Picture this. It’s another Monday morning but you’re still clinging to the weekend. Your usual morning general music class starts as usual but something feels different. Students are calling out. You notice everyone is giggling and distracted. After reminding your class of the behavioral expectations, you quickly realize as you catch a student chewing gum, that you’re repeating those expectations. And then, as you try to continue with your lesson, a student interrupts with a question:
“When is music over?”
You sigh and look at the date on the board. It’s official. It’s the end of the school year, and they’ve checked out.
When your students disengage like this, it can feel impossible to plan your remaining general music lessons. If you’ve still got days or weeks of teaching music ahead before the end of the school year, I’m here to help! Today I’m sharing my favorite general music lessons to end the year in a way that’s musical, magical, and motivating for all. Let’s get started!
A Tropical, Caribbean-Themed General Music Lesson
This is one of those general music lessons you’ll love having in your teacher toolkit! It’s bright, it’s beachy, and it introduces your upper elementary and middle school students to more than ten different genres of Caribbean music!
Conveniently, this is a great end-of-year lesson that can capture the imaginations of students already dreaming of summer and the beach. Go ahead and immerse them in the sounds of the islands!
General Music Lessons to End the Year includes note-taking sheets, genre worksheets, assessments, and digital activities!
- Provides an understanding of Caribbean island culture
- Ideal for Grades 6-8
- Introduces Reggae and Salsa Rhythms
- Offers a Merengue Dance Tutorial
- Includes note-taking sheets, worksheets, digital activities, and assessments
The Perfect Recorder Song for the End of the Year
Want to end the year with your general music students playing a recorder hit? Students LOVE playing this simple and easy arrangement of the tune We Will Rock You. It uses the notes B-A-G-C and a simple rhythmic ostinato. The best part? The optional lyrics have been modified to be school-appropriate and family-friendly! No mention of blood or any bad messaging!
- Ideal for grades 3-6
- Uses notes B-A-G-C
- Reviews quarter notes, eighth notes, quarter rests, and half rests
- Zero prep
- Easy to learn
- Highly engaging song
- Age-appropriate lyrics
General Music Activities for the End of the Year
If you’re at the point where you’re in the final school days of general music class teaching, and you’re looking for something less formal to end the year on a high note, check out these awesome activities. Both activities are zero-prep, stress-free and highly engaging for your students!
The Blues Cruise Virtual Field Trip for General Music Class
Let’s be honest. The end of the year can be chaotic. Last-minute field trips, pep rallies, field days, yearbook signings, and so many other exciting activities can leave students feeling overstimulated and disengaged. The Blues Cruise is an awesome virtual field trip to end the year. It’s laid back, requires no prep from you, and students can easily explore the eight interactive rooms at their own pace.
Your students only need a device like a Chromebook or iPad and some earbuds, and they’re all set for this engaging and interactive activity. Don’t be surprised if students ask to share the blues songs they create in the interactive recording studio. It’s one of their favorite activities inside the virtual field trip!
- Interactive virtual field trip to learn about blues music
- Ideal for grades 4-6
- Includes eight interactive virtual rooms
- Teaches blues music through singing, movement and composition activities
How Well Do You Know Your Music Teacher? End-of-Year Activity
This not-so-serious activity will have you and the students cracking up! This low-prep activity is as simple as typing answers to 25 questions onto the slides before class. To play, students will raise their hands to answer silly questions like “What song is always stuck in your music teacher’s head?” or “What song does your music teacher secretly love?” After some laughs, you can click to reveal the answer. I promise it’s an entertaining last day activity because you never know what the students are going to say!
*Bonus Idea: Try splitting the class into teams and keeping score for a friendly competition!
- Flexible, works for all grade levels
- Includes 25 question slides
- Low prep, just type your responses and play
- Bond with your students at the end of the year
Finding General Music Lessons to End the Year Strong
So, if you’re feeling tired and facing the end of the year, don’t stress! These general music lessons and activities have you covered! Even if your students have completely checked out of learning, I promise you can re-engage your classroom. Whether you choose the tropical Caribbean music lesson, the We Will Rock You recorder song, or any of the other music class activities in this post, it’s all in good fun!
Ultimately, these lessons will help you end the year with meaningful, musical experiences your students will actually enjoy. And if you’re looking for more ideas, make sure you’re a member of the Chamber of Freebies—it’s full of time-saving resources created just for general music teachers.
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