How many crayons colors are there? Learn more about now the crayon color options have changed over the years and some of the fun names given to crayon colors today.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #33: Colorful Crayons
2. Go to this website and study the graph showing how the the colors of crayons have changed over time. Record 5 observations.
3. Read this paragraph from Bedtime math. Record the math information on your recording page.
We just love this map of Crayola crayon colors over the years. In 1903, there were just 8 crayon colors, but by 1935 it had doubled to 16 colors. The chart creator, Stephen von Worley, uses years with an exact multiple of the original 8 colors, so the stripes line up nicely. 1949 has 48 colors, 6 times as many 8, while 2010 shows about 15 times 8, or 120 colors. It all helps us draw much better pictures today! Today, Crayola® Crayons are made in 148 unique colors, but don’t stop counting there! Some colors are offered in special effects, further expanding our color selection with specialty crayons like glitter, pearl, confetti, metallic, bold & bright, and more!
4. Answer these questions in your notebook.
- By 1972 there were 9 times as many shades as the first 8. How many colors were there that year?
- If the vat of wax for red-orange uses twice as much red wax as yellow, and it uses 36 cups in total, how many cups of each color are in there? Draw a picture to help you solve this problem.
Scroll to the end of this post to check your work.
5. Go to the Crayola website and explore the color choices. Pick 8 of your favorites. Record the color name and the hue family on your recording page.
6. Share your mini spark with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.
Lesson adapted from Bedtime Math
Check out the Crayon Project at the EY website.
72 colors.
24 cups red and 12 cups yellow. There are 2 parts red and 1 part yellow, making red 2 parts out of 3, and 1/3 of 36 is 12.