LESSON PLAN –Y4
Learning Objectives:
 Solve a given problem by organising and interpreting data in simple lists and
graphs
 Use Venn diagrams (Y4 two criteria)
 By the end of the lesson can you use a Venn diagram to sort musical
instruments?
Key vocab on board – Venn diagram
O/m starter
Main teaching
Put two hoops on the floor so that all children can see them
Explain that we are going to sort some musical instruments
Give out a selection of musical instruments, probably one for each pair of children
Put a label on one hoop “made of wood” and explain that instruments made of wood
will go in this hoop. Put label on other hoop eg. “played by blowing”
Ask children to think about where they would place an instrument which was neither
made of wood nor played by blowing – outside the hoops
Overlap the two hoops, ask the children what they can tell you about this intersection
– what sorts of instruments will go in here, those that are both made of wood and
played by blowing
Ask children to talk to their partner about which hoop their instrument will go in and
why.
Children to come forward as asked and place instrument in correct section, get them
to explain why it goes there, correct or not
Remove labels from hoops and give out instruments again, same or different children.
Sort in a different way, take suggestions from children eg. – “can make a high pitched
sound , “is made of metal”.
Get children to place instruments in correct areas, explaining their reasoning
Pupil activities
Get children to work in pairs or small groups sorting instruments in their own way
using pictures of the instruments to go in intersecting Venn diagrams on large sheets
of paper - (Alternative – place name labels on instruments and get children to write
names on instruments in appropriate places in Venn diagrams)
You may wish to have suggestions for labels available
eg. . is made of wood
is made of skin
is made of metal
makes long/short sounds
makes loud/quiet sounds
can make pitched (high/low) sounds
play by plucking/bowing
play by blowing
play by striking (hand/beater)
play by shaking
play by scraping
can play in more than one way
Plenary
Get one or two groups to show and explain their Venn diagram
Refer to Learning Objective – Can you use a Venn diagram to sort musical
instruments correctly?
1. Put Venn diagram on board or hoops on floor with new labels
Give out names or pictures of instruments and ask children to come and place
theirs in the correct space, ask for reasoning when appropriate
2. Put Venn diagram on board or OHP or Interactive Whiteboard, instrument names
or pictures already in correct areas but no labels. Ask children to think what the
labels should be and to write these on their individual whiteboards but keep them
hidden until asked to show them. Note which children are able to correctly
identify the labels.
Resources
Can you….? board
Individual whiteboards
Prepared Venn diagram without labels (on paper, IWB or OHT)
Musical instruments
Copies of pictures of instruments
Lists of names of musical instruments
Two hoops
Possible Alternatives
 .
Y4 Two criteria Produce an instrument which could go under either label
(appropriate drum, oboe etc) ie. Made of both wood and metal – we can’t put it in
both hoops what could we do? Overlap the hoops, leaving both original labels in
place. Why can we place this instrument made of both wood and metal in here, what
does this overlap mean?
Extension – an instrument made of neither wood nor metal, where might we place
this? Outside both hoops.
Y4 Two criteria Overlap the hoops – what does this middle part mean? Which
instruments will go in here? Would any instruments go outside both hoops