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Begin with Review
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Introduce the topic of secondary colors by reviewing the primary colors of red, blue and yellow. Hold up several paint sample cards that show shades of these colors and ask students their names. Point out that the color "red" actually refers to a large range of different shades. Then show the students paint sample cards that demonstrate shades of purple, green and orange. Explain that these are called the secondary colors because they are made from mixes of the primary colors.
Hold up a purple card again and invite students to guess which primary colors are used to make it up. Confirm the correct combination of blue and red. Repeat this process with the other secondary colors.
Mixing Paints
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An excellent way to reinforce the paint sample card activity is to have students mix their own paints. Give each learner a selection of paints in the three primary colors, along with paper and a paintbrush. Either invite them to mix the secondary colors on their own, experimenting until they have all three, or use a directed lesson approach in which you give step-by-step instructions for mixing each of the secondary colors.
Follow up the lesson by asking students explain to you how they produced each of the secondary colors. Encourage them to speak in complete sentences and use additional vocabularly, such as the words for the actions and tools they used during the activity.
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Fetching Classroom Items
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This activity has students apply what they have learned. Sit down with the students and ask them to glance around the room in search of items that demonstrate different colors. Then call on someone to get up and fetch something orange. When the student returns, talk about the item they brought back. Continue this activity, practicing all of the secondary colors and reviewing the primary ones.
A second stage of the game will challenge students more: ask a student to bring you something that shows two or three specific colors. You can pair students up for this part, or divide the class into small teams that race against each other to find something that meets your description.
Coloring Pages
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A final activity which reinforces the written form of the color words is to prepare a coloring page in advance. Mark major spaces with the name of a color and direct students to color in the spaces with the color written in each. This requires students to read as well as process the color names in English.
Make this activity more challenging by deliberately writing odd color words in the spaces. For example, write the word "green" in a circle that represents the sun and direct students to color the grass orange and the trees purple. Students will have to rely on the written instructions in that case, instead of falling back on their knowledge of the world.
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References
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