Strategies+for+Teaching+High+School+General+Music


 * 1.** **DESTINATION**

The title of this site is Strategies for Teaching High School General Music (http://www.menc.org/mbronly/publication/strategies/strategies02/Strategiestoc.html) This site requires a nine-digit MENC number to access.


 * 2. AUTHORITY**

This is a ".org" domain, which is appropriate because MENC itself is a non-profit organization. The site was written by Carolynn A. Lyndeman and was compiled and edited by Keith P. Thompson and Gloria J. Keister.


 * 3. INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT**

This website is a gold mine for instructional content. Every National Standard is listed on the website, and then every sub-standard is also listed, along with a short explanation of the sub-standard. The great thing about this site though, is that every substandard explanation has a link that, when clicked on, brings up anywhere from one to four different lesson plans that you as a teacher could use in the general music classroom to teach that specific substandard. The lessons deal mostly with grades 9-12, but there are some grade 5-8 lessons included as well. Each lesson plan includes a list of materials and prior knowledge needed, a list of procedures a method of assessment, and a few follow-up ideas for future lessons.

National Music Standards that could be addressed through this website include: All of them

Site last updated in 2002


 * 4. PURPOSE, VIEWPOINT**

This page is apart of the //Strategies for Teaching// series from MENC, a series created to help preservice and in-service music educators implement the K–12 National Standards for Music Education. It is extremely useful for teachers for grades 9-12 general music who are having trouble creating lessons that conform with certain National Standards


 * 5. REPUTATION**

MENC is about as reputable as it gets in terms of reliability and trustworthiness.


 * 6. OVERALL EVALUATION**

This is an unbelievable resource for teachers of all experience levels. There are close to if not more than 100 different lesson plans on this site dealing with almost every single substandard (there is usually one pre major standard that is left out). However, it should be stressed that these lesson plans are ideas only, and shouldn’t be used exclusively or as an excuse for not having a curriculum. Nonetheless, this should prove to be an invaluable source to high school teachers, a good source for middle school teachers, and a near useless source for elementary teachers. Were it not for the complete lack of grades K-4 lessons this would definitely get 4 stars, but as it is, its still a fantastic resource for any teacher, even if it is just to spark ideas.

Rating: +++

Reviewed by: Andy Boron, 4-17-06