Page 6 - Elementary Music Curriculum Bundle Intro

How to Use These Lesson Plans
Standards, Student Performance Indicators, Essential Questions
There is a grade-level Standards Page included for each unit. Print these out and insert into your lesson plans notebook. The Essential Questions are included as small posters. Print out on card stock and display these questions on the Word Wall for each grade and use as discussion starters when students are lining up to leave the room or at other appropriate times during class. The EQ cards are color-coded to match the colors of the vocabulary cards’ color code.
Preparation Suggestions
In my years as an instrutional coach for music teachers, I've seen everything from no written lesson plans to note cards to spiral notebooks. "No written plans, it's in my head" doesn't fly. Sorry! Never go in front of your students without a written plan. Plus, most principals/admin require you to have one.
• MUSIC—The songs and music selections in this bundle are directly from the MacMillan and Silver Burdett curriculum. I have provided an extensive INDEX that provides the sources with links and substitutions if you do not have access to these and other materials that I reference throughout the lesson plans.
• Read through the list of songs and activities. If you do not have access to an adopted series such as Silver Burdett’s, Making Music, or MacMillan’s, Share the Music, start collecting your own set of materials. Some districts are required to have special permission to use YouTube during the day so check that out before you prepare your lessons and think you can easily pull up YouTube. Surprises like that are no fun in the middle of class!!
• Develop your library. Start a collection on your iPod, iPhone, or eReader of all the songs, PDF files.
• Create Unit Playlist for each grade level on your iPod or device that is easily accessible during class.
Even if you are "on a cart," you can easily use your phone and a Bluetooth speaker to bring music into the
classroom.
• Prepare one unit at a time. There is a massive amount of material that needs to be printed and cut. You
will only have to do this once for each unit. Each year after this, you will be set!
• 3-Ring Binder—Use a binder with dividers for each grade level. You can quickly go to the next grade when changing classes. Following this section is an example of how to assemble your binder. You may prefer more than one binder. But if you are on a cart, traveling from room to room, I recommend—Keep it simple.
© Copyright 2015 by Janis Aston. Revised 2020. All rights reserved.