Music Lesson Plan for Special Education Grades 3-5 (Mild-Moderate)

If you are a music teacher new to Special Education, or need ideas for your lessons you've come to the right place.  The lesson plan below contains activities my students have not only participated in and enjoyed, but that do not require a musical background to lead.

3-5th Grade Special Education Music Lesson Plan - 45-60 minutes

Materials:

1. Instrument (such as a bell, drum, ukelele or glockenspiel)
2. Bluetooth speaker
3. Laptop & projector (if available)
4. If no projector: Music-related picture book 
5. Cards for Classification Game
6. Two beanbags per student
7. One egg shaker per student
8. Hand sanitizer
   

 Set up:

• Students should sit in chairs in a semi circle
• Block easy access to your instruments (i.e. with a desk) 

Class Greeting 

A class greeting with an instrument helps establish music time.  Sing "Time for music" with a doorbell "ding-dong" melody. 

Hello Song: Have students play along with an instrument such as a drum or tambourine while the class sings their name.  Hello song suggestion: "We've Been Waiting for You" which can be sung a capella (with no background music) and include everyone's name.

Wide World of Music: If a projector/ Smartboard and internet access are available to you: share the Wide World of Music website with the class and explain that it contains musical instruments from around the world. Students take turns going up to the board and tapping on the instrument they want to hear.  Make sure to mention what type of instrument it is (Wind, String or Percussion) which is indicated by the background color of each image.

*If no projector available, share a story featuring instruments such as Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!, Drum Dream Girl, or La Mariachi and play the sounds of the mentioned instruments from the WWM site over a speaker.

Classification Game*  Now that students have been hearing the three categories of instruments during the activity, it's time to play a game!

 

• Use with whiteboard using magnets, pocket charts, or on posters

1. Set up a 3-section chart (option: project it) with the headings "String" "Wind" and "Percussion" and go over the basics of and differences between each musical instrument family.
2. Ask for volunteers to pick a card, read it to the class (kindly help them if needed), and put it in the right musical family. Tip: play the sound of each instrument from the Wide World of Music site.
3. Ask class if they are correct (if they are), and if they are not make indirect suggestions such as "Does it have strings?" "Does it need air to make a sound?" "Do you need to tap it, shake it, or scrape it to play it?"

 *Printable cards available for purchase at my TPT site.

 "Seven Jumps" with Bean Bags: Model the movements before distributing the bean bags to students.  Prompt them to say the color of beanbag (or egg, or scarf, etc.) to give them a choice and encourage verbal communication.

 

Transition: collect one bean bag per student.

Humpty Dumpty: Students love this activity that challenges them to keep the bean bag on their head until we recite the word "fall!" and they lean their head forward to catch it.  With my special ed students, I found it very effective to have them "practice" three times or so with the bean bag, and then I collect them and give them a "real egg."  Below is a wonderful example:

Shake and stop + Freeze dance: This song is fun and challenges students to freeze / follow along, and can also be played as a freeze dance game with or without the recording.  I demonstrate it myself once before inviting students to move around safely, and encouraging them to return to their seats when the song is about to end.

“I Know A Chicken”  I usually play this song for students on a ukulele, but the recording can work as well.  Students shake along and many sing along as well.  After a couple of weeks, many students are able to be the "caller" in this song, and I like selecting three students per verse and I do three rounds of the song with them.

Goodbye Song: You can sing "Music Time is Over" in the same ding-dong (sol mi) melody you used at the beginning of class or the song of your choice.  Here is an example:

  

During the goodbye song, you can distribute hand sanitizer to students and other teachers present.  Finally, encourage the class to give themselves an applause for doing so well in Music Class.

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Did you try some or all of this lesson plan?  Let us know how it went!