





Mark of excellent teaching – The most effective
teachers are planners and thinkers.

“Fail to plan, plan to fail.”

Don’t dread the process of lesson planning. Embrace
the opportunity to think thoughtfully about each step
of the teaching process and look at the big picture!

Public school principals are required to collect and
examine lesson plans on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly
basis. An assessment tool is used for the evaluation.
Ask ahead of time for the assessment tool to ensure
that you meet all of the requirements.
A teacher’s detailed description of the course of
instruction for an individual lesson
The purpose of a lesson plan is to communicate.
To whom?
YOU!
The lesson plans you develop are to guide you in
organizing your material and yourself for the
purpose of helping your students achieve
intended learning outcomes.
While there are many different formats for a lesson
plan, there are essential components that all lesson
plans should include.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Outcomes or objectives for students that teachers predict
will occur as a result of lesson delivery. Goals may include
student mastery of concepts, content, values, social skills,
appropriate behavior, and others.
•
"Goals" should be understood to mean the desired
learning outcomes or objectives for the lesson that will be
observed. Goals may be expressed in various formats and
terminology. It is critical, however, that goals-what the
teacher wants the student to learn-be clearly distinguished
from activities-what the teacher wants the students to do.
•
Typically, a 30-45 minute music lesson (all areas) will have
2-3 overarching goals listed in the “objectives” section of
the lesson plan.
What are the National Standards?
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of
music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts,
and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
•
A well-thought out lesson plan touches on several
of the National Standards.
You should ask yourself the following questions before
completing the materials section of a lesson plan:
•
What items and supplies will be needed by both the instructor
and the students in order to accomplish the stated learning
objectives?
•
What equipment will I need in order to utilize as many
learning modalities as possible? (visual, audio, tactile,
kinesthetic, etc.)
•
How can I use materials creatively? What can I borrow from
other teachers?
•
Keep in mind that modeling and the use of hands-on
materials are especially effective in demonstrating concepts
and skills to students. Look for ways to make the learning
goals concrete, tangible, and relevant to students.
•
The materials section will not be presented to students
directly, but rather is written for the teacher's own reference
and as a checklist before starting the lesson.
Set the stage for your students by tapping into their
prior knowledge and giving the objectives a context
Here are some ideas for how to start your lesson:
•
Consider having the students begin class by singing a
“Hello Song” or singing a melodic pattern to take
attendance (general music)
•
Either verbally state or have the learning
goals/objectives written down and go over them before
starting the class (all areas)
•
Have students perform a series of warm-up exercises
(band and choir)
•
Ask students to recall material that was learned in the
previous lesson before tackling new material. Be
creative with how you conduct review sessions. (all
areas)
The procedure section is where you will explicitly
describe how you will present the lesson's concepts to
your students.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you complete
this section of your lesson plan:
•
Detail, detail, detail! Write this section in so much
detail that another music educator could teach the
lesson plan the way in which you intended it to be
taught.
•
The section will be lengthy. You will be thankful that
you have spent so much time thinking about every step
of your lesson.
•
It is okay to refer to your procedure section throughout
the lesson to make sure you are following the sequence
you had planned.
Evaluation or assessment strategies are those methods that teachers
use to answer the question, "How do you know what the students will
have learned as a result of today's lesson?" Teachers typically employ
a variety of evaluation strategies, including quizzes, oral or written
exams, self-checking materials, and observing the accuracy of student
responses to teacher questions, to name a few.
Things to keep in mind:
•
Evaluation strategies must be aligned with, and reflect, the goals of
the lesson.
•
A plan for evaluation of student learning may include one or more
formats.
•
Evaluation must be systematic. That is, it must provide the teacher
with useful information about the extent to which the instructional
goals-whether individual or group-have been met.
•
Evaluation strategies must be appropriate for the students. Teachers
may need to use a variety of strategies to evaluate student learning.
Consider students with special needs, students with limited English
proficiency, etc. before creating your evaluation strategies.
The closure section provides a fitting conclusion
and context for the student learning that has taken
place.
•
Closure is the time when you wrap up a lesson plan and help students
organize the information into a meaningful context in their minds.
•
A brief summary or overview is often appropriate.
•
It is not enough to say, “Does anyone have any questions?” Look for
ways to add some insight and/or context to the lesson. Also, be sure
to clear up any areas of confusion.
•
Consider engaging students in a quick discussion about what exactly
they learned and what it means to them now.
•
Use the closure as an opportunity to encourage your students and
give them an idea of what they will learn in the next class.
•
You may have to alter your extension based upon your
students’ performance on assessment activities. You
should have a general idea, though, of what you want
your students to accomplish in subsequent lessons.
•
If the learning objectives were not adequately achieved,
you will need to revisit the lesson in a different manner.
•
Student performance informs future lessons and where
you will take your students next.
Remember the definition of “objectives” or “goals…”
The desired learning outcomes that are observable and
measurable
The objectives for the lesson plan are drawn from the broader
aims of the unit plan but are achieved over a well defined
time period.
Ask yourself these questions when formulating objectives for your lesson:
•
What will students be able to do during this lesson?
•
Under what conditions will students' performance be accomplished?
•
What is the degree or criterion on the basis of which satisfactory attainment of
the objectives will be judged?
•
How will students demonstrate that they have learned and understood the
objectives of the lesson?




Your call…
Are the following well-written objectives?
The students will be able to sight-sing a piece of music containing the pitches
sol, la, and mi and quarter note and eighth note rhythms successfully.
The students will sing the song “My Popcorn” with correct pitches, rhythms,
and words.
The students will be able to work well together in small groups to create and
perform movements to dramatize the lyrics of a song.
The students will evaluate swing music.
The students will describe three specific ways in which Native American
culture fits into the “melting pot” of American culture.
The students will go on a walking field trip of the school.
Six Common Mistakes in Writing Lesson Plans
http://www.adprima.com/mistakes.htm
Lesson Plans the Easy Way
http://www.adprima.com/easyless.htm
Top 8 Components of a Well-Written Lesson Plan
http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/
tp/8_steps_lp.htm
Online Supplement to Pathwise Training
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/edhd/programs/MentorNet
/HomePage.html