Submitted by: Juli Fraher, Art Instructor, Pontiac Junior High School, Pontiac, IL
Lesson Plan: Spinners of Color 
Unit: Color Theory
Subject Integration: Art-Science
Thaumatrope Activitiy

National Standards:

6. Content Standard: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines

      Achievement Standard:

      Students will:

      b. Describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with the visual arts.

State Standards:

State Goal 25: Know the language of the arts.

      As a result of their schooling, students will be able to:

      A. Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles and expressive qualities of the arts.

      25.A.3d Identify and describe the elements of value, perspective, and color schemes; the principles of       contrast, emphasis and unity; and the expressive qualities of thematic development and sequence.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Review color theory and apply scientific principles to their knowledge of color schemes
2. Make predictions on paper on color combinations and their properties
3. Create a spinner to test color combinations

Materials:

Matt board scraps                                            Color media such as markers, colored pencil, etc.

Compass                                                          Protractor

String or yarn                                                    Scissors

Sharpie markers and gel pen 

Students at Pontiac Junior High experimented with color and color mixing by using matt board scraps and colored media to create spinners– small cardboard discs strung on string and spun to mix colors. Students were introduced to color theory in the art room with me and studied the light spectrum with Mr. Bob Voigts in Science.  The lesson on making the spinners was team-taught.

Students reviewed primary, secondary, and intermediate colors. Students used a worksheet to select the combination of colors they wanted to try on the spinners. They predicted the outcome of the spinning colors.

Students used 2 ½” to 3” diameter circles. They must be drawn with a compass to create the center point, critical in the use of the protractor. Students measured ¼” from either side of the center point of the compass for the string holes. Students divided the circle into 2, 3, 4, or 6 sections by calculating the number of degrees for each section and marking the edge of the circle. A ruler was used to draw the sections. Students colored the sections with marker, colored pencil, and/or tempera paint. The holes were punched with a compass point. 40” of string was cut off, threaded through the holes and tied. The spinners were spun and the results were recorded on their sheets. Some of the spinners refused to spin. It was usually due to poor craftsmanship on the part of the students (i.e. holes measured incorrectly, circles drawn unevenly, etc.)

Once the scientific experiments were recorded, students were free to experiment with Uni-ball Gel Pastel writers. We also used Sanford Sharpie markers. Students drew patterns over the colors, such as spirals, stars, checkerboards, and arrows. It was fascinating to see the changes in color frequency.

Questions or comments, please contact me- jafraher@p429.k12.il.us

                                                              This is an example of a spinner divided into 3 sections.

After recording the results, students decorated the spinners with Sharpie markers and Uni-ball gel writers. It was fun to see the results.

Thaumatropes - For more information on a similar project see:

http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/exhibitions/education/vidkids/thaum.html  

Similar activity: http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/thaumatropes.html

See Digital Thaumatropes:
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/thaumatrope/thaumatrope.html

Activity for making a
Thaumatrope Motion Device (posted to Getty TeacherArtExchange by Deb Sterner)

Background:
The history of animation (and movie-making) begins with a simple device
called the thaumatrope. This optical toy was in wide circulation by 1826,
and it may have been known much earlier than that. The thaumatrope is the
most basic of motion toys. It consists of a disc that is attached to two
pieces of string. When twirled, the images on the sides of the disc are
perceived together as a single image.
Like all animation devices, the thaumatrope works on the principle of
persistence of vision. Persistence of vision is the eye's ability to retain
an image for a fraction of a second after the object is gone. In this case,
the eye continues to see the two images on either side of the thaumatrope
for a split second after each has appeared. As the thaumatrope spins, the
series of quick flashes is perceived as one continuous image.

Objective:
.  Students will understand the phenomenon of persistence of vision, which
   is the basis for all animation.

Materials:
.  Heavy stock paper (index cards are fine), or cardboard
.  Heavy string or yarn
.  Scissors
.  Paper hole punch
.  Crayons or markers

The Activity:
Begin by having the students cut a circle or rectangle from the paper. On
one side of the paper, ask them to draw a lightning bolt, and to outline it
with a dark color such as black. On the other side, they should draw and
color a sky. After they have finished drawing this, they will make one hole
on each side of the thaumatrope, approximately in the middle (Have them
measure it with a ruler to incorporate math skills). Next, they will cut two
pieces of string, approximately 8 inches long. Loop the string through the
holes and tie it. SPIN UP A STORM! (Students will see a lightning bolt
superimposed onto the sky.)
Note: The lightning bolt/sky combination is an easy one to start with
because you do not have to worry about one of the images being drawn upside
down. For thaumatropes that have a definite UP position for viewing, one of
the images must be upside down in relation to the other.

Other thaumatropes to try:
Side 1: a bird Side 2: a nest (upside down)
Side 1: a fish Side 2: an ocean habitat (upside down)
Side 1: Students write the first 2 or 3 letters of their name Side 2:
Students write the remainder of name (upside down)
Side 1: Have students bring (or make) photographs of themselves, or cut
pictures out of magazines. Glue to one side of the thaumatrope. Side 2: Draw
beard, hats, glasses, or grass, sky, sun, etc. (upside down).
Thaumatropes do not have to be round or rectangular! Students can also
experiment with shape. Colored paper also makes interesting effects; try
black paper with brightly colored chalk drawings. See some of the sample
thaumatropes included in this packet.
As you begin making thaumatropes, you will quickly see that the placement of
the images involves considerable understanding of spatial relations
andmathematics. For this reason, thaumatropes are excellecent tools for
teaching these concepts. It is also useful to incorporate thaumatropes into
the curriculum by animating subjects being studied. For example, if the
class is doing a unit on the desert, students could animate desert
landscapes and animals. Also, persistence of vision is a perceptual
phenomenon that can be studied as a part of a science unit on light or the
eye. See the listing of resources at the end of this unit for suggested
books on light.

Vocabulary:
Animation: Turning still pictures into moving pictures.
Motion Toy: Motion toys are the ancestors of today's movies. They were
Persistence of Vision: A visual phenomenon where an image is retained in the
eye for a short period of time, creating an illusion of continuous motion
when viewed in rapid succession.
Thaumatrope: One of the earliest motion toys, the thaumatrope can be traced
to 1826, and may be even older. It consists of a disc with pictures on both
sides, tied to two pieces of string. When spun, the images on the disc
appear together as a single image.

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