Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Music · Grade 5

Reading the Staff

Fifth graders learn to read notes on the treble-clef staff — the lines (E-G-B-D-F, “Every Good Boy Does Fine”) and spaces (F-A-C-E) — unlocking the ability to read written music.

Grade 5Notation40 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name the staff lines.
  • ✓Name the spaces.
  • ✓Match positions to notes.
  • ✓Read music notes.
Essential Question

Music is written on five lines called the staff. Each line and space is a note! How do you read the notes on the staff?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Staff Position to Its Note

Project this and match each treble-clef staff position to its note — tap a position, then tap the note.

🎼 Match each staff position to its noteTry it
Staff Position
Note
Now tap the note!
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Listen · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Listen — Notes on Lines

5 min

Music is written on five lines — each is a note. How do we read them?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show the staff.
  • Point to a note.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Reading the Staff

10 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Match the Staff Position.
  • Note EGBDF and FACE.
  • Match each one.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

11 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a line note.
  • Name a space note.
  • Write a note on the staff.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Line.
  • Space.
  • Write it.
4

Perform — Perform

9 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Play or sing a note.
  • Name it on the staff.
  • Be kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Play it.
  • Name it.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say the line notes.
  • Say the space notes.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say them.
  • Say them.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Music).

NCAS
MU:Pr4.2.5

Read notes on the staff.

NCAS
MU:Cr1.1.5

Explore notation.

NCAS
MU:Re7.2.5

Describe pitch on the staff.

NCAS
MU:Pr5.1.5

Perform from notation.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Staff + note cards.
  • Sentence frame: “The ___ line/space is ___.”
  • Use a staff poster.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with lines OR spaces.
  • Use a labeled staff.
  • Match one pair.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Read a whole line of notes.
  • Add ledger lines.
  • Write a melody.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎼A staff poster
  • 💻Match the Staff Position to Its Note
  • 🎹A keyboard
  • 🖍️Staff paper
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

staffthe five lines music is ontreble clefthe high-notes clefline notea note on a linespace notea note in a spaceEGBDFthe line notesFACEthe space notespitchhow high or lownotea music symbol
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What note is on the bottom line of the treble staff?
E.
QUESTION 2
What do the space notes spell, bottom to top?
FACE.
QUESTION 3
What is the staff?
The five lines that music is written on.

Reflect: read the staff.

Have children name three notes on the treble staff using “Every Good Boy Does Fine” and “FACE.” A printable staff sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Reading the StaffFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Reading the StaffQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Reading the StaffPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: EGBDF, FACE, line note, note, pitch, space note, staff, treble clef
  1. a music symbol
  2. how high or low
  3. the line notes
  4. the high-notes clef
  5. the space notes
  6. the five lines music is on
  7. a note on a line
  8. a note in a space

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What note is on the bottom line of the treble staff?
  2. What do the space notes spell, bottom to top?
  3. What is the staff?
Answer key — Part A: 1) note · 2) pitch · 3) EGBDF · 4) treble clef · 5) FACE · 6) staff · 7) line note · 8) space note
Part B: 1) E. 2) FACE. 3) The five lines that music is written on.