Perler Beads for an Art Sub Plan

Here's a sub lesson from the blog "Art Love You."  
She uses perler beads for this.

Playful Playgrounds as a Sub Lesson

Kindergarten Art Lesson, “Playful Playgrounds”

Here's a Mondrian related sub lesson that Katie Weymouth came up with.  Here's the blog entry:  Briargrove Elementary Art Page

If you like lessons in which students use their imaginations to create wondrous and mysterious places, you might like this one of mine. Created as a sub lesson, it can be taught by teachers and parents too.  It is no prep and completely ready to teach.

Check it out here:  Art Sub Lesson: Secret Rooms and Hidden Passageways

Abstract Art from Map - Art Sub Plan Idea

Substitute Art Teacher Lesson Plan 

This art lesson combines Mondrian with maps.  It is from The Incredible Art Department

The students learn about Piet Mondrian and his use of line and color.  Then, they apply that to a map drawing activity.  They could use a variety of materials to draw and color in the map.

Sometimes you just don’t have time to write up art sub plans.  If you want something easier, visit my TPT shop that I created just for that purpose: TPT Shop: Art Sub Lessons.  I’ve got fully formed, no prep, scripted lessons that are ready to go.

If you’d like to start with some free art sub plans, you can find those too.

Cows on Parade - Art Sub Plan

Middle School Art Sub Plans - Cows on Parade

"Her Dabbles" did a blog post last fall with a sub plan for "Cows on Parade."  There are lots of ways to take this lesson, so check it out on her blog.

If you are interested in seeing another lessons about Cows on Parade, check out this post:  Cows on Parade

Art Sub Lesson "Wacky Hats"

This is a sub lesson that I teach myself as an art sub but used to teach in my own classroom before I retired.  I have added it to my TeachersPayTeachers store because it is such a successful lesson.  The kids get highly engaged and stay busy the entire class time.

It would be fun as a lesson for "Crazy Hat Day" at your school.  Art teachers could use it and so could classroom teachers.

When I left it for a sub of my own, she had high praise for this lesson. She left these comments: "Thank you for the wonderful plans.  Great lesson." and "They LOVED the photos and your drawings."

Here is a link to my shop:  Art Sub Lessons.

Middle School Art Sub Lesson - Name Design

Middle School Art Sub Lesson - Kaleidoscope Name Design

Here's a sub lesson from Artisan Des Arts.  She's included detailed instructions and graphics that a sub could follow easily.  She said that originally she got the lesson from Teach Kids Art, who also had nice graphics and instructions.

Art Sub Plans - Imaginary Treehouse

This afternoon I was searching for a ready-made art sub lesson about imaginary treehouses. I just could not find one. Tonight, as I was searching for something for my bulletin board blog, I found the treehouse lesson!

I've left a similar lesson with a sub before and it turned out just fine.

This is from the blog, Blue Moon Pallette.





I also sell a PowerPoint lesson for substitute teaching called "A Treehouse for Me". If you would like the lesson plan all ready to hand over to a sub, you can visit my TeachersPayTeachers shop here: Art Sub Lessons




I designed this lesson to be no prep; fully scripted; and ready to print and go. All a sub needs to do is to read each slide and respond to the students' comments. The materials needed are the most simple: crayons and paper.

This lesson may be taught as a PowerPoint projection or printed out and each page shown, one-by-one.

The students are introduced to unique treehouse designs, that will encourage the student to let their imaginations lead their own designs.

I have tested this on my own art subs and have gotten positive feedback. My students also expressed to me that they were excited to create their own drawings.

If you are interested in other of my lessons that connect with architecture, you might like these:

Captivating Castles

A Home with an Onion Dome

James Rizzi's Happiest Houses on Earth

Fairy Houses and Gnome Homes

Robot Line Drawings | Art Sub Lesson

Robot Line Drawings | Art Sub Lessons

If you are looking for a fully formed lesson, check out my drawing lesson here: Robot Roundup

It can be shown as a PowerPoint or printed out and shown with the students close up. It was indended as a lesson for a substitute, but certainly may be used in a classroom by anyone.

Here is another option for a robot lesson.

This drawing came from here:  Primary Sea

Middle School Art Lessons  Doodle Design

The inspiration for this lesson comes from Hillcrest Christian School's Artsonia page.

Here's one listed for grades 6 - 8 at the blog, "A Faithful Attempt".  She gives lots of detailed instructions and photos of this lesson. (Update: I am having trouble linking to the exact page, so when you go to her blog, search for "Black and White Doodle Design." You will find great  directions there.)

Elementary Art Sub Plan - Elmer

Here's an idea from the blog, Dali's Mustache.

She suggests, "I just love this story. Great life lesson: It's fun to be different! This is great for a substitute lesson plan: just make some elephant tracers, and have students add a grid and lots of color!"

This lesson would use the most simple materials: crayon and paper. The blog writer used elephant shaped templates too. Kids love tracing so this would work nicely as a sub lesson. Plus, if you have the book Elmer, that is a great introduction to the lesson.

Elementary Art Lesson Plan “Food Head”

This elementary art lesson plan video is called “Food Head.” How fun! Check it out at this YouTube channel:  Elementary Art Lesson Plan

The blogger at Artisan Des Arts tried this lesson with her students.   I believe she did it with third and fourth grades.  (Thanks, Aly!)

Art Sub Plan - Cityscape for Kindergarten

Here's a sweet and easy kindergarten lesson that a sub could easily do. The kindergarten teacher has given a good tutorial for the lesson at her blog, Fairy Dust Teaching.  It's based on the book That Pesky Rat.
Cityscape Lesson 

Here are other blog posts with kindergarten cities using simple cut shapes.

Splash Splash Splatter Art

Flowers Are Fun Art Sub Plan

Flowers Are Fun - Video - Middle School and Upper Elementary 

Here's a great video for drawing a flower mandala.  Flowers Are Fun Ink Drawing Mandala

Tee Shirt Lesson - Kindergarten and First Grade

When my coworker retired, she left behind some very nice sub kits.  In the packet for each lesson was not only the plan and sample, but selected samples of materials needed.

Here's what the packet looks like for this kindergarten and first-grade lesson.

 Here are the plans written in multiple ways.

This is the template for the tee shirt.  She had a set of templates in the packet.

Here she shows the sub how to fold the paper for the shirt.

The Dot - Relief Teaching Ideas

Art Lesson for Relief Teaching

This lesson idea is from "Ms. Brown's Art Class."  I think it could be adapted for kindergarten art sub plans up to fifth-grade ones.

Ms. Brown uses block tempera in her classroom.  If I had a sub, I might use those same plans or either draw with Sharpie and then fill in with marker or crayon.  She has nice instructions on her page.  She also uses the book, "The Dot."  (Thanks for all the lesson plans on your blog, Ms. Brown!)

 

Easy Art Lesson - Pattern Snake

Easy Art Lesson - Pattern Snake - Sub Plan

I’m not sure why it is, but kids love drawing snakes. Here’s a lesson where they draw one and then add a variety of patterns and doodles.  

You could do this with kindergarten but with older kids as well. 

This is from the blog "Got Art / Teaching Art to Young Artists."  Mrs. Matott said she left this with first and second grades as a sub lesson before and it was successful. 

Here’s a similar take on that. This is another blog post about spirals and another pattern snake.

“Swirl by Swirl”

Lessons Ready to Use

Here are some sub lessons all ready to print out and use.  I'd print them out ASAP if I were you.  You never know how long these things will be on the net!

These are from the art office in Anchorage, AK. 

The lessons to download include:

• Kindergarten

• Imaginary Person, Animal or Creature
  
• Rainbow Fish
  

• Grade One
• Castles
• With Pattern: Quilts

• Grade Two
  
  • Line Design With Narne
    
  • Crazy Cats
    
• Grade Three
  
  • Landscape Drawing
    
  • Figures In Action
    
• Grade Four
  
  • Portraits With Pattern Hair or Beard
    
  • School Supplies
    
• Grade Five
  
  • Cornrnunity On A Distant Planet
    
  • Visual Puns
    
• Grade Six
  
• Fantasy Animals
  
• A Super Sandwich
  

Easy Art Lesson - Bold Lines

Easy Art Lesson for Subs

Katie Morris has a nice sub lesson with good instructions and visuals over on her blog, "Adventures of an Art Teacher."  

She gives credit where she first saw the idea.  Katie says:  "If you are on Artsonia, the lesson was posted by Linda Welling from Cedar Creek Elementary School."

Handouts for Subs

Worksheets for Middle School Art 

Here's a post from Guilford County School's Art Educator's Blog.  Caitlin Fisher shared some handouts that she leaves for subs.  I've shown one here, but there are more on that site.

If you're interested in a free worksheet, here's a free one at my TPT shop. This link takes you to a writeup about it on this blog:  Circle Worksheets. That post also leads you to some other free circle worksheets you might like.

Here's another one I wrote about on my blog:  Imagination Workout. There are 11 simple lines drawn on a grid. The challenge is to create something based on those lines. Check out that blog post to see the example and find the link to the original blog post. Only simple materials are required. The blogger also posts a free worksheet a week!

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.