LESSON DESIGN

5 min FAMILIAR SONG Use the opening spot to settle children down into music
and to review previously learned songs. This develops a repertoire of songs and
helps to develop pitch. If you do not use a CD, use the key of E flat, as this is a
childs best range. You can use the piano to play the melody while children sing,
so they can match the pitch.
10-15 CONCEPT/SKILL DEVELOPMENT This is the heart of your lesson.
min Teach a concept or skill here. Concepts are taught through song material, or
through instrumental music. Find music that easily supports the concept you want
to address. Find ways to engage the child in the activity. Dont lecture to the
class about what the concept means, show them through the song material. When
writing your procedure, you could use a mini 5Es format.
5 min MOVEMENT ACTIVITY At this point the children need to change location
by getting up out of their seats. A game to go with a previously learned song, a
steady beat activity, a listening game, or sometimes simply getting up and moving
to a new location in the room for a story works well here.
10 min CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT - ANOTHER ACTIVITY Switch gears
This activity could strengthen the concept they just learned, or it could provide
practice or review of a previously learned concept. This activity should be of a
different nature than the last activity. It cannot require as intense listening as your
first activity, because attention spans are waning. For example, if you just worked
on melody, work on rhythm. You could do something with instruments, a game
to go with a song, a new song, a listening selection, a book, etc.
5 min FAMILIAR SONG OR GAME Often a song just for fun works well here.
Holiday or seasonal songs are excellent choices for the end of a lesson, especially
for K-4. Songs from K-8 magazine are excellent choices, as well as songs from
CDs Greg and Steve, Raffi, Charlotte Diamond, Joe Scruggs, Activate or
Music Express Magazine.
5 min CONCLUDE THE LESSON Quick review of the material, assessment, etc.
The children should leave music class on a positive note anxious to do more
next time.

Strive to include work on rhythm and pitch in each lesson, or in subsequent

lessons.

TIPS FOR LESSON DESIGN

Build on each lesson. Start with the music curriculum. Pick a concept and look
in several different books to find activities which teach the concept. Teach the
concept through a song or through instrumental music. Find song material that
displays the concept easily. Isolate the concept. Start from the most basic part
and begin to build from there. Dont try to include too much in the initial lesson.
Less is more. Make sure you are only covering what is in the curriculum.
Take time to find your materials. Most music rooms are filled with material
written by curriculum experts, but you have to find it.
Address the 3 styles of learning in every lesson visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
Make sure that all 3 ways are used in presenting the lesson. They dont all have
to be present in a single lesson, but should be when you go back to review the
concept. Think of presenting the concept in a new way.
Make hands on materials, posters, visuals, smartboard visuals to go with song
material. This helps the visual and kinesthetic learner make better sense of what
is being heard. Make sure you have enough materials for all students so all can be
engaged.
Keep all your plans from year to year so you dont have to reinvent the wheel next
year. Soon you will have a wealth of plans and you wont have to work so hard
developing basic lessons. That way there always will be time to improve your
lessons, or search for new activities.
Avoid making long lists on the board or using word sheets for kindergarten and
first grade. Most children at these levels arent comfortable enough with their
reading skills for these to be effective. They cant see the words fast enough to
sing with the sheet. Ultimately, they will learn the song by rote anyway.
Get down to their level. If you are explaining something and you see blank faces,
you are on much too high a level.
Monitor and adjust if children start to fidget or become inattentive, you need to
change gears. If they do not understand, you need to find a different way to get
through to them.
Always be aware of your pacing. If you dont keep moving along and the lesson
pace becomes too slow, children will become bored and invent their own ways to
occupy themselves. This is when discipline problems can occur. If this happens,
it really isnt the fault of the children, it is the fault of the teachers slow pacing.
On the other hand, if your pacing is too fast, there wont be adequate time for
learning.
It is better to have too much material planned for your lesson than not enough.
You can always leave something out and do it next time. But if you run out of
materials, discipline problems will be the result.
The more work you put into your planning, the better teacher you will become.

Cathy Seipel Elementary Music Specialist

DAILY LESSON PLAN

GRADE
Objectives:
MATERIALS

FAMILIAR SONG

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Procedure:

MUSIC STANDARDS
Singing, alone & w/others
varied repertoire of music
Performing on instruments,
alone & w/others
varied repertoire of music
Improvising melodies,
variations, & accompaniments
Composing & arranging music
within specific guidelines
Reading & notating music
Listening, analyzing,
& describing music
Evaluating music &
performances
Understanding relationship
between music, other arts &
disciplines outside of arts
Understanding music in relation
to history & culture

WI TEACHING STANDARDS
Teachers know subjects theyre
teaching.
Teachers know how children grow.
Teachers understand that children
learn differently.
Teachers know how to teach.

MOVEMENT ACTIVITY
Procedure:

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Procedure:

FAMILIAR SONG OR GAME

CONCLUDE THE LESSON/ASSESS

Procedure:

Teachers know how to manage

a classroom.
Teachers communicate well.
Teachers are able to plan different
kinds of lessons.
Teachers know how to test for
student progress.
Teachers are able to evaluate
themselves.
Teachers are connected with
other teachers and the
community.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Verbal-Linguistic
Mathematical-Logical
Musical
Visual-Spatial
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalist
Existential