Art Sub Lesson Plan - How to Draw a Monster

How to Draw Doodle Monsters

This is the time of year that kids are most intrigued by monsters. They're everywhere you look in the stores and on TV! At school though, you don't want your students to work on grisly, bloody creatures. So, I like to teach them how to draw doodle monsters.

Doodle monsters are friendly looking and not at all scary. Drawing a doodle monster lets kids be creative and draw as crazy a creature as they can imagine.

Step-by-Step for Drawing a Monster

When I have kids drawing doodle monsters, I like to have lots of visuals around. Having examples of cartoon eyes, noses, mouths, ears, hair, arms, bodies, and legs is key. Examples give kids a good jumping off point. They are less likely to have  artist's block when they can see so many options.

Doodle monsters are made of such simple shapes, anyone can draw them. 

Let me show you how to draw a super simple one.

Step 1.  Draw a simple shape for the monster's body. Using a variety of lines makes it look interesting.

Step 2.  Draw simple eye shapes. It can be one eye, or many.

Step 3. Draw a mouth. It might be toothy or not.

Step 4.  Color in the monster. Start by outlining the shape.

Step 5. Color in the shape neatly.  To make it look more three dimensional, color more heavily around the edges.

One monster, DONE!

They can fill a whole sheet with these simple creatures. Varying the shapes, lines, patterns and colors will make the drawing more interesting. The more examples you have around to inspire the students, the better.

Get the Lesson Plan and Visuals

I love teaching how to draw these monsters, so I have created lesson plans for teaching doodle monsters during the different seasons. They were written for a sub, so they are fully scripted; use simple materials; and have lots of examples.

Here are some visuals from the one I created for Halloween. I have made versions for kids who want to draw Halloween monsters and another for kids who want to draw fall monsters. (Not all students are allowed, nor want to, draw Halloween imagery, so I have taken this into account.)

Here's where you can find my lesson and all the visuals:  Art Sub Lesson - Doodle Monsters at Halloween. It's only $4.00 and will save you hours and hours of time.

Blog Posts about Doodle Monsters

Check out these blog posts about Doodle Monsters at other seasons:

Doodle Monsters at Christmas and Winter

Doodle Monsters at Valentines Day

9 Halloween Art Sub Lessons

9 Halloween Art Lesson Plans Easy Enough for a Sub

Here are some fun lessons for October. I’ll add some that can be adapted for those kids who cannot use Halloween imagery for religious or personal reasons.

First, here’s one I just created. Kids love drawing “doodle monsters.” They are easy shapes to draw and there are so many options for adding fun details. 

In this art lesson, I gave examples of doodle monster drawings that are either Halloween focused, with mummies, ghosts, witches, and the likes plus an example of one with none of that. It has footballs, fall trees, hot cocoa, and warm clothes. Kids will appreciate that options are given for either direction.

You can find that lesson in my TpT shop:  Doodle Monsters at Halloween.

At the Mrs Art Teacher Lady blog. you can find a directed drawing. "Halloween Bats and Frankenstein Monsters" is a lesson that both upper and lower elementary kids will have fun drawing. It uses simple materials, so would be great for a substitute teacher.

The TpT shop, "Cool Classroom Stuff" has an activity that would be super easy for your sub to teach. This one is focused on Mexican Sugar Skulls. Your kids will be engaged and happy to work on this one.

Here's another one at "Cool Classroom Stuff." This is a fall themed one and would be good for fourth grade through middle school. 

This radial symmetry lesson has templates and sample templates to help kids out.

Amy, at Makes and Takes, gives step-by-step instructions and many visuals for this lesson. She used black paper and oil pastel, but this could easily be done with crayons on lighter paper.

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At Panicked Teacher, Susie gives you step by step instructions on how to make this patterned pumpkin.  I believe she is a classroom teacher who has to supplement art instruction in her class for most of the school year.

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This lesson, at ArtfulNest, was written for middle school.  You could write it up as a fifth-grade lesson or a sixth-grade one.  You could also bring it down to the upper primary grades with a change of media.  Leave your subs some good visuals.  They could teach this!           

 

This Halloween art lesson is fun for students and easy to teach. The prep for this is minimal. Students will need paper; one black crayon per student; and assorted other crayon colors. I call it a “print and go” lesson as that is all you need to do.

It includes full instructions and visuals. You could even post it as an art learning center in the classroom.

“Creating Silly Monsters” is a fun lesson about monsters that you could use in an art center; as a regular art lesson; or for an art sub. It is super easy to teach and kids will love it. Check it out at TPT Shop: Centers and Early Finishers  It would be timely around Halloween but could be taught any time.

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

15 Name Art Lessons for Back to School

Name Art Projects as Art Sub Lessons

During back to school season, teachers love teaching art lessons using students' names. I have found 15 art name lessons, mostly of which are fully formed and can be taught by a sub. Here are some ideas for name art projects to inspire you.

Why do teachers like to teach name art lessons?

Art teachers often have hundreds of students a semester. Learning their names is not an easy task. The more often you connect the student with their name, the more helpful. So, seeing a child with their name art can't hurt that, right?

And sometimes one of the first art lessons of the year is to create a folder for their artwork. A name activity works well for that. 

Many of the name art lessons I have seen are "no fail." That's always a plus for the new school year!

Cool name art lessons 

These lessons are simple enough that a substitute teacher could teach them. These all have instructions included and use simple materials.

Symmetrical Alien Names @ Charity Mika

This blog post shows instructions and sample art work.

MATERIALS
• Copy paper, 11″ x 17″ works well
• Black Sharpie Marker
• Crayons/Markers/Oil Pastels/Chalk

Art with Kids: Rollercoaster Names @ Jones Design Company

Has instructions and plenty of samples.

MATERIALS
• paper
• Black Sharpie Marker
• Crayons/Markers/Oil Pastels/Chalk

Radial Design Art Lesson for Middle School Kids @ Leah Newton Art

This blog post has full instructions and examples of finished work.

Materials

• Pencils
• 5’’ Cardboard Squares for students to trace
• One 4.5’’ tracing paper square for each student
• One 9’’ white copy paper square for each student.
• Markers and colored pencils.

Tried and True: Kaleidoscope Name Designs@ Paint On All the Tables

This blog post has step by step instructions with photos.

Materials

• Pencils
• One 9’’ white copy paper square for each student.
• Markers and colored pencils.

Name Monster Tutorial @ Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming, Inc.

This blog post has instructions and step by step photos.

Materials

Pencils

• Paper
• Scissors
• Markers and colored pencils.

Fun Name Art @ Happy Family Art

This blog post has step by step instructions and photos.

Materials

12" x 18" paper markers

Paper

What's in a Name @ Creativity is Contagious

This post includes directions and step by step photos.

Materials

paper

pencil

Sharpie

markers

Drawing with Kids: Illustrated Names @ Make and Takes

This post has instructions, photos, and a video.

Materials

Paper - long strips

Pencils

Markers

Sharpies

Back to School Name Art Lesson @ Art Sub Lessons

This blog post has photos and a description of how to do it.

If you would like a fully formed version that is ready to hand to a sub, you can find one here, at my TpT shop:  Name People Art Sub Lesson @ TpT Shop: Art Sub Lessons

It uses the most simple supplies, is fully scripted, and can be taught by anyone.

Materials

Long strips of paper

pencils

crayons or markers

Name Art @ Art Sphere

This includes instructions and photos.

Materials
Markers
Colored Pencils
Pencils
Erasers
White Paper

Name Art Crafts @ Fun365

This would work well for preschool and kindergarten. There are step by step instructions with photos. There is some prep you would need to do ahead of time.  

Materials

Paper

Washi Tape (or painters tape)

Bingo-type dabbers

Graffiti Art @ Dick Blick

This post includes a downloadable .pdf.

Materials

Paper

Colored pencils

Glue

Scissors

Kinder Name Art @ Sprich Splash Splatter

This post is an idea for a lesson that includes a literary component. It will include some prep ahead of time.

Materials

Paper - colored

glue sticks

colored paper squares

Abstract Name Design for Middle School @ NAEA

This link leads you to a post I wrote about a lesson by Betsy Morningstar. 

Radial Name Design

Originally, this went to a lesson at Art4Cast, but the post no longer exists. I wrote a blog post on my blog about the idea.

Materials

Paper cut into large squares

Pencils

Crayon or markers

Name Designs for Middle School @ TPT Shop Art Sub Lessons

This is a fully formed art sub lesson that anyone can teach. It uses the most simple materials. 

Materials

Paper

Pencils

Sharpies, crayons, or markers

You can find this at my TpT Shop: Art Sub Lessons

Checklist for Creating a Sub Folder

By the way, if you need help creating an art sub folder, check out the blog post where I spell that out for you.  22 Things to Include in an Art Sub Folder

Back to School Name Art Lesson

One Day Sub Lesson Plans for Art

Since teachers like to do lessons using student names early in the school year, this lesson is perfect for back to school. 

The students create a name banner. They begin by lettering their name across the paper and turn those letters into bubble letters. After that they add details around the letters that look like comic people.

This would make nice bulletin board displays or portfolio covers.  

It works well for third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades.

Now, as great as a back to school lesson this is, it was written with subs in mind. That means that I put thorough directions in it so that anyone could teach it. There is no reason that you cannot teach it in your own art room! It was really written for all teachers!

You can find this lesson in my TpT shop here:  Name People.

Blog Posts About Other Name Lessons

If you are interested in another blog post about name lessons, check out this one:  Back to School - Name Designs. There are six other ideas for name art. Some link to outside blogs and some to other lessons in my TpT shop.

Here's to a successful new school year!

Free Art Worksheet for Back to School

 

Free Art Worksheet - Circles Games

This circle drawing worksheet is a fun activity that you could use in a black to school lesson. After you have spent so much time explaining who you are and what art class will be like this year, there may not be a lot of time left for a full blown lesson. Worksheets like this can be a great filler sort of activity for that day. It gives them the opportunity to be creative, but not take too much time.

This is also a worksheet that you could add to your sub binder!

Teachers, subs and parents may use this as an art game; a challenge; an early finishers activity; or an art lesson. Students create as many designs as they can think of using the circles provided. They may create imaginary objects; doodle designs; or as a way to list the things they can think of that are circular in shape.

More Art Worksheets

If you would like to see blog posts about other art worksheets, click below.

Early Finishers Worksheets

Circle Drawing Game - Art Worksheets and Printables

Create a Character Worksheet

Free Art Worksheets

Free Checklist for an Art Sub Folder

 Checklist for an Art Sub Folder

Yesterday I wrote a blog post about how to create an art sub folder. I decided today that I should create a free checklist to help with that. So, if you are looking for such a thing, go to my TpT shop, Art Sub Lessons,  and download one for free.  Happy planning!   Jan

If you would like to see the complete post about creating an art sub folder, click here: How to Create an Art Sub Folder.

22 Things to Include in an Art Sub Folder

Creating an Art Sub Folder 

Most schools where I have taught, required sub folders for emergency absences. While these were kept in the office, they included the same basic information as the non-emergency sub plans I kept.

A sub folder that is kept in the office is likely in a file folder. One for your classroom, that you want to utilize all year, is better served in a binder. If you are extra organized, a binder with dividers between sections would be appreciated by your sub.

What to Include in a Sub Folder

While you might add illustrations or more school info, here are the basic things you should include in your sub folder.

1.  Welcome letter for your sub

2.  Contact information for the office, school nurse, custodian, and buddy teachers

3.  Location of staff bathrooms and break room

4.  Classroom procedures (bathroom, nurse, attendance, lining up, supplies)

5.  Hall passes

6.  Emergency preparedness instructions for crises, drills, and lockdowns

7.  Classroom rules, rewards, and behavior management

8.  Attention cues

9.  School map

10. Duty assignments

11. Your teaching schedule

12. Seating charts or instructions

13. Student roster

14. List of helpful students in each class

15. Individual student learning needs 

16. Medical alerts

17. Classroom supplies map

18. Technology tips

19. Detailed sub lesson plans using simple supplies

20. Activities for worksheets for early finishers

21. Dismissal procedures

22. Request for notes on how the day went

Art Sub Lesson Plans

The most difficult part of putting together a sub folder was in creating lesson plans that would be fun for the kids; use simple supplies; and be clear enough for anyone to teach. As a way of collecting and sharing these art sub plans, I created this blog. 

After realizing that other art teachers also have to suffer through creating sub lessons, I opened a TeachersPayTeachers store focusing solely on that.

Lessons that Both Your Students and Subs Will Love

Here are the lessons in my TPT shop that teachers seem to love the best. (Click on the images to take a closer look and to purchase.)

They are fully scripted; use simple materials; and get high marks from teachers and kids.

Silly Sandwich

"Silly Sandwich" is a favorite art sub lesson for elementary and middle school. Art teachers report that they have left this for kindergarteners through six grade!  Here's what one had to say about it: "Excellent art piece to leave for subs or even for those days you want to do a silly type of art lesson. Students were engaged and had fun with it."

Captivating Castles

This lesson has been used in first through sixth grades. An art teacher recommended this saying, "Great resource to have for the art sub! I leave this in my sub tub and always receive positive feedback from the sub teacher when they use this resource!"

Name Designs

This one has been taught successfully in second grade through eighth grade. It is perfect as a back to school art lesson.Here is a comment left by an art teacher:  "The fact that each step was illustrated and had simple directions was perfect for my ELS students and learning challenged students in my Art classes. I liked it so much, I used it with several grade levels. HIghly recommend."

I also have lots of other art sub lessons and worksheets that you will love. Check it all out here at my shop, Art Sub Lessons.

Art Sub Plans on Patterned Landscapes

Patterned Landscapes as an Art Sub Lesson

Here's a simple lesson that was done in middle school, but could so easily be done in elementary art too.  

Mrs. Hare at Becker Middle School gave her students handouts with sample patterns. They filled their drawing paper with lines for foreground, middle ground, and background. Then they filled in the areas with pattern. 

The supplies used were simple: paper and Sharpie.

The students had previously studied landscape, so they were acquainted with the basic principles of drawing one. 

As a sub lesson, you could provide the teacher with the preprinted pattern sheets; a sheet showing the steps to draw the picture; and a finished sample drawing. 

If the students are relatively independent, they could follow the instructions on their own. Most any sub could also demonstrate how to draw the lines across the paper and label them as foreground, middle ground, and background. Then, the sub could show the finished sample and get the students started.

Another Blog Post About Patterned Landscapes

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post about a similar lesson. This one includes a few visuals that you are welcome to use.  Check it out here:  Art Sub Lesson - Landscape with Pattern

Fully Formed Art Sub Lessons

If you would like to see art sub plans that are easy to use; fully scripted; and that your kids and subs will love, check out my TPT Shop: Art Sub Lessons.

Silly Sandwich Art Lesson Plan

 Art Sub Plan for Elementary

Writing lesson plans for a sub when you are sick or stressed, is just the worst!!!! I'd venture to say that it is one of the most frustrating parts of teaching art. You want  your students to be engaged while you are absent but you know that unless a substitute teacher is an artist, they may be uncomfortable teaching an art lesson. This lesson, Silly Sandwich, alleviates that problem.

This art lesson is beloved. My students and subs loved it so much, I offered it up in my TeachersPayTeachers shop. It is fully scripted, uses simple materials, and is full of visuals. Just email the file to the school office and you are done.

Reviews of the "Silly Sandwich" Art Sub Plan

Here are some comments from teachers who have used this lesson: 

"The students really enjoyed this activity. I used it as a 'get to know you' activity and had them put all of their favorite things inside of the sandwich."

"Excellent art piece to leave for subs or even for those days you want to do a silly type of art lesson. Students were engaged and had fun with it." 

"I used this for a day I had a sick child at home and had to come up with a last-minute sub art lesson. This was a lifesaver! Thank you!"

"Great activity that kept students engaged for guest teacher! Very detailed instructions, minimal prep/materials/clean-up."

"This was perfect for a sub, really made my life and the subs life so much easier and the kids all had such creative ideas."

Where to Buy This

As of this writing, this complete lesson costs only $4. All you need to do is hand this to a sub and your planning is done. You can buy this lesson in my TPT Shop, Art Sub Lessons.