Art Sub Plan - Gingerbread Buildings

Gingerbread Buildings Lesson for Subs

This art sub lesson is one I used for my first, second, and third graders.

When I have a sub, my goal is for the kids to be engaged and the sub to have an easy go of it.  Since non-art people are the norm for my subs, I always promise them that I will leave a lesson that anyone can teach.  So, the lessons from my county's curriculum are saved for me to teach.

I figured that on the last day of school before winter break, the kids would be overly excited and I needed to give them something that would be of interest to them.

I printed out many gorgeous gingerbread houses from the internet and hung them in the room.  I also painted a sheet with many types of candies that you might find on a gingerbread house.

I left the sub 12" x 18" paper.....black pens....and crayons.  If I do this lesson again, I would give the kids a smaller paper; perhaps 10" x 10".  The larger paper was too big to color in completely in one 55 minute class.

 Here is what I wrote for her:

Show the photos of the gingerbread houses.  I have taped a chart of painted candies and gingerbread houses on the wall so please point that out to them to use.
As you show the pictures, ask the students to tell you what they see.  What is a gingerbread house?  Why do people make them?  What are they made from?

Point out that not all of the houses are the same shapes.  They could be gingerbread castles….gingerbread mansions….gingerbread forts…..gingerbread theaters…….gingerbread stores………gingerbread schools…… Some even have decorated areas around them.  How will you make a fence?  A car in the driveway?  Trees?  People?  Animals?

Tell the students that they will be drawing a gingerbread building today.  What type of building they choose to do is up to them.  They will be using black pens to draw the entire picture.   After about ten minutes of drawing, you can pass out the blue boxes of crayons.  They may color in the picture.  Note:  they only get one sheet of paper.  They know this and probably won’t ask for another.