Sub Plans for Chicago Elementary Classrooms, Grades 1–5, Ready to Print
Sub Plans for Chicago Elementary Classrooms, Grades 1–5, Ready to Print
When a Chicago elementary class has no regular teacher for a day or a month, the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle gives the substitute something solid to teach: 50 no-prep lessons, daily ELA task cards and morning work, math warm-ups and a soccer escape room. It covers Grades 1–5, costs $69.99, and you can print it today and leave it in the sub folder.
Build my sub folderFor Chicago Public Schools teachers and substitutes covering Grades 1–5, the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle costs $69.99 and includes 50 No-Prep Substitute Lessons for Elementary Classrooms, Daily ELA Practice task cards and morning work, Grade 3 and Grade 4 math warm-ups, Math Warm-Up Activities for Grades 1–4 and a soccer escape room. It keeps a class working when plans are thin. It is not Skyline material and not written for Illinois.
The resources
Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle, Grades 1–5
6 resources in one download: $69.99 instead of $112.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle | 50 No-Prep Lessons, Daily ELA, Math Warm-Ups & Escape Room | Grades 1–5
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle | 7 Practice Packs + Warm-Up Bundle | Grades 1–4
The real problem
Why Chicago classrooms need a sub folder this year
The 2026–27 year at Chicago Public Schools started on August 24, 2026 and runs to June 11, 2027. As classes began, the district under superintendent and CEO Macquline King was rehiring staff laid off over the summer to fill school vacancies. Until a position is filled, a room may be covered by a substitute or a long-term sub. Even in a fully staffed school, the calendar creates its own pressure points: the full Thanksgiving week off, a two-week winter recess and a spring break week in late March mean several short weeks around holidays that are hard to plan for anyone covering a room. Skyline, the district's PreK-12 curriculum built with CPS teachers, is available to all district-managed schools, and a regular teacher will usually leave Skyline lessons for planned absences. The hard case is the unplanned one: a sick day called in at 6 a.m., a vacancy nobody expected, or a sub covering a grade they have never taught. Then the person at the front of the room needs lessons that make sense without a briefing, a key to check answers and something to fall back on if the plan runs short at 2 p.m. Statewide, Illinois has run a Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program since 2023–24.
Why it fits
What the substitute finds in the folder
Every part is built so that someone who has never met the class can use it on the first morning.
- 50 No-Prep Substitute Lessons give a fresh lesson for each day of a long Chicago vacancy stretch.
- Daily ELA task cards and morning work fill the first fifteen minutes while attendance is taken.
- Grade 3 and Grade 4 math warm-up worksheets start math time without the sub explaining anything new.
- Math Warm-Up Activities for Grades 1–4 cover the younger rooms where worksheets alone do not hold attention.
- The soccer escape room works as a reward or a Friday plan during short holiday weeks.
- Everything prints, so the folder works even when the sub has no login to classroom systems.
Getting started
Setting up a sub binder in five steps
Spend an hour on this once; it pays back every time someone else teaches your room.
- Choose five to ten lessonsPick the substitute lessons that fit your grade and print them with their keys. Label each one with a day number so a sub can grab the next one without guessing.
- Add a morning routine pagePut a stack of ELA task cards and the right math warm-ups at the front. Write how long morning work usually takes in your room.
- Mark the holiday weeksFlag the weeks before Thanksgiving, winter recess and late-March spring break. Keep the escape room for those days, when absences and restless classes are most likely.
- Leave class notes, not just lessonsAdd your seating chart, dismissal routine and the names of students who need extra support. The lessons carry the content; your notes carry the class and its habits.
- Refill after each absenceWhen you return, check which pages were used, read the sub's notes and print replacements right away. A half-empty binder fails exactly when you need it.
What to buy
Which purchase covers your situation
For a sub folder covering Grades 1–5, buy the Elementary Sub Plans & Emergency Lessons Bundle at $69.99; its six parts cost $112.94 on their own. A long-term sub who needs daily literacy material for months can add the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99, parts $95.76) with grammar, writing, phonics and reading for every grade. For social studies in Grades 1–4, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99, parts $499.80) has all 20 history units with lesson plans and answer keys. If math is the gap, the Elementary Math Practice & Warm-Up Bundle ($34.99, parts $50.92) adds seven practice packs.
Honest limits
What this bundle is not
It is not written for Chicago or Illinois, has no Illinois Learning Standards codes and is not part of Skyline or any CPS program, so check it against your school's plans and standards yourself. Sub lessons keep learning going; they do not replace your planned units. You print the pages and stock basic supplies. A school that wants every room or every sub to use one copy should message Teach Lessons first, and Teach Lessons does not issue purchase orders or quotes. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards or to Skyline?
No. The bundle is not aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards, is not endorsed by Chicago Public Schools and has no connection to the Skyline curriculum. It provides general elementary practice and stand-alone sub lessons. Compare the content with your grade's standards and your school's plans before relying on it for anything beyond emergency coverage.
Can a substitute teach these lessons without any preparation?
That is what they are designed for. The 50 substitute lessons are described as no-prep, and the bundle includes answer keys where the parts have them. A sub still needs your class notes on routines and students, which no product can supply. Leave both side by side in the folder.
Our school has an open position. Can the long-term sub use this all year?
It can carry a lot of days, but it is a set of sub lessons and practice material, not a full year's curriculum for any grade. Pair it with the school's regular curriculum, including Skyline where your school uses it, and use the bundle for the gaps.
Can our whole grade team or school share one copy?
The license covers your own teaching. For a grade team, a building sub folder or several classrooms, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying so the use can be cleared. Posting the files on a shared site or passing them on is not allowed.
Do students need devices for the escape room?
The soccer escape room is printable. Students work on paper, so it runs without devices and without the sub needing a login. You print the materials ahead of time and leave them in the folder with any instructions. It also works as a reward on the last day before a break.
What if the lessons do not fit my grade?
The bundle spans Grades 1–5, and the math warm-ups target specific grades, so check the parts list against your class first. If it still is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. It is store credit, not a cash refund.
A full sub folder before the next short week
Open the product page, check the six parts against your grade, and print a first set of lessons today.
Build my sub folder