Areas of Learning: Communication Language and Literacy, Creative Development and Knowledge and Understanding of the World.
Context: The children have been comparing different environments. They had shared the big book "The Rainbow Fish" and used this as a stimulus to talk about underwater environments.
Learning Intentions:To choose colours and tools for a purpose (CD).
To select colours, tools and size of tool in a simple paint programme (KUW).
Child Speak Targets: I am learning to/can choose tools and colours to add scales to the fish shape on the screen.
Key Vocabulary: colour, tool, mouse, arrow, click, draw, paintbrush, size, undo, print.

You will need: Simple paint program.

Introduce idea of creating Rainbow Fish with different coloured scales in a paint program.
(Click here to see: Planning grid.)

Demonstrate choosing the appropriate tools, tool size and colour. Encourage the children to experiment with different tool sizes and colours, using the undo button to modify their ideas.

Click here to download template:
Rainbow Fish template (right click on this link and save on your computer. Once saved open in the paint program.)

In talking pairs, ask the children to plan the tools, tool sizes and colours that they are going to use:
What colour scales are you going to have?
How many different colours are you going to use?
What size paint brush are you going to use?

Ask the children to add the scales to the template on the screen.Observe and discuss with the children why they have chosen the colour or tool size and how they might change or improve their ideas on screen.

Ask the children to print their work to make into story sticks to retell the story of the Rainbow Fish. What happened first in the story, what happened then? What happened at the end of the story? Did you like the story ending? How did the Rainbow Fish feel?

Activity One:
You will need: Rainbow Fish: the most beautiful fish in the ocean CD ROM.
Encourage the children to explore the CD ROM independently. Help them to recognise and use navigation prompts to return to the menu to select a different activity.

Activity Two:
You will need: Simple paint program.Use the fill tool and stamps to create an underwater scene on screen.

Compare the underwater scene that they have created on the screen to those that they have created on paper for example using wax crayons and a blue wash or collage materials. Think about how their pictures are the same and different. How would they change their underwater pictures and would this be easier using paint or on screen?

Thinking Questions: How many different colours are you going to use?
Which tools did you use to put the scales on the fish template?
How did you change the paintbrush size? Why did you change the size of the paintbrush?
How would you change your fish?
How did you print your work?