Moon Day

Objective:
The students will explore the use of color and color mixing.  They will also make an emotional and visual connection between color, poetic rhythm and musical harmony.

Materials

• Enya CD or other new age instrumental music

• Water color paint.

• White painting paper.

• Paint brushes.

• The book "Half a Moon and One Whole Star" by Crescent Dragonwagon.  (Or some other poems about the moon.)

Procedure

1. While reading the book or similar poetry, play the music in the background.

2. Instruct the students to listen to the reading.

3. Have the students then use the painting materials to create pictures inspired by the reading/music.  Direct the students to mix the colors to create new colors and scenes that remind them of the reading/music.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Allow the children to use alternative materials, such as cotton, yarn, pasta shells, beans, etc. to complete the phrase "If the moon were made of......(material of their choice)."

2. Make paper mache' moons and hang them from the ceiling.

3. Give the students black construction paper and have them create a night sky using white chalk or white tempera paint.