Free Lesson Plan: 4 Simple Halloween Projects

Title/Description: Halloween Silhouette

Level: Elementary school

Duration: One 45-minute class period

Historical Overview: Halloween symbols – pumpkins, ghosts, blackbirds, monsters

Goals and Objectives: Students will be able to demonstrate how to draw, cut, and glue

Vocabulary: Overlapping, silhouette, contrast

Materials: Scissors, chalk/pastel, glue, construction paper (black, orange, white, purple), markers

Procedures:

Day 1

  1. On black construction paper, draw blackbird silhouettes with chalk and cut out.
  2. On orange construction paper, draw pumpkins with markers and cut out.
  3. On white paper, draw ghost silhouettes with a black marker and cut out.
  4. On purple construction paper, glue silhouettes and make a Halloween scene.

Title/Description: Q-tip Skeleton

Level: Elementary school

Duration: One 45-minute class period

Historical Overview: Skeletons and anatomy

Goals and Objectives: To assemble a skeleton with proper anatomy

Vocabulary: Overlapping, 3-D

Materials: Black construction paper, white computer paper, Q-tips, googly eyes, glue

Procedures:

Day 1

  1. Anticipatory Set: Discuss skeletons, bones, and joints. Show an example of the project and explain how the points where Q-tips meet are joints.
  2. Cut skulls out of white paper and glue onto black paper.
  3. Use Q-tips to create the skeleton, including the spine, ribs, arms, legs, hands, and feet.
  4. Glue googly eyes on the skull.

Title/Description: 3-D Paper Monsters

Level: Elementary school

Duration: One 45-minute class period

Historical Overview: Halloween monsters

Goals and Objectives: To encourage students to use their imagination and create their own monsters

Vocabulary: Overlapping, expression, origami

Materials: Square paper, scissors, glue, googly eyes, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, markers/colored pencils/crayons

Procedures:

Day 1

  1. Create an origami cup using these instructions. Fold the back flap inside the cup to have a smooth front for the monster’s face and turn upside-down.
  2. Decorate to look like a monster using googly eyes, paper cut into the shape of teeth or spikes, and pom-poms.
  3. Poke holes for pipe cleaners close to the edges of the monster and pull one pipe cleaner through for two arms.
  4. Color for extra details.

Title/Description: Peek-a-Boo Cat Card

Level: Elementary school

Duration: One 45-minute class period

Historical Overview: Black cat myths and Halloween messages

Vocabulary: Overlapping, silhouette

Materials: Orange, black, and yellow construction paper, scissors, glue, black sharpie, white crayon

Procedures:

Day 1

  1. Fold the orange paper in half to make cards.
  2. Draw a basic outline of a cat on black paper and cut out.
  3. Cut eyes from yellow paper and use black sharpie or marker to draw pupils.
  4. Draw mouth and whiskers with white crayon on cats.
  5. Place cats on edges of orange paper at an angle and glue.
  6. Trim the cats to be even with the edges of the card.
  7. Use the interior of cards to write Halloween messages.