Monster in My Closet Drawing

Students will create imaginary monsters in this fun drawing lesson.

By Geoff Snyder [Geoff is an art teacher and artist from Harry Hoag Elementary in Fort Plain, NY.]

Objectives:

• Give students the opportunity to create using their imaginations and creativity.
• Students must visually express an emotion or feeling through drawing and color.

What You Need:

• Sheets of 12×18 inch white and black construction paper.
• Pencils
• Construction paper
• Crayons, markers, etc.

What You Do:

1. I usually start the lesson by telling a scary story. I shut off all the lights and have the students close their eyes. I tell a fictional story of a night when I was little:As I went to sleep I heard strange noises coming from my closet. In fright I threw the covers over my head and as I did I heard the closet door open. Whatever was in my closet was now in my room and I could hear its footsteps getting closer to my bed. The “thing” then touched my covers and…
2. I then end the story by turning on the lights and I have my students open their eyes.
3. On the sheet of black paper I have the students create, using pencil, the monster they thought about as I told the story.
4. They are to pretend that the black sheet is the opened closet with the monster inside.
5. Students are to make sure the monster is as tall as the sheet of paper and as wide.
6. As a class we make a list of things that we might think would give us clues to whether their monster was scary, silly, sad, or happy.
7. I also create a monster in the front of the room as an example using ideas from the list. Students then use the generated list to begin creating their own drawings.
8. Once the drawings are completed students are to color them in with construction paper crayons and outline with white.
9. After the monsters are finished the students are to create a door for their closet using white paper. Students are to decorate the white paper to look like a door.
10. They can draw posters, pictures, and recessed panels to make the door look more realistic.
11. Students outline their drawings then color them in using crayon or marker.
12. Finally the teacher places the door on the monster, staples one end for a hinge and glues a pom-pom on the door for a door knob.
13. Students can then tell their own stories, open the door and be “scared”.

Recommended Resource:

MONSTROLOGY
www.monstrology.com
Blog from Johan Olander, the author of A Field Guide to Monsters… Googly-eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe-Eaters, and Other Creatures. Here kids can send in their drawings of monsters!