Lesson Plan for Brownie Girl Scouts Try it Colors and Shapes

Objective: Girls will learn about colors and shapes in the world. They will design and make art projects with a variety of different colors and shapes. The girls will learn how to use colors and shapes to create new colors and shapes. Completion of these activities will earn the Colors and Shapes Try it.

Materials:
• Old sponges
• Scissors
• Tempera paint
• Paper plates to hold the paint
• Paper to paint on
• Water
• Construction paper
• Drinking straws
• Thread
• Cardboard
• Pre-made dough such as Crayola Model Magic or make your own dough with recipe that follows
• Yarn
• White glue

Procedure:
1. Girls will meet in the Girl Scout circle and recite the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout law. We will talk about the colors and shapes in the world around them, pointing out the shapes of many common objects such as a rectangular chalk board and the heart shaped rug on the floor. Girls will also notice the different colors in the objects in the room..
2. Girls will paint with sponge stencils. They will first decide what shapes they would like to make and then they will cut these shapes out of sponges. Girls will pour a small amount of different colored paints onto different plates. Sponges will be dipped into the paint the pressed onto the paper to create stamped designs. These stamps can be used on folded construction paper to make note cards or on paper to make prints to hang up. While using paints, girls will experiment with the mixing of different colors to form new colors.
3. Girls will make color and shape mobiles. They will start by tying three straws together in the center. They will then hang string or thread from the ends of the straws for mobile shapes to hang on. Next the girls will trace shapes onto cardboard, cut them out and paint or color the shapes with any design they wish. Using a hole puncher, they can then make a hole at the top of each shape and hang these from the thread on the straws, making a completed mobile.
4. The meeting will conclude with a review of the day's activities and the Girl Scout circle with the troop singing the troop song.
5. At the second troop meeting, girls will again form the Girl Scout circle and recite the Girl Scout Law and Promise. The girls will then play "I Spy" with colors and shapes around the room. Girls will take turns and each girl who wishes will have a turn to pick the item for others to guess.
6. Girls will make their own dough or use pre-made dough to make shapes or pots. Some suggestions are to make the dough into little balls and then stick the balls together to make something. Or girls can make pinch pots by making a large ball then sticking their thumb into the middle and pinching until a bowl is formed. Or, girls can start with a ball shape and pinch and pull until an animal or building shape, for examples, are formed.
7. Girls will make Mexican Yarn Paintings. They will start by making an outline of the design they wish to make on a piece of cardboard. They will then cover the outline with white glue and press a piece of yarn into the glue to form the outline. Next the girls can fill in small areas with glue and press yarn pieces tightly together. Let the glue dry completely.
8. The meeting will conclude with a review of all colors and shapes activities and the Girl Scout circle with the troop singing the troop song.

Recipe for Dough

You need:
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup salt
1.5 cups flour
Water
Mixing bowl
Spoon

To do:
Put the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix. Add ½ cup of water and stir. If the dough is too stiff and dry, add one or two spoonfuls of water and mix with your hands until it seems the right consistency.

**These activities are time consuming and will take two troop meetings to complete. Girls will do the first four activities at meeting 1 since both crafts involve paint and the second four activities at meeting 2. By completing the above activities, girls will have earned the Brownie Try-It for Colors and Shapes.