Exploration of Transformation
Designed for grades 4 & 5
Fine Arts, English Language Arts and Reading, Mathematics
Formal Lesson Plan and TEKS Information
Activity and Lesson Plans by: AmbeR Scott – Program Coordinator, Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture
En Español

Activity One: Watch and Learn

Watch one of these videos (depending on the age of your child!)

Activity 2:

• Take inventory of your colors. What colors of food coloring do you have access to? What secondary or tertiary colors could you create?
• Take inventory of your materials. How much vinegar and rice do you have? If the recipe for making colored rice requires a vinegar to rice ratio of 1:2 for each color batch, how many different colors can you make using ½ cup of rice? What is the recipe for a double batch?
• Write the recipe for each color you intend to make, listing measurements and being specific about the ratio of food color being added to make secondary or tertiary colors.

Activity 3:
Prepare your workstation with empty jars for each color you intend to make, along with the other materials

Pour ¼ cup vinegar into each jar.

Add the food coloring to the vinegar (8-10 drops create a nice, bold dye for this size batch. To make a secondary color like green, you would add 4 drops yellow and 4 drops blue.)

Add ½ cup rice into each jar. A funnel is handy, but not required. Secure the lid and shake, shake, shake until evenly mixed.

Let the jars sit undisturbed for 5-10 minutes.

Drain the liquid from each jar. You can use a strainer if you have one, or you can remove the ring from your jar and loosely hold the lid over the opening, letting the liquid out while holding the rice back (this can be tricky and might require supervision)

Rinse and strain the rice until the rinsing water is clear.

Empty the rice onto a drying surface like a cardboard tray or stack of newspaper in the sun, or in a pan in the oven on the lowest setting.

While waiting on the rice to dry, Check out this ASL video by Jeremy Lee Stone:

How does he explain about color, tone, intensity, and mood? Write a short essay or poem about the tone and mood of the colors you dyed your rice.

Let the dyed rice completely dry and cool before storing it in airtight containers until needed.

Discuss any “happy accidents” or unexpected results you experienced in this process.

What projects can you use the dyed rice for? Mosaics? Bottle Art? Fairy Garden?

Click here to check out a dyed rice mosaic project!