Weaving! Sewing! Sculpture, and painting! Short-Term Programs’ Elementary Independence Weekend at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired was a blast! We used the Paint Pot Palette painting kit from APH and Playability Toys for the first time and it was a successful lesson for all the students.
Description
In this lesson, students learned about primary and secondary colors. They mixed paint to make new colors, and they painted a tactile color wheel. The color wheel was embossed on heavy paper and the title and text were in print and braille. Students explored the tactile graphics on the color wheel and read the color labels in braille.
The kit includes an organizational palette with different paint pots, paint brushes, a water cup, a stir stick, 5 tubes of paint, and removable Braille tiles to organize the colors in different orders. Students can mix colors in the paint pots using a stir stick or they can mix the colors on the paper using a paintbrush. It also comes with a set of custom-made drawings, by artist Debi Harrison, titled “Color SENSEation.” The pictures are embossed on heavy paper and each titled in print and braille. The students enjoyed tracing the lines with their fingers and painting pictures for their teachers, families and friends.
The students were excited about using the APH Paint Pot Palette, and felt proud that they could create paintings independently!
Materials Needed
- APH Paint Pot Palette Kit
- Water
- Plastic table cloth or newspaper for the table
- Work mat or tray (optional)
- Painting paper (optional)
Modifications and Extensions
- Discuss the connection to other subjects like science and writing. For example, the custom painting pages can serve as story starters or story prompts for creative writing lessons.
- Encourage students to experiment by mixing many different colors. Students can also create different shades of colors by mixing a little white or black paint into each color to make the colors lighter or darker.
- Extend the activity by having students create abstract paintings on painting paper and/or making braille/large print labels for their painting title and their name. Students can also practice writing their signature in the bottom corner of their painting using a signature guide.
- Facilitate a scavenger hunt to find different colors in the natural environment.
- Modify this activity by reducing the color choices to two at a time, instead of four at a time.
- Provide physical support by using Hand-Under-Hand while painting.
- For students with low vision, enlarge a print copy on plain paper or use colored paper for increased visibility.
