Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Visual Arts · Grade 7

Warm & Cool Colors

Seventh-grade artists learn warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) and cool colors (blues, greens, purples) — and how each creates a different mood and sense of space. They sort the colors, then use a warm/cool palette.

Grade 7Warm & Cool Colors45 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Assign or share this lesson
Share to Google Classroom Share to Microsoft Teams

Copy link works with Canvas, Schoology, Moodle and any other LMS — paste it in as a resource or assignment.

Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Tell warm from cool.
  • ✓Connect color to mood.
  • ✓Use a palette.
  • ✓Create a feeling.
Essential Question

How do warm and cool colors change the feeling of a piece?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Warm, or Cool?

Project this and sort each color into Warm or Cool.

🎨 Sort each color — warm, or cool?Try it
🔥 Warm colors
❄️ Cool colors
Tap one, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

45 minutes, five moves

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

1

Look — Hot & Cold

5 min

Which colors feel warm like fire, and which feel cool like water?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a color wheel.
  • Ask the question.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Warm & Cool

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Warm or Cool?
  • Sort each color.
  • Note warm vs cool mood.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a warm palette.
  • Pick a cool palette.
  • Paint a small swatch.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Warm.
  • Cool.
  • Paint.
4

Share — Share

11 min

Students share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show your palette.
  • Name the mood.
  • Give feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show.
  • Name.
  • Feedback.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a warm color.
  • Name a cool color.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts).

NCAS
VA:Cr2.1.7

Use warm and cool colors.

NCAS
VA:Re7.2.7

Analyze color and mood.

NCAS
VA:Cr1.2.7

Plan a color palette.

NCAS
VA:Pr5.1.7

Apply color techniques.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Color swatch cards.
  • Frame: "red is a ___ color."
  • Use a color wheel.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Sort warm vs cool.
  • Use primary colors.
  • Use swatches.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Paint a warm/cool scene.
  • Mix a palette.
  • Use color for mood.
Materials

What to gather

  • 🎨Color swatches / paint
  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💻Warm or Cool?
  • 📄Swatch paper
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

warm colorsreds, oranges, yellowscool colorsblues, greens, purplescolor wheela chart of colorsmoodthe feeling of a workpalettea set of chosen colorshuea pure colortemperaturewarm or cool feelcontrastwarm vs cool together
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
Name a warm color.
Red, orange, or yellow.
QUESTION 2
Name a cool color.
Blue, green, or purple.
QUESTION 3
Why do warm/cool colors matter?
They create different moods and feelings.

Reflect: warm & cool colors.

Have students make a warm and a cool palette. A printable swatch sheet is in the Arts 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.

🃏 Warm & Cool ColorsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Warm & Cool ColorsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

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.

🖨️ Warm & Cool ColorsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: color wheel, contrast, cool colors, hue, mood, palette, temperature, warm colors
  1. blues, greens, purples
  2. reds, oranges, yellows
  3. warm vs cool together
  4. a chart of colors
  5. a pure color
  6. a set of chosen colors
  7. warm or cool feel
  8. the feeling of a work

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name a warm color.
  2. Name a cool color.
  3. Why do warm/cool colors matter?
Answer key — Part A: 1) cool colors · 2) warm colors · 3) contrast · 4) color wheel · 5) hue · 6) palette · 7) temperature · 8) mood
Part B: 1) Red, orange, or yellow. 2) Blue, green, or purple. 3) They create different moods and feelings.