Back to School - Art Sub Tubs

Art Sub Tubs for Back to School

Art Sub Tubs are popular these days.  They make it easy for you to keep your sub lessons accessible for an emergency absence and keep things organized for your sub.  Is there any time better than "Back to School" time to prepare one?

There are a variety of ways to put one together.  These art teachers have written about their's. Check them out.

Miss French Fry Makes Art

Draw the Line At

That Little Art Teacher

Art Sub Tub for Art Sub Plans

Art Sub Tub for Emergency Absences

Lots of people are using art sub tubs these days.  What a great way to organize your sub files. This is especially helpful for emergency absences when you just can’t easily pull a lesson together because of what’s going on in your world.  

What exactly do you include in one?  Here is a detailed blog post about one by Morgan McClarnon at Art with Miss M. 

If you get this set up before you actually need it, you will be SO HAPPY!

Sub Prep for TAB and Choice Based Art Class

Art Sub Plan Prep for TAB and CHOICE

Some of you are TAB and Choice Based art teachers.  So is Dawn Lynn at Wildcats Create and here is how she prepares for a sub. 

She has posted a variety of photos of what resources she has left her sub. These should be a big help in writing up an art sub plan yourself.

7 Easy Art Lessons About Monsters

7 Easy Art Sub Lessons About Monsters

Here are easy elementary art lessons about monsters (plus a bonus one!)
These would be great around Halloween time or to use with those units on monsters.


"There Be Monsters" is a lesson about sea monsters as they were drawn on ancient maps.
Students observe the old maps and monsters and create their own. You can find the lesson at my TPT Shop:  There Be Monsters!



Originally, this lesson was posted on a blog called, “Clown and Poodle.” It appears that it no longer exists. However, I had written a blog post inspired by the original, and that still exists. You can see that complete lesson in my blog post here: Purple People Eater




Here’s a lesson at Ms. Pearce's Art Room called "Circle Monsters." Kids love
tracing shapes. Here they can create original monsters just by starting with tracing circles.



This "Name Alien" lesson is by We Heart Art.
This lesson ends up far from where it begins! 



This sweet kindergarten lesson is by Artisan des Arts.




"Her Dabbles" came up with this lesson called Silly Monsters.




This Scribble Monster lesson came from "Art with Ms. B.”

Though that blog no longer seems to exist, I left the picture here because the idea is a good idea. Since that blog post isn’t around anymore though, I found another scribble monster lesson for you.

This is a YouTube video by Emily Brosius. This is a video lesson, so it is complete with all the instruction you need.

Lastly, here is an art worksheet that I have in my TPT Shop. “Create A Silly Monster”

This drawing worksheet includes directions and sample details for drawing a monster. All you need to do is print and distribute. Great for centers, subs and early finishers too.

Teaching European Explorers in Elementary Art

Teaching European Explorers in Elementary Art Class 

"There Be Monsters!" is a fun and open-ended elementary art sub lesson that integrates the study of early explorers with mapmaking and sea monsters.  

There are 21 slides that include many from maps from the age of Columbus.  There are lots of strange sea creatures on these maps!  The students will talk about what they see in the slides and then create a map of an imaginary place with their own unique sea monsters.

It was written with an art sub in mind, but can be taught by classroom teachers and art teachers as well. 

You can find this lesson in my Teachers Pay Teachers store:  Art Sub Lessons.

This particular lesson was written for 3rd through 5th grade, but if you are interested in an early explorers art lesson for middle school, check out this lesson:  Explorers and Sea Monsters