Halloween Art Lesson Ghost Art Project Halloween Reading and Writing Prompts

In this Halloween Ghost and Pumpkin Art Lesson, students create a friendly ghost holding a pumpkin using oil pastels and colored construction paper. It is a low-prep lesson for early elementary classrooms and homeschool art time that blends art, literacy and reflection.

Students explore drawing and design, read about the history of Halloween and ghosts, and complete integrated reading and writing activities, including a short story about a friendly ghost named Whisp. Detailed step-by-step visuals and text, rubrics, reflections and display materials help you guide the lesson with confidence.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF AND POWERPOINT VERSIONS)

• Two-Page Lesson Plan with objectives, materials, participation strategies, teaching steps and reflection notes
• Lesson Hook, a warm-up creativity challenge with a short themed sketch
• About Halloween and Ghosts Reading Passage, kid-friendly nonfiction
• Reading Comprehension Story, "The Ghost and the Pumpkin"
• Reading Comprehension Question Pages with answer key
• Sight Word Tracking List and Word Bank of Tricky Words
• Opinion Writing Activity: should ghosts in stories be spooky or friendly?
• Creative Writing Activity: "Write about a pumpkin that comes to life on Halloween night."
• KWL Chart
• Compare and Contrast Chart with answer key (Halloween in the past and today)
• Critical Thinking Discussion Questions
• How-to-Draw Page for the ghost and pumpkin
• Step-by-Step Visual and Text Tutorial (17 steps) to project or print
• Example Artwork
• Art Reflections and Artist Statements: 3 Stars and a Wish, Feelings About My Art, The Message, and Top 3 Things I Like About My Art
• Design-It Extension Page: design a house for a friendly ghost
• Symmetry Practice Page, Shape and Form Exploration Page and Explore Line Worksheet
• Rubric for creativity, craftsmanship and effort
• Display Sign for bulletin boards and art shows
• National Art and Common Core Standards page

This resource uses American English and is non-editable.

HOW TO USE IT

Start with the lesson hook, then read about Halloween and ghosts and talk about traditions and celebrations. Project or print the step-by-step tutorial as students create their artwork, and use the comprehension pages, writing prompts and reflections to differentiate and extend the learning.

It suits Halloween and fall lessons, cross-curricular art and literacy, homeschool and art on a cart. The symmetry page brings in a math connection.

STANDARDS

Common Core: RL.1.1, RL.2.1, RL.2.3, W.K.1, W.K.2, W.K.3, W.1.1, W.1.2, W.1.3, W.4.1.

National Visual Arts: VA:Cr1.1.3a, VA:Cr1.2.3a, VA:Cr2.1.3a, VA:Cr2.1.4a, VA:Cr2.2.4a, VA:Cr1.1.5a, VA:Cr1.2.5a, VA:Cr2.1.5a, VA:Cr2.2.5a, VA:Cr1.2.6a, VA:Cr2.1.6a, VA:Cr1.1.7a, VA:Cr2.1.7a, VA:Cr1.2.2a, VA:Cr2.1.2a.

FAQ

What grade levels is this best for?

The lesson is designed for grade 1 through grade 4, and the directions are simple and scaffolded enough for Kindergarten to grade 3 learners.

How long does it take?

Most teachers find it takes 2 to 3 art sessions, depending on age, class behavior and whether the literacy extensions are completed.

What materials do I need?

Oil pastels, white card stock or thick paper, and colored construction paper for the background. Glue, scissors and paint are optional if you want to extend the activity.

Can this be used for homeschool or art on a cart?

Yes. It is fully self-contained, with visuals, reflections and literacy pages.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and OCO (One Classroom Over) Magazine, and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this in your classroom, homeschool or as part of a student portfolio, display student work publicly or privately, and use any clip art for personal creations, binder covers and décor.

YOU MAY NOT: share the file with other educators or post it online, use it on OutSchool or your blog, resell it, photocopy it for others, or use it without appropriate licensing.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic