Originally published December 9, 2024 Latest update May 14, 2026
Adding Orff instruments to the African-American singing game Pizza Pizza Daddy-O gives you a perfect arrangement for concerts as well as extended lessons to explore and practice mi, so, la, and syncopation in the classroom.
Integrating culturally responsive elements into these lessons is seamless, as students can incorporate dances that hold personal meaning to them into the song lyrics.
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Pizza Pizza Daddy-O is such a classic, fun game and kids love to play it year after year. This resource extends learning with an easy Orff arrangement that can become a concert showpiece!
Classroom lighting doesn’t have to be like a scene in a horror movie: “The fluorescent lights flickered, casting pale light against the beige concrete walls while the yellowed shades all hung awkwardly at different lengths against the windows that wouldn’t open.”
YES! You know we’ve all been in that room in a school!
If you’re looking for classroom lighting ideas to create a peaceful MOOD and groovy VIBE, keep reading!
IMPORTANT: Rules change from district to district, so it is imperative that you check with your administration about fire safety and the use of “extra” lighting. All of the images from my classroom show lighting that was approved by my district.
Table of Contents
Classroom Lighting Benefits
Numerous studies have demonstrated a clear connection between lighting quality and student performance. Well-designed lighting in educational settings can enhance student focus, comprehension, and overall achievement.
Proper lighting not only reduces visual discomfort but also creates an environment conducive to active participation and cognitive engagement.
And sometimes, lighting can be SO FUN!
It can set a mood from calm to celebratory that takes a lesson to the next level.
Let’s look at how we can do damage control to the bad and ramp up the good!
Fluorescent Light Covers for Damage Control
Fluorescent lighting is a common feature in many classrooms, but it often comes with drawbacks that can hinder student focus and comfort. Light covers provide a creative and effective solution to transform the harsh glare and flicker of standard fluorescent lights into a more inviting and visually appealing environment.
Let’s explore safety features, designs, and placement of these fluorescent light covers.
Safety & Permission
Not all schools allow these covers so you need to make sure you get permission from your administration and/or custodian. Also called light diffusers or panels, these covers are specially designed overlays that fit over standard fluorescent light fixtures.
They attach to the light frame with strong magnets sewn into the edges. These covers are usually made from various flame-retardent materials and come in a range of patterns and designs.
I had the basic blue covers and placed them over the center back light and all across the middle. You can also see a desk lamp (on a broken conga drum) in the back corner and the natural light coming from the windows.
Designs and Placement
The covers come in such fun designs and colors. I was going for calm and cool so I got the blue for my classroom and put them on banks of lights toward the back/middle of the room. I had the ability to turn on/off all of my ceiling lights in several configurations. Some classrooms don’t and it’s either all on or all off for them.
TIP: If you have just all on/all off light switches, ask your principal if the district can send an electrician and give you more options for your ceiling lights. You never know if you don’t ask!
I almost always turned off the bank of lights at the front of the room (where my screen was located) and depending on the class, time, and activity had one or two banks on. I had floor and table lamps so sometimes I had no ceiling lights on at all.
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Floor and Table Lamps
Effective learning is fostered in an environment where students feel comfortable and engaged. Floor and table lamps play a pivotal role in setting the mood by creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
This was my favorite way of changing the atmosphere in my room! I had 5 or more table lamps and one floor lamp spread all throughout my room. In all my years of teaching, I rarely had good natural light. My classrooms were often in basements or facing north.
Lamp on broken conga drum “stand” for ambient lighting in a dark corner of the music room.
Table lamps to the left and right of the door provide warm light while ceiling lights are not on at all.
What are the benefits of ambient lighting in the classroom?
Use more subdued lighting when
classes are coming from PE, recess, lunch, and other active times.
you’ve had high energy parts to your lesson and are ready for students to listen and focus.
you’ve had a classroom event or conflict and need to restore calm to the class.
you are setting the mood for something new or mysterious.
The gentle glow they emit can transform an ordinary classroom into a space that encourages collaboration, creativity, and focused learning. The soft, diffused lighting from these lamps can help reduce eye strain and contribute to a sense of well-being among students. It just feels like home with lots of ambient lighting.
I found my lights at Target during their back-to-college sales or at Goodwill.
SAFETY TIP: If you have a cloth shade, many times you will be required to spray it with a flame-retardent material and in some districts are not allowed to have cloth shades at all!
Shelf Floor Lamp
I did not have this shelf lamp in my room but saw it requested in a DonorsChoose project and fell in love with it! A soft glow lamp and SHELVES! If I’d known about these, I’d have had one (or two) in my room!
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Using String Lights in the Classroom
String lights, known for their enchanting glow and versatile design, have found their way beyond holiday decorations and into educational spaces. These whimsical lighting solutions offer a creative and engaging way to enhance the classroom environment, fostering a sense of comfort, creativity, and inspiration.
Create focus for the bulletin board with the neon lights and a fun presentation mood with white lights around the presentation screen.
Supernight LED RGB strips change colors and have a remote control.
Infusing Magic into Learning Spaces
String lights have a unique ability to infuse spaces with a touch of magic and wonder. By draping them along walls, bulletin boards, or bookshelves, you can instantly create a captivating atmosphere that captures students’ attention and imagination.
Perfect for creating zones of focus and learning, the soft, twinkling lights create a cozy ambiance that encourages relaxation and exploration, making the learning environment feel less formal and more inviting.
Safety and Practicality
I had white string lights around a back bulletin board and rarely turned them on. Speaking honestly here, I was afraid that I’d forget to turn them off. I never had the same fear with my lamps for some reason.
Once again, you would need to know your school rules for using this type of lighting.
Black Lights for that Fun Vibe
A very popular choice these days is to pair black lights with songs and activities for a fun effect at concerts. These UV lights also are being used more and more in the classroom to set a mood and to use directly in lessons.
Black Lights for Concerts
There’s an entire blog post dedicated to black lights in concerts with buying ideas and specific songs and activities to use. Check it out!
Inspiring Creative Projects in the Classroom
One of the standout features of black lights is their ability to reveal hidden patterns and colors. In the classroom, this characteristic can be harnessed for creative projects that captivate students’ interest. Students love “Glow Days.”
Have students use fluorescent markers or glow sticks to write rhythms then turn the lights out to reveal the neon creations!
Use fluorescent paint and a stencil to spray paint your school mascot on bucket drums and have a bucket drumming Glow Day!
Use glow tape on rhythm sticks for a Glow Stick Play Along day.
Have these anytime of year but for sure during Halloween week. (Think Addams Family theme)
Use white cups for cup routines or white gloves for body percussion routines.
Write clues around the room using a fluorescent dry erase marker for a Scavenger Hunt. Turn the lights off and let the game begin.
While black lights can be both educational and entertaining, safety considerations are paramount. Direct exposure to UV radiation should be minimized, and proper precautions should be taken to prevent eye strain. Educators should also ensure that any materials used for projects are safe and non-toxic.
Conclusion
I found so many positive student outcomes from having a lighting plan for my classroom. And the win-win is that I benefitted too.
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Originally published June 29, 2023 Latest Update October 12, 2026 Written by Laura Bartolomeo
Music teachers naturally infuse so much SEL in the music classroom! Let’s discover the many ways SEL is already infused and integrated into elementary music curriculum, procedures, and processes. We’ll pinpoint what is already naturally occurring and add some new ideas to integrate social and emotional learning into the music classroom.
Teachers often use books/literature with an embedded SEL-themed competency such as self-awareness, self-management, empathy, etc.
But they are doing so much more!
The CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) Framework is a comprehensive approach to promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) in educational settings and includes five competencies.
SEL in the Music Classroom
Self-Awareness in Elementary Music
The ability to accurately recognize your emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior.
The ability to accurately assess your strengths and limitations and possess a well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism.
This includes confidence, self-efficacy, and a growth mindset.
A Mindful Activity
Body Shapes is all about students taking 3-5 minutes to move their bodies and relax their minds as they experience SEL through global music and movementas a class starter, brain break, or mindful way to transition to the next class or subject.
And now! Body Shapes 2: Genre Jukebox. The same great concept but with music choices from musical genres!
Self-Management in Elementary Music
The ability to effectively regulate your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating yourself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.
Related Activities
Concert Checklist: Organize your concert planning and preparation with checklists and best practices. Here are tips on choosing the music, concert themes, teaching timelines, and logistics.
Concert-Ready Students: You’ll find multiple tips and techniques for learning and memorizing music to prepare your students for a concert including incentives, checklists, and games.
Relationship Skills in Elementary Music
This ability to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities (cultural competency), provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.
Multi-Cultural Resources
Songs and Dances from Authentic Sources: A page that aims to provide resources that I’ve researched or from sources who also research with the same authentic goal.
Social Awareness in Elementary Music
The ability to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings (including unjust ones), and recognize and understand the influence of family, school and community resources and supports.
Related Resources
The Oodles Calendar of Events with lesson plans, resources, and activities. (Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Month, Veterans Day, Halloween, Black History Month, etc.)
Responsible Decision-Making in Elementary Music
The ability to make choices based on ethics and safety and to consider the benefits and consequences related to personal, social, and collective well-being.
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Are you in a panic when your school’s electricity goes out, the projector bulb goes pop, you need emergency sub plans, or your computer is on the fritz? Make this no-tech, low-cost Jeopardy board and you’ll be ready for any emergency! Say goodbye to technology and hello to an innovative, interactive, and budget and sub-friendly game that will make learning music (or ANY subject) an absolute blast!
What is a No-Tech Jeopardy Game?
A no-tech Jeopardy game provides an opportunity to combine music education with a thrilling game show format any time and in any situation. A music teacher or sub with no musical background, can walk in and without hitting a power button of any kind, have great learning K-5.
Modeled after the popular TV show, this interactive game allows students to answer questions, earn points, and engage in friendly competition. By transforming your music lessons into an exciting game, you can foster a love for music, encourage teamwork, and enhance student learning in a playful and memorable way.
Did I mention that it folds down to an easy-to-store rectangle?
Discover the best AI tools for music teachers with time-saving benefits for the teacher and broader curriculum choices for students. AI offers a powerful ally for music teachers, freeing up valuable time by-
streamlining administrative tasks
creating and personalizing instruction
providing time-consuming research
creating music
Explore how AI empowers music educators to focus on what truly matters – nurturing musical talents and fostering creativity.
Let’s look into the time-saving and (hopefully) stress-reducing efficiency unlocked by AI and the many sites that will be available to us over the next few years.
Reminder: AI is ONLY a tool. Teachers should vet all generated information very carefully.
Charts, Graphics & Visuals That POP
There are more AI tools popping up than boy bands in the ’90s. Just when you think you’ve found the one, here comes another with frosted tips promising it’s different.
Guess what? This new app, Napkin, is a shining star!
Turn text into VISUALS to differentiate your teaching BIG TIME! Show sequential processes and directions with a cool graphic. Eye catching and engaging!
Watch how I made a graphic on How to Create Parachute Routines!
The BASIC Plan is FREE and you get 50 credits that renew daily (10 songs).
You have to log in to use it so this would need to be a whole-class lesson. Each prompt produces a set of lyrics and two song examples.
It is SOOOOO fun!
Create a class song
One music teacher on FB used it for each class to create an end-of-the-year song for their classroom teacher. They plugged in lyric suggestions that related to all the things they love about their teacher. It was evidently a very meaningful gesture that had lots of tears of joy.
Here’s a song that I created with this prompt: “An emotional pop ballad about Mrs. Bartolomeo the music teacher being very tired at the end of the school year.” Pop Ballad
You can download a link, audio, or video. If you download video, it plays with scrolling lyrics! ❤️❤️❤️
Create a National Anthem
This idea was created as an idea for Music Olympics activities. My prompt was: “Create a stately national anthem with lots of brass instruments for the nation of Musicopolis where there’s creativity, fun, and learning with music.” (use “nation” instead of “country” or your national anthem will have a distinct country genre feel to it.) 😊 Here are the two created examples. Song 1 and Song 2.
Fadr
Fadr is an AI-powered vocal remover, song splitter, key/tempo/chords detector, remix maker, mashup maker, DJ controller, and more. I used it successfully to remove vocals from a current pop song that I had downloaded from Apple Music as an mp3.
The resulting vocal removed mp3 was pretty much a karaoke. I downloaded it and there were no pop ups or other odd things that sometimes happen with these types of online programs.
Like everything though, download at your own risk. While it seems like a secure site, I can’t tell you definitively that it is totally safe.
Generating Written & Digital Assignments
Music educators don’t deal with written assignments and assessments often. Our classes are mainly hands-on, action-based learning. When we need a written/digital assignment that aligns with our curriculum, it often becomes a huge time suck.
Why use written/digital assignments in the music room?
What are some of the reasons music teachers need written/digital assignments? Let’s take a ukulele unit as the example.
We need a sub plan and want to continue with learning about the ukulele but know that we absolutely don’t want a sub using the instruments.
A student has lost playing privileges because of unsafe use of the ukulele and needs to continue to learn about the instrument in a different format.
An entire class has been off-task and needs a reset.
We only have enough instruments for half a class and want students without instruments to have a quality assignment rather than “waiting their turn.”
Types of Assignments
Multiple Choice
For guided reading or general information activities and assessments, use a multiple-choice format.
These can be used:
in hard-copy print
with devices using Google Forms, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Gimkit, Canvas, Blooket, moodle, and more!
Printed Copies
Write this prompt. “Use the following article about Mozart to generate 10 multiple-choice questions. Give two printable copies, one with the correct answers annotated by placing a check mark (√) at the beginning of each correct response and one without. Add a list of the 10 correct responses for easy grading.” (add Mozart biography here)
Type in a video URL and some AI models can generate questions. One example is the beta app twee. (see video and table below for more info)
Here is a multiple-choice example using a Ted-Ed video on brass instruments.
Fill-in-the-Blank
twee also lets you type in (or have it generate) text and create a fill-in-the-blank assessment.
Streamlining Assessment & Grading With AI
Music educators face a unique challenge: grading hundreds of students across multiple classes. When you’re teaching 400-600 students per week, even the most organized seating chart system can become a bottleneck.
Seating Chart to Grade Sheet Hack
One of the biggest time-sucks in music education is transferring grades from seating charts into alphabetized gradebook formats. Here’s how AI can transform that 45-minute task into a 2-minute process.
How It Works
Step 1: Update Your Seating Chart Format Instead of first names only, use first name + last initial (Tom A, Carrie B, etc.). This small change gives you enough specificity to match students in your gradebook without needing full rosters.
Important Consideration
Check with your school and district about their guidelines for using names in AI models. Would first names and last initials follow those guidelines?
Step 2: Use AI to Process Your Chart Upload an image or document of your seating chart to an AI assistant (like Claude, ChatGPT, or similar tools). The AI will:
Extract all student names and their corresponding grades
Alphabetize the list by last initial
Create a formatted table with columns for each assessment category
Leave blank cells for missing grades so you can easily identify incomplete assessments
Step 3: Export and Use The resulting table can be easily copied into Google Sheets, Excel, or used on its own as you input grades into your grading system. No more rewriting, no more searching, no more back and forth from one type of setup to another.
Why This Works for Music Teachers
Handles Large Numbers: Perfect for specialists who see entire school populations Flexible Assessment Types: Works with any grading system – plus/check/minus, standards-based, letter grades, or numeric scores Time Savings: What used to take 30-45 minutes now takes 2 minutes Error Reduction: No more transcription mistakes or missing students Easy Updates: Run the process multiple times throughout the year for different assessment periods
Tips for Success
Be consistent with last initials on your seating charts from the start of the year
Keep multiple classes in one document by adding a “Class Period” or “Grade Level” column
Add a notes column if you track specific observations beyond the basic grade
Try It Yourself
Ready to streamline your music grading? Watch the full tutorial video above or use this info as a brainstorming session, tweaking to fit your needs!
What assessment challenges are you facing in your music classroom? Drop a comment below – I’m always looking for new ways to help music teachers work smarter, not harder!
Video Reviews | AI Tools for Music Teachers
Diffit
twee
How to Generate the Best AI Responses
How to Use Effective AI Prompts
You can ask an AI bot a question and then ask them to clarify
OR
you can FIRST ask them what they need to know to answer your query.
Examples-
What do you need to know to provide me with…
What information do you need to write a thorough lesson on…
Give your request and add, “What else do you need to know?”
Concert Song Prompt
Here’s an example using ChatGPT: “I need a list of songs for an elementary music concert. What do you need to know to help with this list?”
Here’s Chat GPT’s answer (abridged to save space):
Theme or purpose of the concert.
Age or grade level of the students.
Time duration of the concert.
Musical style or genre preference.
Performance format.
Any specific songs already considered?
Technical considerations: accompaniment, sheet music, or audio resources?
Cultural or sensitivity considerations.
Edited AI Prompt
Here’s my new query using the bot’s suggestions.
I’d like a list of songs for an elementary music concert with a winter theme. The performers are in grades 1, 2, and 3. The concert will be 45 minutes in length. The music should be secular with a mix of upbeat and ballad styles. The students will be singing in large groups and mp3 accompaniments will need to be used. A couple of the songs should be very upbeat. I’d like the song titles, composers, and possible mp3 links.
Here’s the answer I received!(The links are only placeholders. DANG!)
“Winter Wonderland” – Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith
That’s a great list. Can you give me ten more songs that would fit with my parameters?
Certainly! Here are ten more songs that fit the parameters of your elementary music concert about winter:
“Jingle Bells” – James Lord Pierpont
“Up on the Housetop” – Benjamin Hanby
“The Snow Is Dancing” – Claude Debussy
“Winter Fantasy” – John Higgins
“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” – Irving Berlin
“Snow Day” – Justin Roberts
“Winter’s Waking” – Amy F. Bernon
“Sleigh Ride” – Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish
“The Winter Song” – Sarah Quartel
“Winterlude” – Neil Young
Use AI to Build on What You Already Teach—No Starting from Scratch
Scenario-Your admin wants to see more higher level questioning. Higher level questioning, SEL, and many other integrations happen all the time (or get real close) in elementary music teaching and we don’t recognize it as such. I think it’s HUGE to take what we are already doing and tweak to come up with what is needed, without starting from scratch.
So this is the perfect opportunity to use AI. I did not want to ask AI to give me higher level questioning for music because I’d get a bunch of things that might not apply to my curriculum.
The Prompt
Instead, I asked for a synopsis of higher level thinking for elementary. It gave me 7 areas-compare/contrast, cause/effect, etc. Then I asked: “Let’s suppose that we are already doing some higher level thinking but don’t realize it. Here are some typical activities. Tell me how to make higher level questioning more obvious. Connect it to one of the 7 ideas you’ve given me above.
1. clap a rhythm pattern and speak it using rhythm syllable. 2. play boomwhackers to a play along video 3. play a singing game.”
The AI Answer
The goal is to take what you already do and add a quick, purposeful question that nudges thinking beyond “just doing.”
1️⃣ Clap a rhythm pattern and speak it using rhythm syllables
Connection:Analyze & Interpret
Make it obvious: After clapping, ask:
“What do you notice about this pattern? Are there any parts that repeat?”
“How would the feel change if we made one note longer or shorter?”
Why it’s higher-level: Students examine structure and predict effects, not just perform.
2️⃣ Play boomwhackers to a play-along video
Connection:Predict & Hypothesize
Make it obvious: Pause mid-song and ask:
“If we swapped the red and green boomwhackers, how would the sound or harmony change?”
“What might happen if we played this twice as fast or half as fast?”
Why it’s higher-level: Students think ahead and reason about cause and effect in music.
3️⃣ Play a singing game
Connection:Evaluate & Judge
Make it obvious: After playing, ask:
“Which strategy helped your team stay in the game the longest? Why?”
“If you could change one rule to make it more exciting, what would you change and why?”
Why it’s higher-level: Students justify choices and evaluate outcomes, not just follow directions.
✅ Tip to make it feel intentional: Before or after each activity, briefly name the type of thinking (“Let’s analyze what we noticed in that rhythm” or “Let’s predict what would happen if…”) so students recognize that they’re using higher-level thinking skills.
Growing List of AI Sites for Teachers
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Originally published May 11, 2023 Latest Update October 12, 2026 Written by Laura Bartolomeo
Documenting our effective practices for our elementary music teacher evaluations can be daunting. Showing proof with artifacts and documentation gets confusing. This table lets you look up WHAT you’ve taught and then spells out some of the criteria that it checks off.
Determining our professionalism, community involvement, and lesson planning is more straightforward. The below Google Sheet begins to get you thinking about the instruction portion of the evaluation process.
Scroll right and left to show headings: Dances, Body Percussion, Creative Movement, Song Repertoire, Unpitched Percussion, and Ukulele.
Copy and paste or copy and edit the ideas in the table for the artifact or self-evaluation part of your documentation.
Artifacts & Evidence for Elementary Music Teacher Evaluations
Discover simple, effective ways to teach movement in elementary music and help your students build creativity, confidence, and musicality.
Movement in elementary music can be more than a stress reliever, a brain break, a way to experience another culture, or other very worthy objectives. It can also be a way to empower ALL kids through positive interaction with the teacher.
I was scrolling social media and saw this quote.
“Go and love someone exactly as they are. And then watch how quickly they transform into the greatest, truest version of themselves. When one feels seen and appreciated in their own essence, one is instantly empowered.”
Wes Angelozzi
How do you teach movement in elementary music classes?
Observe your students and give positive and instructional feedback, which will lead to student empowerment and creativity.
Deep and meaningful connections with your students happen when you let them know what you notice!
Movement Lesson Observation Application
Here’s an example of how I’d apply these observation techniques for movement in elementary music.
The lesson is for kinders and first graders to move (step, skip, float) to changing music examples.
Originally published July 10, 2022 Latest Update September 26, 2026
Image describes page resource for teacher planners and curriculum.
This post may contain affiliate links. I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure.
If you need a manageable elementary music curriculum template to give you clarity, you’re in the right place. You’re staring at multiple tabs, multiple grade levels, and WAY too many learning objectives.
As a long-time K-8 music teacher, I spent many hours trying to make sense of it all.
What really made a difference was when I created a scope and sequence document with fewer, more focused learning objectives for each grade level.
My aha moment came while reading Jane Frazee’s book, “Artful, Playful, Mindful.” (affiliate link) She straight up talks about the need to simplify and deepen our activities in elementary music.
Let’s lessen your load and simplify elementary music curriculum planning with how-to guides for planners, templates, and lessons.
How Do You Lesson Plan in Elementary Music?
First start with a realistic yearly curriculum overview template. Then use that template to write detailed lesson plans in a lesson planner document.
Let’s look in more detail.
Table of Contents
Yearly Overview |Elementary Music Curriculum Template for Planning
It all starts with your yearly curriculum. Instead of starting with an overflowing number of objectives that you have to cull, let’s start with some basics and add to it.
Less Is More!
Create a template with what you want as your focus objectives for each month. Remember to include space for activities that are important to your program which might include monthly celebrations, holidays, concerts, etc.
Don’t spend hours. Don’t get bogged down and overthink it. It’s a living document that can change and grow with you and your students.
It’s easier to add to our goals than to have too many! Too many means we’re either behind or rushing to teach them and keep up so learning is probably not happening.
The K-5 Elementary Music Curriculum Template Scope & Sequence on TPT
Let me do the heavy lifting for you!
If you’d like a pre-made doc, here’s a manageable scope & sequence TEMPLATE for K-5 elementary music, with very basic rhythm and pitch learning, and flexibility to adjust or add curriculum that reflects your teaching philosophy and your students.
These no/low prep resources are enough to provide guidance and still do that thing I keep talking about, allow you to add the extras to fill in what’s important to your school program.
Once you have your template, it’s time to write more specific lesson plans to use in your weekly teaching.
Digital Lesson Elementary Music Curriculum Planner
Using Microsoft Word & Google Docs Once you have your yearly curriculum template, it’s time to write weekly lesson plans. Teachers use everything from physical planners to digital. Planners are often set up in ways that don’t work for special area teacher schedules. And because of multiple grade levels and grading periods, digital documents can be in so many different locations.
Tabs, bookmarks, and folders. Oh, my!
Finding a great teacher planner is SO hard!
Here’s a different approach that puts all of your elementary music curriculum template resources in ONE location. No tabs, bookmarks, or folders but everything in one master document. I created this method and I’m sharing it with you. It’s not for everyone but you should take a look.
It works in both Microsoft Word and Google Docs and because it’s digital, it follows you everywhere.
See it action in the video below.
Master File Planner Instructions DOWNLOADS
These FREE downloads will make MUCH more sense after watching the above video.
Here’s an example of my song repertoire for one year. About 80% stayed the same each year and 20% would change. It would change because of curricular needs, school performance needs, and sometimes because I needed to teach something new.
These images are examples. If you want K-5, download button is below.
Join the hundreds of other teachers who receive the Oodles Newsletter every Monday morning with timely tips like this digital planner to help you in your teaching!
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Writing Cohesive Elementary Music Lesson Plans
You have a yearly overview template and a planner that works for you, it’s time to write the plans. Here’s one way to approach it.
Help! I Can’t Keep Up With Lesson Planning
Being truthful here.
Many new teachers and some who are more experienced are not using a curriculum/scope & sequence to write lesson plans and it’s a CREATE-AS-YOU-GO situation.
If you’re flying by the seat of your pants sometimes or often, keeping track of what you’re teaching is IMPORTANT!
For example, did you use a play along in third grade in three different lessons with some nice differentiation in each lesson that reinforced quarter notes and eighth notes?
Maybe you planned it out or it happened as a result of you layering new learning as you saw the opportunities.
Document it!
How I did it!
I used the systems above.
There were “fly by the seat of my pants days” and I’d put those lessons (the good ones) in my master document!
How YOU Can Get Started
Use whatever format you want. How about a simple Google Slide/Sheet and set it up by month and grade level?
If you do this a little bit at a time, you will thank yourself.
For example, if it’s the beginning of October, don’t try to go back and pick up August. Start with October and try to copy/paste/write what you taught last week. Just ONE week at a time.
And don’t try to make it look perfect & pretty. Just get last week’s lessons into a simple document!
By the end of the year, you’ll have SO much, organized and ready to go for next year.
Helpful Tools to Save You Time! 🎯 This easy-to-use digital tool lets you design and download barred instrument visuals for your elementary music classroom. FREE!
FAQs: Elementary Music Curriculum Template & Lesson Planning
How do I create an elementary music scope and sequence?
Start by creating a yearly overview template with just a FEW focused learning objectives for the year. Instead of overcomplicating with too many goals, focus on basic rhythm and pitch learning. This creates a “living document” that allows you to add elements as well as monthly celebrations, concerts, and holidays as you go.
What is the best way to organize music lesson plans for multiple grades?
For ME, the most efficient method is using a single “Master File” digital planner in Google Docs or Microsoft Word. By keeping all grade levels and weekly plans in one document, you eliminate the need for dozens of tabs, bookmarks, and folders, ensuring your curriculum follows you on any device.
Should I use a pre-made music curriculum or build my own?
Either will work but often it’s a combination of the two. You find a curriculum that you like such as Musicplay, Gameplan, or Essential Elements then pare it down to what’s manageable for your situation and teaching philosophy (e.g. heavier toward Orff or Kodaly or movement), while also adding/keeping elements that are more important to you.
How do you organize all of your lessons for the year so that it creates a “curriculum” or units?
Jot down what you want each grade level to learn. If you look at online curriculums, many can be quite extensive, having much more than you can accomplish in a year. (depending on your class contact time) Take one of those curriculums and scale it back to the most important things for you, or make one of your own with some general melody and rhythm objectives. Then add those lessons and songs you already have taught, adding where needed.
Tell Me More
Please share your favorite elementary music curriculum template, planner, or lesson writing resource, hint, tip, or trick.
Wow, what a site! It’s unassuming but offers rhythm practice in many different methodologies. You do not need to log in to use it but here are some terms of use and interesting info you might want to read.
Here’s one game.
Paint With Music
I didn’t think I could love something more than Chrome Music Lab but this Google Arts and Culture feature, Paint With Music, is FANTASTIC. Here’s my tutorial and how you can teach melodic direction, rhythm, tone color, harmony, vocal exploration, texture, and so much more!
iMovie
Syncing Lyrics With Audio for Beginners
PowerPoint
Adding Custom Instrument Visuals
Check It Out! 🎯 This easy-to-use digital tool lets you design and download barred instrument visuals for your elementary music classroom. FREE!
Custom Line Spacing
Change Cursor/Pointer Size & Color
Finding Folders Faster (on a Mac) with Add to Sidebar
Noteflight
Getting Started, Input of Notes, Rhythm, Melody, Key, Meter, Lyrics.
Songs with a questionable past have no place in our elementary music classrooms. Here are resources to aid in selecting appropriate music.
As we navigate this intricate terrain, it is essential to be mindful of the historical context and implications associated with songs that have a questionable past.
DEI Music Education Resources-practical implementation of DEI such as repertoire, lesson plans, and methods. Thanks to Garo Saraydarian for this resource.
Databases of Music and Songs With a Questionable Past
These databases have NOT been fact-checked. They are a place to see the results of some of the discussions currently occurring in music education. I personally use them as a jumping off place when I want to use a particular song. From there, I do my own specific research.
