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Lesson Plans
My Rainbow
Purpose:
Students identify and order the colors of a rainbow.
Objectives:
• Students will learn the colors of a rainbow.
• Students will learn the order of the colors of a rainbow by using the
pneumonic ROY”G”BIV.
• Students will use PLAY-DOH compound for a “hands-on” experience
building a rainbow.
Curriculum Areas:
Themes:
• Science
• Colors
• Visual Arts
Supplies Needed:
• PLAY-DOH compound: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo (can be made by using blue and white), and violet
(purple).
• Washable markers (same colors as PLAY-DOH compound)
• White construction paper
• Light blue poster board
• Prism
• Flashlight
• The book I Never Saw a Purple Cow
Grade Levels
Pre
K
Science
K
aa
1
2
Social Studies
Math
Language Arts
Fine Arts
Visual Arts
aa
Directions:
1. Begin lesson by asking students if they have ever seen a rainbow? What did they notice about the rainbow?
Do they think all rainbows are alike? Explain that even though rainbows may differ in size there is one way
they are the same. They have the same colors and those colors come in the same order in every rainbow.
2. Tell the students that rainbows are caused by light that is bent by water in the air. (This is not a concept that
the students at this age have to fully understand.) Show the students the prism. Tell them that the prism
acts the same as water. It bends the light and forms the same colors like a rainbow. Use the flashlight to
demonstrate.
3. Discuss that the colors of the rainbow are: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet and that’s the
order of a rainbow’s colors. We can use a special phrase to remember the order. By using the first letter of
each color we can form a phrase that says: Roy “g” biv. Have them repeat the phrase a few times. Ask
them what each letter stands for. You may need to assist them and then continue to practice.
4. Next, group the students into 7 groups (a group for each color of the rainbow). Give each group a different
color and ask them to work together to form a long snake.
5. Designate a table where you have placed the poster board. Ask the group with the red snake to carry their
snake over to the poster board and place their snake near the top of the board in an arch. Assist them.
Then, have them press their snake flat. Next, have the group with orange place their snake under the red
snake. Have them flatten their snake. Follow the same instructions for the rest of the colors. Place them
in order on the poster board. Tell the class that this is their class rainbow.
6. Close the lesson by reviewing the colors of the rainbow and read the story “I Never Saw a Purple Cow”
Extensions:
• Have students use markers and white construction paper to create their own picture with a rainbow in it.
Students need to place the colors of the rainbow in the correct order.
• Search the web for pictures of rainbows, or look in magazines to find and identify the colors of the rainbow.
Suggested Guidance:
• Adult supervision is required to ensure the safety of the children.
Related Resources:
Literature Connections:
I Never Saw a Purple Cow, By: Emma Chichester-Clark - ISBN 0744577535
The Rainbow Fish, By: Marcus Pfister - ISBN 1558580093
Videos:
Tell Me Why VOL.II “Water and Weather”
Websites:
first-school.ws.com, enchantedlearning.com, thesolutionsite.com, thefamilycorner.com