Unplugged "Ready-to-Teach" 3-6 Music Lesson Plans

Free No-Prep Music Lesson Plans - No Sign Up. No Email.

Our elementary music lesson plans prioritize singing, listening, instrumental performance, and active movement over screen time. These fully-scripted lessons are ready to use as-is or easy to make-your-own to create rich, unplugged musical moments your students will love.

Steady Beat Rhythm Pitch Tempo Meter Dynamics World Music Listening Movement Orchestra Composers Form Same/Different Composition

Music Lesson Plans for Steady Beat

Discover lesson plans that keep kids moving and having fun while teaching them to hear and reproduce a steady beat.

Entry Kentry | Music Lesson Plan - Passing Game Grade 2-4 Teach steady beat with this irresistible passing game. It's an elimination game too, but even the kids who are 'out' stay involved as members of "the band." Get Lesson

Jump the Hoop | Steady Beat Game Grade 2-6 Hula hoops, music, and movement! Student teams jump in and out of hoops in this high-energy game to see who can stay in the longest. It’s a no-prep steady beat lesson that works with almost any age group! Get Lesson

Touchdown | Steady Beat and Math Facts Grade 2-6 Want to get your music students moving while reinforcing steady beat and math skills at the same time? Touchdown is an elementary music curriculum winner that makes both music teachers and homeroom teachers look like heroes! Get Lesson

The Wee Little Scare | Steady Beat/Jump Rope Grade 2-3 Turn a playground activity into an unforgettable learning experience! The Wee Little Scare uses a jump rope contest and Orff instruments to help students master steady beat. Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Rhythm

Discover lesson plans that teach basic rhythms with hands-on music making activities and games.

Battle of the Bands | Reading Music/Rhythms Grade 3-6 This no-prep lesson turns reading rhythms into a competition! Students work in "bands" to perform speech pieces on non-pitched percussion instruments. Let the "Battle of the Bands" begin! Get Lesson

Monsters in My Closet | Rhythm/Drumming Grade K-3 Scary rhythms ahead! This elementary drumming lesson uses a monster-fun speech piece to teach rhythm and drumming technique. Get Lesson

John Kanaka | Reading Music/Rhythms Grade 2-4 All hands on deck! It's time for a salty sea shanty drumming lesson on quarter and eighth notes. No heavy lifting for you! We've done the prep work. Get Lesson

I'm as Free a Little Bird | Syncopation and Movement Activity Grade 2-3 Want a simple way to teach jazzy rhythms? I'm as Free a Little Bird is a no-prep music lesson plan that introduces syncopation through a fun song and movement activity. It’s always a massive hit! Get Lesson

Mystery Message Game | Rhythm and Pitch Activity Grade 2-6 It’s 'Hangman' with a twist. Music students compare and contrast rhythm/pitch sets and decode a secret message in a race to win the game. It's always a hit! Get Lesson

Run From The Farmer | Syncopation and Movement Activity Grade 2-3 Pre-Thanksgiving Day Wackiness! "Run from the Farmer" is a hilarious song about Thanksgiving, told from the turkey's perspective. This super-charged lesson introduces syncopation in a fun and active way. Get Lesson

Slap Happy Music Math | Rhythm Review Grade 2-6SUB LESSON Want to turn music lesson review into playtime? Slap Happy Music Math is a wacky review game that reinforces rhythm values. Get Lesson

Tic-Tac-Toe | Rhythms and Rests Grade 2-6 Tic-Tac-Toe with a twist! Students read and perform simple rhythms correctly to win squares in this musical twist on the classic game. Get Lesson

Who Has the Candy in Their Pocket | Rhythms and Rests Grade 2-4 Solve the musical whodunit! Students chant a rhyme and perform simple rhythms on non-pitched percussion instruments to track down the student with the hidden candy. Get Lesson

Visit MMF Songbook for kids songs and rhymes. The rhythm and meter of simple rhymes are easy to hear and repeat and will make your next drumming lesson a surefire hit!

Music Lesson Plans for Pitch

Discover lesson plans that teach musical pitch with activity lessons and games that are sure to send the fun into overdrive.

I Know an Old Lady | Introduction to Intervals Grade 2-5 There Was an Old Lady Skipped... or did she step? Using the book 'There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell,' students play xylophone patterns to distinguish between step-wise and skipping motion in this fun, introductory lesson on intervals. Get Lesson

CodeMaker! | Note Naming & Notation/Cooperative Learning Grade 4-6 Operation: Note Name! Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to ask your music students to use only the musical alphabet (A–G) to create a list of words and then turn those words into code on the musical staff. The team with the most words wins! Get Lesson

Melody Map | Introduction to Melodic Contour Grade 2-4 This tall "yarn" tells the tale! Students work in pairs to "draw" the melodic contour of a familiar kids song on the classroom floor, making pitch direction hands-on and easy to understand! Get Lesson

Mi-Do-Do Game | Introduction to Solfège Grade 2-4 I'm no Dodo... bird that is! This game uses a solfege staircase to introduce do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do. Repeat every solfege phrase you hear, but don't get caught singing Mi-Do-Do! Get Lesson

Mortimer | Introduction to Solfège Grade 2-3 Clang, Clang, Rattle, Bing, Bang! Students sing the solfege scale as Mortimer (Mortimer by Robert Munsch) goes up and down the stairs. Students accompany this story by loudly banging on pots, pans, and percussion instruments! Get Lesson

Mystery Message Game | Rhythm and Pitch Activity Grade 2-6 It's hangman with a musical twist! Students decode a secret message in this fun race by comparing and contrasting challenging rhythm and pitch sets. Always a class favorite! Get Lesson

Name That Tune | Note Naming Grade 4-6 I Can Name That Tune! This cooperative lesson challenges students to name familiar kids' songs by labeling the treble clef notes on the free worksheet. The team that names every tune fastest wins! Get Lesson

Color-by-Note | Note Naming Grade K-3 The Perfect Sub Tub Lesson! Engage every student in learning note names with this color-by-note music worksheet lesson. It’s a great no-prep lesson for subs and always a winner with students. Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Tempo

Discover lesson plans that teach students musical form through movement and listening maps and glyphs.

Bow, Wow, Wow | Form/Round Grade 2-6 Bow, Wow, Wow! An introduction to singing in a round. Your students will bark for more! Get Lesson

Hungarian Dance No.5 | Music Lesson Plan - AABBCDAB Codetta Grade 2-6 Brahms Meets Baseball. Students perform baseball moves to Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5. This lesson is always a home run! Get Lesson

In the Hall of the Mountain King | Listening Map Grade 2-6 This listening map helps students analyze and describe Grieg’s masterpiece. Get Listening Map

Tempo Cop | Tempo ID Game (Largo, Moderato, Allegro, and Presto) Grade 2-4 Tempo Cop is a fun twist on the classic Four Corners game that turns students into musical drivers, with one player acting as the Tempo Cop. Students sharpen their ears by identifying Largo, Moderato, Allegro, and Presto—all while moving, listening, and having a blast! Get Lesson

Pick a Bale of Cotton | Tempo Terms Grade 1-3 Ramp up the fun with "Pick a Bale of Cotton." This music lesson plan teaches kids tempo terms with a movement activity. Get Lesson

Messiah/Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) | Listening Lesson Grade 2-6 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! You've found it - the perfect listening map to introduce your students to one of history’s greatest works! Get Premium Lesson Pack

Michael Row the Boat Ashore | Call and Response Grade 2-3 All Aboard! Introduce Call and Response as students sit in boats and use rhythm sticks as oars to row their way through this movement lesson! Get Lesson

Rhythm Go "Round" | Form/Round Grade 3-6 Challenge your students with this "follow-the-leader" body percussion activity. This rhythmic round builds advanced listening skills as students perform one pattern while simultaneously preparing for the next! Get Lesson

Skittle, Skittle, Skittle, Ski | Form/Canon Grade 2-6 Students learn about the canon while playing body percussion patterns—including snaps, stamps, and finger pops—to create an impressive rhythmic performance. Get Lesson

Trashin' the Camp/Tarzan | AABA Form/Dance Grade 2-3 Bring the jungle to your music classroom! Students learn AABA form as they dance a different step to each section of Trashin' the Camp from Disney's "Tarzan." Get Lesson

Trepak (Nutcracker) | AABA Form/Listening Map Grade 2-4 Experience the Nutcracker through dance. Teach AABA form with Tchaikovsky’s high-energy "Trepak." This ready-to-teach lesson introduces students to the most popular ballet of all time through movement! Get Lesson

Twinkle, Twinkle, Changing Star | Music Lesson Plan - Theme and Variations Grade 2-4 Introduce Theme and Variations form with this lesson that combines listening with a worksheet that gives students an opportunity to illustrate each variation. Get Lesson

Viennese Musical Clock | Music Lesson Plan - Rondo/Dance Grade 2-3 Bring Kodaly’s masterpiece to life through role-play as dancers, trumpeters, knights, and royalty in Vienna while learning about the Seven-Part Rondo form (ABACADA). Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Time Signature and Meter

Discover lesson plans that teach students about meter and time signature through movement and get your music students smiling from ear to ear.

Chomp! Shark-Themed Music Lesson Plan - Time Signatures Grade 2-4 Watch out for the sharks! This music lesson transforms rhythm and time signature review into frantic, chomping fun with a printable board game your students will beg to play again. Get Lesson

Beat Tag | Meter Game Grade 2-5 Master meter with a game so active and fun that your students will beg you to play it again. Get Lesson

Meter, Meter, 3-4-5 | Time Signatures/Playground Balls Grade 2-4 Combine playground balls and rhythm sticks to master time 3 time signatures (3/4, 4/4, 5/4) with this movement-based lesson that's always a hit! Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Music Dynamics

Discover lesson plans that teach students dynamics through manipulative-based lessons and games.

Dynamics for Kids | MakingMusicFun.net Popsicle Stick Theater Production Grade 1-4 Learn about the four most common dynamic symbols (p, mp, mf, f) and how to play them with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle-stick theater production. Get Lesson

Musical Easter Egg Hunt | Dynamics Grade 1-6 "Am I Hot or Cold?" Students learn about four dynamic levels (p-f) and then enjoy an Easter egg hunt guided by clues from the class. In a twist on the hot-cold game, students perform piano (soft) sounds if they're far from the egg and forte (loud) sounds if they're close to it. Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Music from Diverse Cultures (World Music)

Discover lesson plans that teach students about music and cultures from around the world.

Aiken Drum | Unit Wrap-Up Grade 1-3 Provide a fun wrap-up for your Scotland unit with this traditional song. Get Lesson

Hungarian Dance No.5 | Form/AABBCDAB Codetta Grade 2-6 Brahms Meets Baseball. Students perform baseball moves to Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5. This lesson is always a home run! Get Lesson

In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg) | Listening Map Grade 2-6 This listening map helps students analyze and describe Grieg’s masterpiece. Get Listening Map

Messiah/Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) | Listening Lesson Grade 2-6 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! You've found it - the perfect listening map to introduce your students to one of history’s greatest works! Get Premium Lesson Pack

Surprise Symphony (Haydn) | Listening Lesson Grade 3-4 Zany and fun, this lesson plan delivers! Rated by students as "Mega-Wow!" Your class will never listen to Haydn's Surprise Symphony the same way again. Get Lesson

Peter and the Wolf | Leitmotif Grade 1-3 Comic Strip Creativity! Students illustrate the story of Peter and the Wolf in a comic strip as they listen to the recording! Get Lesson

Viennese Musical Clock | Rondo Form/Dance Grade 2-3 Bring Kodaly’s masterpiece to life through role-play as dancers, trumpeters, knights, and royalty in Vienna while learning about the Seven-Part Rondo form (ABACADA). Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Listening (Listening Maps and Glyphs)

Discover lesson plans that teach students about music with listening maps and glyphs, or give them a chance to compare and contrast musical scores with Venn diagrams.

O Danny Boy | Compare and Contrast Grade 2-4 This lesson compares and contrasts three versions of this Irish favorite, including a performance by the Muppets. Get Lesson

Surprise Symphony (Haydn) | Listening Map Grade 3-4 Zany and fun! This music lesson plan delivers! Rated by students as "Mega-Wow!" Your students will never listen to Haydn's Surprise Symphony in the same way again! Get Lesson

In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg) | Listening Map Grade 2-6 This listening map helps students analyze and describe Grieg’s masterpiece. Get Listening Map

Messiah/Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) | Listening Lesson Grade 2-6 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! You've found it - the perfect listening map to introduce your students to one of history’s greatest works! Get Premium Lesson Pack

John Williams | Film Score Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 See what your students hear! Listening glyphs allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Star Wars (John Williams) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade K-3 Our Star Wars listening glyphs allow students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Jurassic Park (John Williams) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 See what your students hear! Listening glyphs allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Indiana Jones (John Williams) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 Our Indiana Jones listening glyphs allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 Our The Nutcracker listening glyphs allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Kangaroo from Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saëns) | Listening Map Grade 2-6 This listening map for "Kangaroo" helps students track the whimsical music of Saint-Saëns’ masterpiece. Get Free Listening Map

Monster-Themed Music Lesson Plan Pack | Lesson Plans, Worksheets, and More Grade K-5 Ready for a month of monster-sized fun! Get monster-themed music composer lesson plans and resources, including lesson plans for composition and drumming, treble and bass clef note name and rhythm worksheets, and more. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Bach) - Form Grade 2-4 Introducing your elementary grade students to Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata from Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is easy with this ready-to-teach music lesson plan and listening map. Get Lesson

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Bach) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 Our listening glyphs for Toccata and Fugue in D Minor allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 Our listening glyphs for Peter and the Wolf allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Circus Music (Entry of the Gladiators) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 Our listening glyphs for Circus Music (Entry of the Gladiators) allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Royal March of the Lion (Carnival of the Animals) | Music Listening Glyph Worksheets Grade 2-6 Our Royal March of the Lion listening glyphs allow K-3 students to express what they hear through color, while teachers assess an entire class's understanding of musical elements at a glance. Get Premium Lesson Pack

Music Lesson Plans for Music & Movement

Discover lesson plans that teach students about music through movement.

Bow Belinda | Contradance Grade 2-4 Students learn to sing "Bow Belinda" and participate in a traditional folk dance. Get Lesson

John Kanaka | Eighth/Quarter Note and Quarter Rest Grade 2-4 "John Kanaka" is all-in-one fun! Students demonstrate an understanding of basic rhythms (quarter note, rest, and eighth note) using Tubanos, hand drums, or rhythm sticks and dancing in this joy-filled lesson. Get Lesson

Run From The Farmer | Syncopation Grade 2-3 Pre-Thanksgiving Day Wackiness! "Run from the Farmer" is a hilarious song about Thanksgiving, told from the turkey's perspective. This super-charged lesson introduces syncopation in a fun and active way. Get Lesson

Trashin' the Camp/Tarzan | AABA Form Grade 2-3 Bring the jungle to your music classroom! Students learn AABA form as they dance a different step to each section of Trashin' the Camp from Disney's "Tarzan." Get Lesson

Viennese Musical Clock | Rondo Form/Movement Activity Grade 2-3 Bring Kodaly’s masterpiece to life through role-play as dancers, trumpeters, knights, and royalty in Vienna while learning about the Seven-Part Rondo form (ABACADA). Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Instruments of the Orchestra

Discover lesson plans that teach students about the instruments of the orchestra.

Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saëns) | Popsicle Stick Video Grade 1-6 Bring Camille Saint-Saëns' 'Carnival of the Animals' to life with this free MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (7:01) Get Lesson Get Premium Puppets

Zin, Zin, Zin A Violin | Orchestra Instruments Grade 2-4 Learn about the instruments of the orchestra with the best-selling book, Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss. Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Famous Composers

Discover lesson plans that teach students about the lives, music, and culture of our most famous composers.

Meet John Williams | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about John Williams with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (3:06) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Beethoven | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about Ludwig van Beethoven with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (2:25) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Mozart | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (2:40) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Bach | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about Johann Sebastian Bach with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (4:34) Get Lesson Get Study Guide Get Premium Puppets

Meet Vivaldi | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about Antonio Vivaldi with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (2:22) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Duke Ellington | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about big band leader and jazz pianist, Duke Ellington, with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (3:24) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Scott Joplin | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about the king of ragtime, Scott Joplin, with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (3:39) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Brahms | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about Johannes Brahms with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (3:58) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Andrew LLoyd Webber | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about English musical theater composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (3:24) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Meet Lili Boulanger | Composer Biography for Kids (Video) Grade 1-6 Learn about French composer, Lili Boulanger, with this MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (2:45) Get Lesson Get Study Guide

Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saëns) | Popsicle Stick Video Grade 1-6 Bring Camille Saint-Saëns' 'Carnival of the Animals' to life with this free MakingMusicFun.net Original popsicle stick theater production. (7:01) Get Lesson Get Premium Puppets

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks (Mussorgsky) | ABA Form Grade 1-2 Hatch musical understanding! Kids peck and explore as they engage with this composer masterwork in an unforgettable, hands-on way! Get Lesson

Do-Re-Mi (Richard Rogers) | Solfège Grade 1-3 Bring Richard Rodgers’ masterpiece to life in your classroom! This lesson is perfect for introducing solfege or wrapping up a composer unit with singing and movement. Get Lesson

Flight of the Bumblebee (Rimsky-Korsakov) | Beehive Game Grade 1-3 Experience Rimsky-Korsakov’s fast-paced score through an exciting "beehive" game. Get Lesson

Gymnopedie (Erik Satie) | Same/Different Grade 1-3 Teach the concept of same vs. different through a graceful movement activity choreographed to Satie’s Gymnopedie No. 1. Get Lesson

Hungarian Dance No.5 (Brahms) | Form/AABBCDAB Codetta Grade 2-6 Brahms Meets Baseball. Students perform baseball moves to Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5. This lesson is always a home run! Get Lesson

In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg) | Listening Map Grade 2-6 This listening map helps students analyze and describe Grieg’s masterpiece. Get Listening Map

Messiah/Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) | Listening Map Grade 2-6 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! You've found it - the perfect listening map to introduce your students to one of history’s greatest works! Get Premium Lesson Pack

Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev) | Illustrate Comic Strip/Listening Grade 1-3 Comic Strip Creativity! Students illustrate the story of Peter and the Wolf in a comic strip as they listen to the recording! Get Lesson

Surprise Symphony (Haydn) | Music Lesson Plan Grade 3-4 Zany and fun! This music lesson plan delivers! Rated by students as "Mega-Wow!" Your students will never listen to Haydn's Surprise Symphony in the same way again! Get Lesson

Viennese Musical Clock | Movement/Rondo Form Grade 2-3 Bring Kodaly’s masterpiece to life through role-play as dancers, trumpeters, knights, and royalty in Vienna while learning about the Seven-Part Rondo form (ABACADA). Get Lesson

Visit Hey Kids, Meet the Composer biographies for related sheet music, worksheets, and bulletin board posters.

Music Lesson Plans for Form

Discover lesson plans that teach students about musical form.

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks | ABA Form Grade 1-2 Today, your music students "hatch!" This movement lesson introduces your youngest learners to ABA form as they perform a magnificent ballet to Mussorgsky’s masterpiece. Get Lesson

Gymnopedie (Erik Satie) | Same/Different Grade 1-3 Teach the concept of same vs. different through a graceful movement activity choreographed to Satie’s Gymnopedie No. 1. Get Lesson

Hungarian Dance No.5 | AABBCDAB Codetta Grade 2-6 Brahms Meets Baseball. Students perform baseball moves to Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5. This lesson is always a home run! Get Lesson

In the Hall of the Mountain King | Listening Map Grade 2-6 This listening map helps students analyze and describe Grieg’s masterpiece. Get Lesson

Messiah/Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) | Listening Lesson Grade 2-6 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! You've found it - the perfect listening map to introduce your students to one of history’s greatest works! Get Premium Lesson Pack

Michael Row the Boat Ashore | Call and Response Grade 2-3 All Aboard! Introduce Call and Response as students sit in boats and use rhythm sticks as oars to row their way through this movement lesson! Get Lesson

Skittle, Skittle, Skittle, Ski | Form/Canon Grade 2-6 Students learn about the canon while playing body percussion patterns—including snaps, stamps, and finger pops—to create an impressive rhythmic performance. Get Lesson

Trashin' the Camp/Tarzan | AABA Form/Dance Grade 2-3 Bring the jungle to your music classroom! Students learn AABA form as they dance a different step to each section of Trashin' the Camp from Disney's "Tarzan." Get Lesson

Trepak (Nutcracker) | AABA Form/Listening Map Grade 2-4 Experience the Nutcracker through dance. Teach AABA form with Tchaikovsky’s high-energy "Trepak." This ready-to-teach lesson introduces students to the most popular ballet of all time through movement! Get Lesson

Twinkle, Twinkle, Changing Star | Theme and Variations Grade 2-4 Introduce Theme and Variations form with this lesson that combines listening with a worksheet that gives students an opportunity to illustrate each variation. Get Lesson

Viennese Musical Clock | Rondo Form/Movement Activity Grade 2-3 Bring Kodaly’s masterpiece to life through role-play as dancers, trumpeters, knights, and royalty in Vienna while learning about the Seven-Part Rondo form (ABACADA). Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Compare & Contrast (Same & Different)

Discover lesson plans that teach students to compare and contrast musical scores.

Gymnopedie (Erik Satie) | Same/Different Grade 1-3 Teach the concept of same vs. different through a graceful movement activity choreographed to Satie’s Gymnopedie No. 1. Get Lesson

Music Lesson Plans for Music Composition

Discover lesson plans that provide students with an easy introduction to the world of music composition and an opportunity to compose their own music.

Composing with Kids | Free Web-Based Music App Grade 2-6 Spark creativity in your music classroom instantly—no signup, no login required! Kids compose songs, create beats, and explore rhythms on an intuitive grid. Includes 50 guided lessons perfect for centers, independent work, or whole-class activities. Free Web-Based App & Lessons

Down by the Bay | Writing Lyrics and Drawing Grade K-1 Unlock the creativity of your music students by asking them to create their own verses to 'Down by the Bay' and illustrate these ideas to understand the relationship between music and art. Get Lesson

Pizza Man, Pizza Man | Music Composition Lesson and Worksheet Grade 2-4 Pizza, music and kids... what could be better? Students combine all three with this popular and fun-filled music lesson plan, Pizza Man, Pizza Man. Get Lesson

Star Wars Rap | Music Composition Lesson and Worksheet Grade 2-4 Make your next music classroom lesson a galactic adventure! This music composition lesson and worksheet gives students their first opportunity to write music like Star Wars film composer, John Williams. Get Lesson