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Materials
- crayons or paint
- paper
- large books, clipboards, or other flat surfaces so children can draw or paint outside
Key Science Concepts
- There are many different colors.
- A single color can have different shades, from very light to very dark.
Vocabulary
Encourage children to use descriptive words such as lighter, darker, shiny, dull, bumpy, and smooth; action words such as describe; and science process words such as compare and observe.
Directions
Tell children that they’re going to look at even more shades of green today, this time outside.
- Go outside and have children look closely at grasses, weeds, leaves, and evergreen needles. Have them compare and describe the colors. Say: Let’s look at these leaves. How many kinds of green do we see? Is that a light green or a dark green? A yellowish green or a brownish green? Which leaves have more than one kind of green on them? Which leaves have colors other than green?
- Give children paper, crayons, markers, or paint to make drawings or paintings of the leaves and grasses.
Reflect and Share
Display the children’s drawings and paintings. Tell them that scientists often look at things closely and make drawings of what they see so they can learn more about them. Encourage children to talk about how drawing or painting the leaves and grass helped them notice new things about the colors, shapes, and details.
