When introducing colors--or any thematic set of vocabulary--to my students, I want to make sure that they learn a high frequency structure along with them. Colors are good to know, but there are other language structures that are more useful! I pretend to focus on colors in this lesson plan, but in reality we are focusing on the structure “lleva” (wears).
- Write the three structures from the top of the page on your whiteboard in black and blue marker: lleva una camisa - s/he wears a shirt lleva un suéter - s/he wears a sweater lleva pantalones - s/he wears pants
- Read each phrase to students in Spanish as you point to the English translation.
- Distribute the ‘los colores’ clothing sheet that is included in this file and colored pencils, markers, or crayons to students.
- Taking one structure at a time, “ask it” to the students. Ex: Point to “lleva una camisa” and ask, “¿Quién en la clase lleva una camisa?” ("Who in the class is wearing a shirt?") Circle the statement (if you do not know what circling is, please visit this link).
- Add the color detail to the statement: “Clase, Marisa lleva una camisa anaranjada.” (Class, Marisa is wearing an orange shirt). Point to her shirt, and point to the color ‘anaranjado’ on the coloring sheet, indicating that students should color the ‘suéter anaranjado’ orange.
- Continue circling the statement, this time focusing on the color orange, and then begin to contrast it with another color. Take another student and say, “Clase, ¿Jorge lleva una camisa anaranjada?” (“No...”) “No, clase, Jorge no lleva una camisa anaranjada. Jorge lleva una camisa azul.” Then, indicate that the class should color in the ‘pantalones azules’ blue.
- Continue circling each color and contrasting it with other colors until all articles of clothing on the coloring sheet have been filled in with the correct color. To keep things exciting, have kids stand on chairs to show off their clothes, or model strut in front of the room…things like that.
- At the end of class, play the game “Toca algo” ("Touch something"). The students just have to touch something of whatever color you call out (“Toca algo de color rojo”).
- The next day, give the reading included in this file to the students in order to get more repetitions of the target structures. They must read the story and color in the clothing of the eleven different characters based on what they’ve read. There are two versions so that the kids can’t be lazy and just color along with their friends. There are also seven reading comprehension questions to accompany the reading. An English translation of the reading is provided so that you can adapt it for other languages.
Additional resources--a free logic puzzle to practice colors can be downloaded here. One of my students’ favorite online resources for practicing colors is this online coloring book.
