Plant Pigment Paint
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Provided by: Garfield Park Observatory|Published on: June 14, 2025
Activity - ClassroomScientist Reviewed
K1
Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this activity from Garfield Park Observatory, students will use pigments from plants to create works of art.
- Students will guess which plant was used to create each color.
Subjects: Visual and Performing Arts
Authors: Garfield Park Observatory
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This activity encourages students to be creative with the paints.
- The activity can also take an inquiry-based learning approach, which will help grow students' curiosity and critical thinking skills.
Prerequisites
- Students should be proficient in color name recognition.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Before creating the paints, teachers can take students on a nature walk outside to make note of all the colors they see in nature.
- Students can make connections to literature by writing poetry or short stories to go with their paintings.
- Teachers can connect this project to food waste, suggesting this as an activity for students to do with food scraps or produce that has become overripe.
- Teachers can also extend this activity by making seed paper using this video tutorial and painting on it.
This lesson gives students a practical exercise to learn about plant pigments and colors. The lesson is motivating since it urges learners to use the pigment's colour to paint a piece of art to inspire climate action. The resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
