Narrative Prompt:​ You have been contacted by a school or community organization to create a unit for help

learners ​use ukuleles to make music​ and ​explore music to develop empathy and cultural competence​. The
organization has asked you to create a ​unit curricula ​that can be used by multiple teachers (including you) that will
be clear enough to allow for unity in the learning/activities of each class/group, but allow for adaptability for
specifics of each group of learners and each teacher.

Use the setting of your practicum placement (if you are JMUke, pick on setting) as the basis for this curricula. You
will turn in a completed and well-thought-out curriculum plan using the UbD template below. You may work alone
or in groups of no more than four. Feel welcome to use and adapt the songs/goals you have begun to generate
already in your leadership assignments. Also, you may want to draw on the readings you have done for your
Scholarship project to shape how you frame learning and teaching here.

Please copy and paste this guide into your own google document. Replace all text that is written in ​italics​. There
are multiple steps:
- 4/17 by 4:00PM: Context Statement and Stage 1
- 4/24 by 4:00PM: Stage 2 and begin Stage 3
- 5/3 by 11:59PM: All (complete Stage 3 and craft end assessment rubric)
-
The full project will be due May 2 by 11:59. To submit, create a leadership blog post and include the following:
- A textbox that describes what this is and what you have learned through the process of creating this
curricula.
- A link to the google document set with share settings as “Anyone with Link can Comment.”
- A PDF of the document embedded in the post using the Scribd tool.

Unit Name: Community Setting  

Context Statement:
The setting from JMUke will be at the Boys and Girls Club, a community space, in Harrisonburg, VA. This
community is focused on building kids’ and teens’ essential skills with unique and enriching programs and
activities. The age range is from 6-12 and it is believed most of these students have minimal musical background,
including ukulele. This group of pre-teens and children are mostly interested in fun activities that challenge the
mind, but stays within the zone of proximal development.

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Standards: Goals:
1.1 The student
will read and - 1. I can sing and play 4 songs at the end of the experience that include
notate music, chords G, C, F, and Am. (T)
including - 2. I can play the chords and sing in time with the tempo at the end of the
1.high and experience. (T/S)
low pitches, using - 3. I can play all four strings while doing a D D D D or U U U U strum
traditional and pattern, three out of four times by the end of the experience. (S)
nontraditional - 4. I can hold a ukulele comfortably by the end of the beginning lesson. (S)
notation; - 5. I can smoothly transition from one chord to the next by the time we are
1.10 The student halfway through the experience. (S)
will explore - 6. I can name important parts of the ukulele (neck/strings/hole) and explain
historical and their importance/use by the end of the lesson. (K)
cultural aspects of - 7. I can identify the chords by letter name instead of by the color of the
music by fingering stickers by the end of the second lesson. (K)
3. identifying - 8. I can identify cultural context within the music and instrument choice. (K)
musicians in the
school,
community, and
media;
1.13 The student
will analyze music
by
1.identifying
and classifying the
timbres of pitched
and non-pitched
instruments by
sounds;

2.differentiating
vocal and
instrumental
music;
1.14 The student
will identify
elements of
performances that
he/she likes or
dislikes and
explain why.
2.2 The student
will sing a
repertoire of songs
alone and with
others, including
1. singing
 melodic
patterns
that move
upward,
downward,
and stay
the same;
2.3 The student
will play a variety
of pitched and
non-pitched
instruments alone
and with others,
including
1. playing
melodic
patterns
that move
upward,
downward,
and stay
the same;
2.10 The student
will analyze music
by
4. using music
vocabulary to
describe music.

Generative (Essential) Questions:

- Why might musicians playing the ukulele use the fingering they do for the chords?
- What factors determine what strum pattern one would use for a specific song?
- What are the benefits of the different types of notation for ukulele music (Ex: tabs vs written out)

Stage 2 - Evidence 

This Evidence Rubric will allow instructors to note observations of the students throughout the entirety of the
lesson. Some goal evidence is very concrete, for instance playing chords, because there is a specific way to play
chords (placing fingers in specific locations). Other goals, like learning strum patterns, allow more flexibility with
evidence. Students may only be able to learn one strum pattern, and others may be able to learn five others. Every
learner is different and this rubric is trying to include this. The main goal of this rubric is to provide evidence that
the learners are showing attempts and determination.
Learners Are... Needs Improvement Good Excellent

Strumming a Learners are not attempting Learners are strumming a Learners are strumming a
pattern to keep a steady strum or specified pattern, with a few specified pattern on the
beat pauses down beats, constant

Holding the Ukulele Learners are not supporting Learners are holding the Learners are holding the
correctly the ukulele correctly, or are ukulele as instructed, ukulele as instructed, and
not treating it with care needing a few minor can fix their placement
adjustments often when asked

Engaging with Learners are refusing to Learners are interacting and Learners are interacting
teachers and other interact with others when listening to teachers and and engaging with both
learners approached. other learners only when their teachers and their
asked. learners without being
prompted.

Singing and playing Learners are only singing or Learners are attempting to Learners are successfully
at the same time playing, not doing both at sing and play at the same singing and playing at the
the same time. time with partial success. same time.

Participating when Learners are refusing to Learners are hesitant or Learners are open to
asked participate when asked by require some participating in activities
the teachers encouragement to when asked by the
participate in activities teachers

Willing to try new Learners refuse to Learners are open to trying Learners are willing and
patterns or chords experiment with new things. new patterns and chords excited to experience new
chords and strum patterns.

Can demonstrate
their
understanding of
taught subject

Can express Learners are

musicality demonstrating dynamics,
tempi, rhythm, articulation
and more while performing
Adaptations:
1. If learners have small hands and have trouble placing their fingers on the strings you might have to guide
them or show them an easier fingering.
2. If there are learners aren’t playing each chord/strumming to the beat a quick fix would be to help them
solidify the chords they are playing until everyone is on the same page.
3. If learners aren’t playing the correct strum pattern a way to fix that would be to show them how to do it
on your ukulele first and then have them do it. If that doesn’t work have them slow down the strum
pattern first.
4. Some learners react to colors better than numbers. If this is the case, you can place different color stickers
on places of the ukulele so that they know where to place their fingers.
5. If learner is having trouble transitioning between each chord we can help them solidify that by
compartmentalizing and just switching between two chords at a time.
6. Again, some learners react to color more than other things so a good way for them to learn the parts of
the ukulele would be to color code each part.
7. Learners could make the connection of the color of chord on the screen with the same color on the
ukulele stickers for the same chord fingerings.
8. Educators could help young learners remember composers by repetition and simple explanation.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

Day one: ​Students should come in the first day ready to learn some new chords based on color and note names as
well as strum patterns. We will grab their attention by playing ukulele music as they come in, and having
instruments around for them to pick up if they want to start experimenting. The teachers will begin the lesson by
teaching the students in small groups how to play different chords based on color stickers. Once the students are
taught the chord’s shape and fingering, the teacher will then explain chord names that go with the different
colors, and begin to refer to that way as well. They will only refer to them as their color when students need extra
help. Once some basic chords are learned, the teacher will start to teach basic chord progressions with the two
different strum patterns, for example: C-F-G-C with four down strokes on each chord. They will practice this in a
few different keys.

Day two:​ When the students come in for day two, the class will spend the first ten minutes reviewing what they
learned in their last class by having students demonstrate different things they remember. Once most of the topics
are reviewed, the teacher can jump in and cover some things the students didn’t remember for another 5
minutes. Once this is done the teacher will pull up the power-point with a few very basic songs that the students
can play with the chords that they know. The class will first play the chords from the song in order while only the
teacher sings. This will help make sure they can do this task before adding to the difficulty and asking for them to
sing through it as well as play.

Day three:​ To start off the third day we will have a short jam session and give the students a chance to play what
they want. We can ask them to sing with what they are playing and try and keep a steady tempo. This will
kick-start the students interest for the day, and also start to introduce the idea of singing while they play. We can
then ask them more songs they want to learn and look up the tabs. While we are starting to teach them the new
songs we can ask them what they know about the history of the pieces they chose. While we are openly discussing
what they think, an assistant teacher can be researching the historical contacts of the
Discuss the specific process by which learners will make progress toward the goals. Specifically address the ways
you, as a teacher, will support, challenge, and wind for the learners. What “workshops,” “lessons,” or “experiences”
will you guide learners in to help them develop tools needed to grow? How will you support individual learning and
growth? Identify when and how assessments occur throughout the unit. Your unit should be at least 6
days/meetings long (for 30-minute class periods in class settings) and/or 3 days/meetings long (for 1 hour-long
community settings). These will be sketches, not complete experience designs.

You may choose to sketch this out in a number of ways, including:

- A series of days (maybe this is a 10 day project) with the day noted along with the
- A vignette that tells what students and teacher are doing each day of the unit. These would be narratively
dense.

Final Assessment Rubric 

Goal/Quality No Evidence  Minimal  Meet  Exceeds 

Evidence  Expectations  Expectations 

1. ​I can sing and Learner doesn’t Learner has - Learner can strum Learner can play more
play 4 songs at the understand where difficulty playing the chords and sing than 4 songs and can
end of the to place fingers, and singing at the at the same time, ¾ play included chords
experience that does not attempt, same time, they songs (G, C, F, and Am) plus 1
include chords G, ¾ songs may only do one, ¾ - Learner can find or more chords than
C, F, and Am songs the fingerings and the already included
produce a full chords.
sound, ¾ songs

2. ​ I can play the Learner is - Learner can either - Learner strums Learner can strum and
chords and sing in distressed or strum or sing to the and sings to the sing with tempo as well
time with the frustrated with any beat, or they do not beat of the songs, ¾ as attempt a different
tempo at the end changes, they do attempt either, ¾ songs strumming pa
of the experience. not attempt, ¾ songs - Learner can follow
songs - Learner can strum any beat/tempi
and sing to the changes by
beat, but may be observing the
out of time instructor and
sometimes, ¾ peers, ¾ songs
songs.

3. ​ I can play all Learner does not Learner attempts Learner plays all -Learner plays all four
four strings while attempt strum strum pattern but four strings while strings while doing a D
doing a D D D D or pattern. may not play all doing a D D D D or U D D D or U U U U strum
U U U U strum four strings or only U U U strum pattern, four out of
pattern, three out play 2/4 times by pattern, ¾ times by four times or more by
of four times by the end of the the end of the the end of the
the end of the experience. experience. experience.
experience. - Learner attempts to
create their own strum
 pattern.

4. ​ I can hold a Learner does not Learner Learner shows Learner can help others
ukulele attempt to learn sometimes strums where to place their to hold their ukelele
comfortably by the how to hold the or places fingers hands and finger on safely,
end of the ukelele. out of proper the ukelele.
beginning lesson. placements.

5. ​I can smoothly -Learner can’t - Learner transitions Learner transitions Learner transitions
transition from one transition between between chords between chords 3/4 between chords 4/4
chord to the next chords. successfully ½ of times by end of times by end of
by the time we are the song. experience. experience.
halfway through  
the experience.  

6. ​ I can name -Learner cannot -Learner can -Learner can Learner can explain the
important parts of identify any parts identify parts of the explain the importance and use of
the ukulele of the ukulele by ukulele by name. importance and use each part of the ukelele
(neck/strings/hole) name. of each part of the as well as tell their
and explain their ukulele. peers anout the
importance/use by importance.
the end of the
lesson

7. ​I can identify the Learner cannot Learner can identify Learner can identify Learner can identify
chords by letter identify the chords the chords by the the chords by letter chords by letter names
name instead of by by letter name at color of the name by end of 2nd as well as connect
the color of the all. fingering stickers by lesson. them to the color of
fingering stickers end of 1st lesson the stickers
by the end of the
second lesson.

8. ​I can identify Learner cannot -Learner is able to -Learner is able to - Learner is able to
cultural context identify cultural identify composers identify composers apply knowledge to the
within the music context within the and other elements of and realize their song by connecting
and instrument music and pieces but unable to
cultural relevance. that to the relevant
choice. instrument choice interpret
culture.
understanding in their
own words​.