12 Emergency Sub Plans That Need Zero Prep (K-12)

These are 12 emergency sub plans a substitute can run from one sheet, three for each grade band, with exactly what each one needs. Print the free template, add three of these, and your emergency folder is done.

The 12 activities at a glance

Every activity reviews skills the class already has. None needs a device unless it says so.

Emergency sub plans for K-2

Read-aloud and retell

Needs: one picture book the class knows. No copies.

1. Gather the class on the carpet and read the book aloud.

2. Ask: who was in the story, what was the problem, and how was it solved?

3. Partners retell the story to each other with first, next, then and last.

4. Students draw their favorite part on blank paper and write one sentence about it.

Roll and color

Needs: a die for each pair and blank paper.

1. Students fold their paper into 6 boxes and number them 1 to 6.

2. Partners take turns to roll the die and draw a tally mark in the box with that number.

3. The first box to reach five tally marks wins the round.

4. For a harder round, roll two dice, add them, and number the boxes 2 to 12.

Write the room

Needs: paper and clipboards, or a hard surface.

1. Students walk the room and find 10 words on labels, charts and books.

2. They copy each word carefully onto their paper.

3. Back at their seats, they sort the words by first letter or by number of letters.

4. Each student reads three of their words to a partner.

Emergency sub plans for grades 3-5

Read-aloud with five responses

Needs: one chapter book or picture book, and paper.

1. Read a chapter or a whole picture book aloud.

2. Write five headings on the board: character, setting, problem and solution, summary, rating.

3. Students write two or three sentences under each heading.

4. For the summary, the limit is three sentences.

5. Finish with three students sharing their rating and why.

Number of the day

Needs: paper only. Write a number between 100 and 9,999 on the board.

1. Students write the number in words and in expanded form.

2. They add 10, add 100, subtract 10 and subtract 100.

3. They round it to the nearest 10 and the nearest 100.

4. They write it as a word problem for a partner to solve.

5. Repeat with a new number if there is time.

Would you rather writing

Needs: paper only.

1. Write a question on the board, such as: would you rather live in the ocean or in space?

2. Students choose a side and write three reasons.

3. They turn the reasons into a paragraph with an opening and a closing sentence.

4. Partners read each other's paragraphs and find the strongest reason.

Emergency sub plans for grades 6-8

Silent debate

Needs: paper only. Write a statement on the board, such as: homework should be banned.

1. Each student writes their opinion and one reason at the top of a sheet.

2. On a signal, they pass the sheet and reply in writing to the person before them.

3. Pass and reply three more times. No talking until the end.

4. Finish with a five-minute spoken discussion of the best points.

3-2-1 on any text

Needs: the textbook pages the class is on, or any article.

1. Students read the pages on their own.

2. They write 3 important points, 2 quotations worth keeping and 1 question.

3. In pairs, they compare their 3 points and agree on the most important one.

4. Collect the sheets for the teacher.

Vocabulary four-square

Needs: paper only. Write 6 words from the current unit on the board.

1. Students fold a sheet into four boxes for each word.

2. In the boxes they write a definition, a sentence, a picture and a non-example.

3. Partners quiz each other on the six words.

Emergency sub plans for grades 9-12

Student-made study guide

Needs: textbooks or class notes for the current unit.

1. Split the class into groups and give each group one section of the unit.

2. Each group makes one page of key terms, three questions and the answers.

3. Groups swap pages and check each other's answers.

4. The sub collects the pages, and the teacher combines them into one study guide.

Prove it

Needs: a list of five statements about the unit, left in the folder.

1. Students choose one statement from the list.

2. They find three pieces of evidence for it in their notes or textbook.

3. They write a paragraph that proves the statement with that evidence.

4. Early finishers try to disprove a second statement.

Video with a viewing guide

Needs: a screen and a video you have watched yourself.

1. Write three questions on the board: one to think about before, one during and one after the video.

2. Students answer the first question, then watch.

3. They answer the other two questions in full sentences.

4. Finish with a short pair discussion of the last question.

What goes in your emergency sub folder

Keep it at the front of your sub binder, and tell the teacher next door and the office where it is. Put in the one-page template above, a roster and seating chart, three activities from this list with any copies already made, an early finisher task, and your drill procedures. Check it every semester. For planned absences, use our full sub plan template and example.

Make a ready-to-teach review lesson in Chalkie

If you have ten minutes the night before, Chalkie makes a full review lesson with slides, questions and a matching worksheet on the topic your class is on. The sub teaches from the slides, and every student has a page to complete.

A 3rd grade shapes lesson made in Chalkie.

Frequently asked questions