Teaching critical thinking is difficult in elementary music instruction because of the limited time devoted to music; yet it must be considered a vital part of music instruction, as students must not only become knowledgeable about music, but should also learn to think intelligently about music. Recommendations for the content of elementary music curricula are provided, which draw heavily from the Music Educators' National Conference (MENC), supplemented by several school music curriculum guides and texts. A major factor influencing the extent and quality of elementary music instruction in the future will be the financial support of the schools. It is hoped that music programs will have a more central role in the total curriculum. Broad goals are set, and eight critical thinking skills (focusing, information gathering, remembering, organizing, analyzing, generating, integrating, and evaluating) are discussed in light of those goals. The recommended content is considered both from the point of view of minimal instruction by a classroom teacher and instruction 3 to 5 days a week by a music specialist. Recommended teacher competencies drawn from MENC and the author's expertise in music teacher training are discussed. An appendix gives a detailed analysis of a general music lesson indicating how a topic can be taught using critical thinking skills. A 26-item bibliography concludes the document. (JB)