Many orchestra teachers have experienced feelings of panic when they first read the National Standards and realize that the coalition standard is for performance ensembles as well as general music classes. Teachers who are responsible for starting beginners or who teach intermediate players may wonder about the feasibility of teaching composition to such musically inexperienced students. Some educators may have no idea when to start, where to start or how to structure such instruction. In this article, the author suggests some strategies for teaching composition to orchestra students and provides some sources of materials that can inspire teachers and help them find ideas for creating meaningful and appropriate assignments. (Contains 1 figure, 5 resources and 5 online resources.)