3 lesson plans for a musical substitute teacher (upper primary)

These 3 lesson plans for upper primary (Australian grades 5-7*) are designed for:

• A substitute music teacher who IS a music teacher - though they do not need to be trained in any particular method.
• The goal of these lessons is not to cover content. When filling in for a teacher, we do not want to race ahead with concepts they are not ready to introduce. Nor do we want to labour knowledge or skills the children already know well. If you know in advance what children have already been taught, you can insert more specific content. The main objective of these lesson plans is to provide an opportunity for students to enjoy making music!
• Included are 3 lesson plans, hyperlinks to the resources used, some helpful notes and a page outlining the objectives of each ‘category’ of song to inform your teaching and in case you need to offer learning objectives or justify why you are having so much fun!
• You need NO technology for these lessons and no resources other than a print out of the lesson plans and any songs you may not have memorised. Most of the songs can be done at students desks, so you can teach in any classroom. At most, there is one singing game which needs space to sit on the floor and move around. If you don't have space, you can substitute another song or spend longer on other aspects of the lesson. Alternatively, if there is an outside space close by, you could finish outside with the singing game - this could be used as a reward for full participation in the rest of the lesson.

Some states in Australia begin secondary schooling in grade 7, others in grade 8.