Light and Color

A WebQuest for high school Art and Physics Students

Designed by

David and Claudette Reep


 

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Teacher Page


Introduction

The physics teacher states that the three primary pigments are cyan, magenta, and yellow.
The art teacher disagrees and states that the primary pigments are red, blue and yellow.  Use this quest as a guide to determine which teacher is correct.  Is it possible that both are correct? 
 
 

The Task
Your group will be asked to debate the above question.

To complete your quest and prepare for the debate,  your team will need to discover the answers to the following questions:
 

  • General Questions:
    • What determines the colors we see?
      • What determines the color of an object?
      • How does the eye determine colors?
    • Distinguish between additive and subtractive color mixing processes.
  • Scientific Background Questions:
    • What is the relationship between light and color?
      • Which color has the longest wavelength?
      • Which color has the shortest wavelength?
      • How are the wavelength and freqency of a color related?
      • Describe the sections of the electromagnetic spectrum that are just above and just below the wavelengths of the visible spectrum.
    • Using a physics resource anwer the following:
      • What are the primary light colors?
      • What are the primary pigment colors?
      • What are the secondary colors and how are they created?
  • Artistic Background Questions:
    • Find an artist's color wheel.
      • What are the primary pigment colors?
      • What are the secondary colors and how are they created?
    • What psychological effects do colors have on people?
    The Process
     
    • 1.  You will be assigned to groups of three.
    • 2.  Each student will assume the role of mediator, scientist and artist.
    • 3.  The mediator will research the general questions and develop a format for the debate.  This could include questions from the scientific and artistic questions.
    • 4.  The scientist will research the questions from the scientific section and formulate a strategy for the debate.
    • 5.  The artist will research the questions from the artistic section and formulate a strategy for the debate.
    • 6.  All three will come back together and participate in the debate. 
    • 7.  After the debate each student should type a minimum of one page, double spaced, 12 font with their anwer to the introductory question.They should support their opinions with material discussed during the debate.
    Students may wish to take notes and prepare an outline before the actual debate.
     

    Resources:
    The Physics of Color an overview of  how light makes color

    How color affects us physcologically and culturally

    Color theory from the professionals at Adobe

    This site attempts to explain the difference in primary colors

    The Colorworm Book :  Online book that uses a "colorworm" to teach the concepts of color and light.
     

    Light and Color :  Overview of color and light.  This site also has links to more specific topics such as the electromagnetic spectrum, elements of design and how rainbows are formed.
     

    Color Matters :  The significance of colors and how they affect us.
     

    The Electromagnetic Spectrum :  A general overview of the electromagnetic spectrum.u

    You may wish to do further investigation beyond the above listed sites.  You will find a page of search engines at 37.comsed by printers and those used by painters.

    Evaluation

    Students will be evaluated individually and as a group.  The final essay will be graded based on the essay rubric.  The debate will be graded with the debate rubric. 
     

    Individual Essay  Novice

    1

    		 Apprentice

    2

    		 Veteran

    3

    		 Master

    4
    Score
    Meaning: the extent  to which the response shows sound interpretation and analysis of resources 
    No analysis of issues and events. Provides few accurate or relevant facts, examples or details.
    Superficial analysis of the issues and events. Includes several facts, examples and details but may also include some inaccurate information.
    Complete analysis of the issues and events. Sufficiently uses accurate and relevant facts, examples and details. 
    Insightful and complete analysis of the issues and events.
    Sensibly uses accurate and relevant facts, examples, and details. 
    		  20 points
    Development: the extent to which ideas are supported with specific and relevant evidence from the resources
    No use of facts, examples and details. Any reference to the documents is unclear.
    Uses few facts, examples and details from the documents 
    The analysis is not well developed.
    Includes relevant and accurate facts, details and examples
    Some ideas are more fully developed than others.
    Always  uses clear, relevant and accurate facts, examples and details to support the analysis
    		  20 points
    Organization: the extent to which the reponse shows direction and coherence

     
    The response does not have appropriate focus or organization.
    Basic structure but does not maintain focus. 
    Orderly sequence of ideas. Shows a clear plan of organization.
    Well developed focus of ideas. Sharp sense of a logical and clear organization.
    		  20 points
    Language Use: the extent to which the response shows an awareness of purpose and audience 
    Uses basic vocabulary with little or no awareness of purpose or audience. Show little variety in sentence structure.
    Mostly uses vocabulary from the texts. Limited awareness of purpose and audience. Occasionally varies sentence structure.
    Shows an awareness and purpose through word choice and varying sentence structure.
    Shows an in-depth awareness of purpose and audience through the use of sophisticated language and varying sentence structure.
    		  20 points
    Mechanics: the extent to which the response exhibits knowledge and skills in grammar, spelling and punctuation
    Frequent grammar and/or spelling errors make comprehension difficult.
    No editing or rewriting is evident.
    Errors do not make comprehension difficult.
    A few errors when using complex grammar structures.
    Very few errors occur.
    Evident that time and energy was spent to polish the response.
    		  20 points

     
     
    Debate Analysis
    Novice

    1
    Apprentice

    2
    Veteran

    3
    Master

    4
    Score 
    Participation:
    the extent of involvement in each phase of the discussion
    Rarely participates in the discussion. Participates only to talk but does not actively listen to others. 
    Occasionally participates in the discussion. Open to  opinions or ideas from others.
    Participates in the discussion. Able to give and ask for clarification and support of ideas and opinions.
    Full participation in the discussion yet does not monopolize. Asks questions which encourages others to participate. 
    20 points 
    Exemplification:
    the extent to which examples, facts and other details are used to support ideas
    Does not support an opinion.
    Provides details to support an opinion from only one resource.
    Provides details to support an opinion from only two resources. 
    Supports opinions by using information from all the resources.
     20 points
    Resources: the extent to which the internet materials are used
     
     
     

     
    Uses
    zero to one resource to establish and support an opinion.
     Uses only one resource to establish and  support an opinion. 
     Uses two of the resources to establish and support an opinion.
    Uses 3 or more of the resources to establish and support an opinion. 
     20 points
    Interpretation: the extent to which a perspective was created

     
     Unsuitable interpretation of issues and events.
    Does not make any connections to what others say.
    Superficial interpretation  of issues and events. Makes only a few connections with what others say.
    Excellent interpretation of issues and events. Makes connections with what others say.
    Insightful interpretation of issues and events. Makes effective connections with what others say.
     20 points
    Co-operation: the extent to which appropriate forms of communication are expressed
    Unable to wait to give appropriate response. Never asks questions for explanation/clarification.
    Sometimes waits to give appropriate response. Occasionally asks relevant questions.
    Usually waits to give appropriate response. Often asks relevant questions.
    Always waits to give appropriate response. Asks in-depth and engaging questions.
     20 points


    Conclusion

    Through this lesson students will learn about various viewpoints of the same topic from different disciplines.  They will see that apparent discrepancies really are not as drastic as they first appear. They will learn how to create and present a convincing argument and/or how to moderate a debate.  Students will be able to use this debate to formulate a final analysis of the opening question. 


    Credits & References
    Images from:  http://www.fotolaboratorio.com/library/ctindex.html
    Rubrics taken from:   http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/hdesl/wq/evaluation.htm
    Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page