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ASL Colors

Fourth graders learn to sign colors in ASL — RED, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, BLACK — and discover a neat pattern: some colors use their first letter’s handshape with a twist of the wrist!

Grade 4Colors40 minutes1 class periodACTFL / Visual LanguageExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Sign the colors.
  • ✓Learn the letter-twist pattern.
  • ✓Describe with color.
  • ✓Sign in ASL.
Essential Question

The world is full of colors — and each has its own sign in ASL. How do you sign RED and BLUE?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Colors Explorer

Project this and tap each color. Have students make each color sign.

🎨 Explore colors — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — A World of Color

4 min

Each color has its own sign in ASL — how do you sign RED and BLUE?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Point to colors.
  • Ask how to sign them.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Copy.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Colors

10 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Colors Explorer.
  • Make each sign.
  • Note the letter-twist.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Copy.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a color you see.
  • Match colors to objects.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Match.
  • Try.
4

Sign — Sign

10 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign your favorite color.
  • Sign a red thing.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Sign it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a color.
  • Say which one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand color signs.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare color words and signs.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to art.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: describe colors.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Color sign photo cards.
  • Model each sign.
  • Use a mirror.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with RED and BLUE.
  • Make one at a time.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add WHITE and ORANGE.
  • Sign your clothes’ colors.
  • Play a color game.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎨Color chips
  • 💻The Colors Explorer
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

colora sign for a colorREDfinger down across the lipsBLUE“B” handshape, twistGREEN“G” handshape, twistYELLOW“Y” handshape, twistBLACKfinger across the foreheadWHITEpull open hand from chesttwistturn the wrist for some colors
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
How do you sign RED?
Brush your index finger down across your lips.
QUESTION 2
How do you sign BLUE?
Make a “B” handshape and twist your wrist.
QUESTION 3
How do you sign BLACK?
Draw your index finger across your forehead.

Reflect: colors.

Have students sign RED and BLUE, and find something each color at home. A printable ASL colors sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 ASL ColorsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 ASL ColorsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ ASL ColorsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: BLACK, BLUE, color, GREEN, RED, twist, WHITE, YELLOW
  1. “Y” handshape, twist
  2. turn the wrist for some colors
  3. finger down across the lips
  4. “G” handshape, twist
  5. pull open hand from chest
  6. a sign for a color
  7. “B” handshape, twist
  8. finger across the forehead

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. How do you sign RED?
  2. How do you sign BLUE?
  3. How do you sign BLACK?
Answer key — Part A: 1) YELLOW · 2) twist · 3) RED · 4) GREEN · 5) WHITE · 6) color · 7) BLUE · 8) BLACK
Part B: 1) Brush your index finger down across your lips. 2) Make a “B” handshape and twist your wrist. 3) Draw your index finger across your forehead.