Halloween Art Lessons Halloween Art Projects Fall Art Unit Autumn Activities

This Halloween Art Unit gives you a month of fully planned, no-prep October art lessons for elementary and middle school. It starts with a video introduction, then moves through three step-by-step guided art projects, seven open-ended, choice-based art lessons and a creative end-of-unit project.

Students make ghosts, black cats and jack-o'-lanterns while exploring mixed media, watercolor resist and imaginative drawing prompts, and they practice key art concepts like line, pattern, contrast and mood. There are also 30 Halloween Daily Art Challenges for warm-ups and early finishers. Everything is black-line printable.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE)

• Unit Plan with scope and sequence
• 2 Introductory Lessons plus a video to introduce the unit
• 3 Full Art Tutorials with lesson plans, visual guides, rubrics and assessments: Cute Ghost Art (tempera paint and wax crayons, line and pattern), Black Cat Halloween Art (watercolor and wax crayon mixed media) and Jack O' Lantern Art Project (oil pastels and tempera paint, bold contrast)
• 7 Choice-Based Art Lessons for student-led exploration
• 30 Halloween Drawing Challenges
• End-of-Unit Choice-Based Project where students apply two Elements of Art to design a personal Halloween artwork

HOW TO USE IT

Review the unit plan for the teaching sequence, then start with the introductory lessons and video. Print a master copy and organize it in a binder (the binder cover works as a cover or section title page), photocopy student pages as needed, and pick a lesson to teach. Each lesson plan walks you through the hook, participation strategies, teaching steps and conclusion.

Use the daily challenges as warm-ups or early finisher tasks, and wrap up with the final choice-based project. The unit fits October classroom art, Halloween party week, fall homeschool art and sub plans.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS THIS UNIT COVERS

Grade 2: VA:Cr1.1.2a Brainstorm collaboratively multiple approaches to an art or design problem. VA:Cr1.2.2a Make art or design with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity. VA:Cr2.1.2a Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of art or design. VA:Cr2.2.2a Demonstrate safe procedures for using and cleaning art tools, equipment, and studio spaces. VA:Cr3.1.2a Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in creating artwork.

Grade 3: VA:Cr1.1.3a Elaborate on an imaginative idea. VA:Cr1.2.3a Apply knowledge of available resources, tools, and technologies to investigate personal ideas through the art-making process. VA:Cr2.1.3a Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials. VA:Cr2.2.3a Demonstrate an understanding of the safe and proficient use of materials, tools, and equipment for a variety of artistic processes.

Grade 4: VA:Cr1.1.4a Brainstorm multiple approaches to a creative art or design problem. VA:Cr2.1.4a Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

Grade 5: VA:Cr1.1.5a Combine ideas to generate an innovative idea for art-making. VA:Cr1.2.5a Identify and demonstrate diverse methods of artistic investigation to choose an approach for beginning a work of art. VA:Cr2.1.5a Experiment and develop skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice. VA:Cr2.2.5a Demonstrate quality craftsmanship through care for and use of materials, tools, and equipment. VA:Cr2.3.5a Identify, describe, and visually document places and/or objects of personal significance. VA:Cr3.1.5a Create artist statements using art vocabulary to describe personal choices in artmaking.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Elementary teachers (Grades 2 to 6), homeschool families, art teachers and substitute teachers looking for no-prep October art activities.

How long will the unit take?

Expect 2 to 3 weeks of art time depending on your schedule. Each full tutorial generally takes 2 to 3 class sessions, depending on the age and skill of your students, your pacing and class behavior.

Can I show the video to my class?

Yes, in your own classroom as often as you like. Please don't post it anywhere public.

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 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 of Ms Artastic.

YOU MAY: use this resource year after year with the students in your classroom or homeschool, use it in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like, and buy additional licenses to share it with other teachers.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool or for your own commercial business, upload or share the video on any public website or blog (such as YouTube, Vimeo or a public classroom website), post the resource on a blog or any public website, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic