Lesson 1: Color Aversion- Journal Entry

1. Is there a color that makes you want to look away or wrinkle your nose?
2. Why do certain colors feel "loud," "sad," or "gross" to us?
3. Can a color remind us of a memory, a smell, or a feeling?

Aversion: A strong feeling of dislike or a desire to avoid something.

Association: A connection between an idea, a feeling, or a memory and a color.

Visceral: A deep, "gut" feeling that isn't necessarily based on logic.

Subjective: Something based on personal feelings or tastes rather than facts.

VA:Re7.1.HS1: Hypothesize ways in which art influences a person’s perception of the world.

VA:Cr1.2.HS1: Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life (Emotional Self-Regulation).

Language Arts: Connotation—the emotional baggage or "extra meaning" a word or color carries beyond its literal definition.

Students browse a color palette and select the one color they dislike most. In their Expressive Art Journals, they will create a "Brain Dump" list of why they dislike it (smells, memories, places) and create a messy, non-precious sketch using only that color.

Purpose: To practice "Sitting with Discomfort" and to realize that we can analyze our emotions rather than just reacting to them.

DOK Level: Level 3 (Strategic Thinking) – Students must analyze their own emotional triggers and provide a rationale for their personal aversions.

Safety Signs: Why is "Caution Yellow" or "Danger Red" used? How do those colors make us feel alert or anxious?

Interior Design: How "healing colors" are chosen for hospitals vs. "exciting colors" for fast-food restaurants.

"I’m doing it wrong if I don’t start to like the color." (Correction: The goal isn't to like it; the goal is to understand why you don't).

Cognitive: Use "Association Cards" with icons (e.g., a picture of a hospital, a sour lemon, a muddy puddle) for students to sort onto their chosen color.

Communication: For non-verbal students, use a "Yuck Scale" (1-5) to rate different color swatches.

Physical: Use Chunky Crayons or Bingo Daubers for the sketching portion to allow for aggressive, "expressive" mark-making that releases tension.

• Self-Identification: The student will successfully point to or name their aversion color.

• Reasoning: The student will communicate (via speech, sign, or AAC) one specific association they have with that color.

• Journal Entry: The student will produce a journal page that combines the "Aversion Color" with text or icons that explain its meaning to them.

Materials: Handmade Art Journals, ink blots, micron, sharpies, gel pens, paint pens