Lesson Plans
Serial Dilution of CuSO4 and Changing the Value of Paint
Students learn the principle of values in pigment—the way colors change through the addition of white (higher value) or its subtraction (lower value). The laboratory process of serial dilution, is introduced. The dilution of a chemical solution is compared to the dilution of pigment in tempera paint.
Indigo: Synthesizing Pigment and Dyeing Cloth
Students observe how the chemical reaction oxidation affects the appearance of indigo dye.
The Connection Between Pigment and Light Colors, Part I
Students discover the relationship between pigment hue and the wave absorption and reflection properties of the pigment molecule.
The Connection Between Pigment and Light Colors, Part II
A continuation of the relationship between pigment hue and the wave-absorption and -reflection properties of the pigment molecule.
Can Chromotography Separate a Pigment?
Students predict whether an ion-exchange matrix is positively or negatively charged based on the type of pigment bonded to the matrix.
Painting Like an Impressionist Artist
Students learn the basic techniques of painting like an Impressionist artist.
So You Want to Buy a Painting?
This unit plan provides six days’ worth of classroom activities. Students research paintings by three well-known artists, create paintings using the styles and techniques of these artists, and then artistically and scientifically determine whether their paintings are “real” or “fake”—whether they really could have been made by the artists under examination.
The Effects of Acid Rain on Stone Sculpture
In this three-week unit plan, students research and investigate various types of stone used in architecture and sculpture. Then, students may simulate the effects of acid rain on small sculptures they make in class.
