This paper examines the relationship between pedagogy and subject matter specifically in the context of the instructional planning provided by two alternative route programs. Instructional planning can be and often is taught to teacher candidates as a generic skill, yet in practice it must necessarily occur in the context of a subject. The paper describes four examples of lessons teacher candidates received in instructional planning. Two of these occurred in the context of a curriculum. The first portrayed instructional planning as a matter of choosing instructional goals. The second portrayed instructional planning as a matter of arranging required subject matter into the available calendar spaces. The other two examples were removed from any curriculum context. The first of these focused on a well-organized sequence for instruction, with the focus on packaging and presenting each day's subject matter. The second portrayed instructional planning as a process that existed independent of subject matter. A discussion is presented on the implications of such lessons for subject matter content. (JD)