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Created by teachers for teachers, this free curriculum support is designed to make your music classroom run smoothly and spark creativity. Each resource is crafted by experienced music educators from our Music ConstructED community who understand the joys and challenges of teaching. No prep? No problem. Find lessons that are ready when you are.
The "Wendell the Narwhal" lesson plan for grades K–2 uses Emily Dove’s book and a narwhal puppet as a baton to teach basic conducting. Students explore a conductor’s role, practice patterns, and engage with music through guided listening.
The "Viennese Musical Clock" lesson plan for grades 3–6 introduces students to rondo form using Kodály’s Háry János Suite. Through guided listening, students identify recurring musical sections and reinforce their understanding by performing rhythmic patterns with unpitched percussion instruments. The lesson emphasizes active listening, ensemble coordination, and form recognition.
The "Trepak and Snowball Catapults" lesson plan for grades 3–5 blends music and STEM as students build marshmallow-launching catapults timed to Tchaikovsky’s "Russian Dance," exploring rhythm, dynamics, and basic engineering.
The "Trepak" lesson plan for grades 3–6 has students perform Tchaikovsky’s "Russian Dance" with instruments like handbells or Boomwhackers™. They explore tempo, dynamics, and cultural aspects while building rhythmic and ensemble skills.
The "Three Little Birds" lesson plan for grades K–3 introduces students to ostinato through Bob Marley's song. Students identify repeated lyrics, create rhythmic patterns using dice or word cards, and perform their ostinati with body percussion or instruments alongside the recording. This activity fosters rhythmic literacy, creativity, and ensemble skills.
The "Zither Family" lesson plan for grades 3–5 explores string instruments like the gusli and dulcimer through storytelling and song. Students learn about the Russian tale Sadko and perform "Clementine" using Boomwhackers™ or classroom instruments.
The "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" lesson plan for grades PreK–2 uses story-based rhythm and sound activities. Students assign instruments to story parts, practice steady beat, and create sound compositions, building listening and sequencing skills.
The "Surprise Symphony" lesson plan for grades 3–5 introduces students to Haydn’s life and musical contributions through interactive listening and discussion. Students explore the "Surprise Symphony" by identifying musical form and dynamics, and engage with unpitched percussion instruments to reinforce their understanding. The lesson fosters critical listening skills and appreciation of historical context.
The "Spooky and Scary" lesson plan for grades 3–5 teaches syncopation and improvisation through a themed recorder unit. Students learn Low E, create original phrases, and perform spooky compositions with optional movement and Orff-style elements.
The "Singing with The Mitten" lesson plan for grades K–2 integrates Jan Brett’s beloved story with music activities to develop vocal, rhythmic, and melodic skills. Students warm up with animated vocal explorations, practice solfège using “The Farmer in the Dell” melody, and sing adapted verses aligned with each animal in the story. The lesson includes a movement break and rhythm play-along exercises focusing on quarter and eighth notes, offering a dynamic, story-driven approach to early music learning.
The "Shufflin" lesson plan for grades 3–5 helps students review recorder pitches, read iconic notation, and compose simple melodies. Using the song "Shufflin’" from the WindStars curriculum, students learn by ear, echo sing, play by imitation, and engage with visual notation. The lesson culminates in small-group composition using iconic notation cards and performance, supporting musical literacy and creativity through active, hands-on learning.
The "Listening Puzzles" lesson plan for grades 3–5 builds active listening skills by having students compare original songs and their covers. Using tools like Venn diagrams, students analyze differences in instrumentation, tempo, style, and emotional tone. The lesson encourages critical thinking, musical interpretation, and respectful discussion of varied musical perspectives.
The "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat: Introducing Fa" lesson plan for grades 3–5 uses a Kodály-based “sound before sight” approach to teach the pitch "fa." Students explore the note through movement, solfege, singing games, and rounds, leading to visual identification on the staff.
The "Rock What Ya Got" lesson plan for grades 3–5 combines poetry, body percussion, and instrumental performance to teach students about rondo form and musical composition. Students learn poems, add rhythmic layers through body percussion, and transfer parts to classroom instruments using the book Rock What Ya Got. They then create their own poems and organize them into a Rondo structure, using the original text as the recurring A section.
The "Rhythms of the Community" lesson plan for grades 3–5 introduces West African drumming through call-and-response, percussion technique, and group rhythm composition, building musical skills and cultural awareness.
