Exploring the World of Colours at Astor International School

At Astor International School, we believe that learning comes alive when students have the chance to explore their subject-matter through hands-on activities. It’s part of our commitment to practical, experiential and enquiry-based learning. And our commitment to having fun in the classroom.

Recently, our IPC (International Primary Curriculum) lessons in the Year 4 classroom took us on a colourful journey as we investigated the world of colours; from understanding how they are made to discovering how they affect the way we feel.

Learning About Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colours

Our starting point was to learn about primary colours: red, blue, and yellow. These colours are called “primary” because they cannot be created by mixing any other colours together. Instead, they act like building blocks, as all other colours come from them.

Next, students experimented with mixing these primary colours to create secondary colours. For example, red and blue made purple, blue and yellow made green, and red and yellow created orange. The children were amazed to see how new colours came to life simply by blending two shades together.

We then moved on to tertiary colours, which are made when a primary colour mixes with a secondary colour. These gave us even more shades and tones. By the end of the activity, students could clearly see the relationships between the different groups of colours.

Exploring Colours with Different Materials

To deepen our understanding, we explored colours using a variety of art materials. Some children worked with crayons and coloured pencils, while others used markers, watercolours, and acrylic paints. We even tried experimenting with cellophane paper to see how overlapping-coloured sheets could create new shades.

The room was buzzing with excitement as students tested their ideas. Some carefully mixed paints on a palette, while others boldly layered colours directly onto paper to see what would happen. This hands-on exploration not only made the lesson fun, but also helped everyone realise that colours are all around us and that we can create them in many different ways.

The Colour Wheel Experiment

After exploring colours individually, we came together to create our very own colour wheel. Students carefully arranged the primary, secondary, and tertiary colours in a circle. But the most exciting part came next: testing the colour wheel as a science experiment.

We attached strings to the wheel so that it could spin quickly. The big question was: Would the wheel turn white when spun?

When the colour wheel spun fast, students noticed that the colours seemed to blend together, appearing much lighter – some even said it looked white! We discussed why this happens, and learned that it is an optical illusion. Our eyes and brain cannot keep up with the fast-spinning colours, so they blend together and trick us into seeing white or light grey. This activity helped us connect art with science, showing that colours are not just something we see on paper but also part of how our eyes and brains work.

Colours and Emotions

Finally, we talked about how colours are more than just a visual experience; they are also connected to our emotions. Students shared how different colours made them feel. For example:

Yellow often reminded us of happiness and sunshine.

Blue felt calming, like the ocean or sky.

Red made us think of energy, excitement, or sometimes anger.

Green felt refreshing, like nature.

This discussion helped students see that colours are powerful in shaping our moods and can even influence how we think and behave.

These activities – and others like them in the classroom – help us to bring learning to life for our students and to promote a sense of fun that increases curiosity and a yearning to know more. Yet more ways in which Astor International School is living its commitment to being Singapore’s best and most affordable international school.