Unit Name: Community Setting  

Context Statement:​ ​The curricula has been designed for any community space related to restaurants, bars, and
breweries. The Friendly Fermenter in downtown Harrisonburg would be a specific location to use this curricula.
These spaces attract a variety of people with many different backgrounds and characteristics. People of older ages
tend to go to these locations. The most common range of ages found in these location would be anywhere from
20 years of age to about 40 years of age. There are some older and some younger. This curricula has been
designed to create an open learning environment that creates ease in a group learning experience for beginners.
Musical experience of the learners is extremely varied. Some will have transferable skills from previous guitar
playing. Some will have little to no experience at all with music making.

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Standards: Goals:
● I can ​use the ukulele in this setting to work collaboratively with peers in a
Analysis, Evaluation, and group setting. (T)
Critique ● I can ​read a ukulele chord chart and sight read any chord after given the chart.
1.13​ The student will (S)
analyze music by ● I can ​play the ukulele using proper chord technique and strumming patterns.
(S)
1. identifying and ● I can ​understand chord function in context of any given song. (K, U)
classifying the timbres ● I can ​express feelings and emotion evoked by this experience and channel it
of pitched and into my playing. (T,S)
nonpitched instruments ● I can ​use dynamics while playing and understand when certain dynamics are
by sounds; appropriate/applicable. (U)
2. differentiating vocal ● I can ​perform varying kinds of music with varying harmonic structures on
and instrumental music; ukulele. (T)
3. distinguishing
between accompanied
and unaccompanied
vocal music; and
4. recognizing
differences in melodic
and rhythmic patterns
and dynamics.

1.15​ The student will

demonstrate manners
and teamwork that
contribute to success in
the music classroom.

Aesthetics
K.13 ​The student will
express personal
feelings evoked by a
musical experience.

2.13​ The student will

explain how music
expresses ideas,
experiences, and
feelings

Performance
6.2​ The student will
perform a varied
repertoire of music,
including

1. demonstrating
acceptable performance
behaviors;
2. following dynamic
and tempo markings;
and
3. singing or playing
music in unison and
simple harmony.

5.3​ The student will play

a variety of pitched and
nonpitched instruments
alone and with others
including

1. playing music of
increasing difficulty in a
variety of ensembles;
2. playing melodies and
accompaniments of
increasing difficulty
written on the treble
staff;
3. playing with
expression; and
4. demonstrating proper
playing techniques.

Music History and

Cultural Context
2.8​ The student will
demonstrate audience
and participant
behaviors appropriate
for the purposes
and settings in which
music is performed

Music Theory/Literacy
MG.1​ The student will
echo, read, and notate
music, including

1. identifying, defining,
and using basic standard
notation for pitch,
rhythm, meter,
articulation, dynamics,
and other elements of
music;
2. using chord charts;
3. using guitar tablature;
and
4. singing lines selected
from music being
studied

Generative (Essential) Questions:

● How are you able to take the knowledge and skills learned here into the world and use
them?
● After this curriculum is over, what can you do to further your learning and continue to
pursue the ukulele?
● How can you share what you have learned with others who may be interested in learning
the ukulele?

Stage 2 - Evidence 

Reflections
Participants will write reflections at the end of each session. They will be provided with some guiding questions.
Examples include:

1. How did you feel at the end of this session? (happy, stressed, excited, hopeful, etc)
2. Do you feel that you have gained any skills after coming to this session?
3. What worked, what didn’t?
4. What questions do you still have?
5. Write some general observations about your own learning during this session.
A great way to assess the growth of individuals would be to have them fill out a form at the beginning of the first
session about their experience and skills. They could fill out an identical form at the end of the performance after
the last session.

Performances
Participants will perform in a small concert at the end of the last session. They will choose the covers and songs
that they want to perform and put together a small program. The performance will be relaxed and casual. The
community is invited to the concert. Facilitators will observe the performance and informally assess group
performance in order to create a better experience in the future. Facilitators and participants will get together one
last time at the end of the performance to wrap up. Participants will be provided with a link to a google form in
which they can submit their perceptions of their own progress throughout the three sessions and performance.

During the sessions, participants will perform for each other individually or in groups. They will write reflections
and give feedback on each other’s playing.

After the experience is over, participants will contribute recordings of their own playing to form a virtual ukulele
choir. They will use band hub and record one or multiple videos of themselves playing chords or melodic lines to a
specific song that they all agree to use.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

Session 1- Intro to Uke.

Goals:
● Learn basic ukulele chords and strum patterns that will be used often in most of the songs we will learn.
● Be able to play through an easy 3 (or 4) chord song at the end of the experience
Activities:
● Learn individual chords by looking at charts. Facilitators will check fingerings.
● Participants will practice switching between chords that facilitators will call out.
● Facilitators will introduce participants to different strum patterns. Different strum patterns will be used in
an activity similar to the previous one.
● Participants will learn a simple three chord song to practice and perform at the end of this session. Chords
will include C, F, and G.

Session 2- Expanding Ukulele Skills

Goals:
● Comfortably play and switch between the basic chords learned in the previous session.
● Learn more difficult chords contained in songs that they will later perform.
● Perform a more difficult song(s) at the end of the session

Activities
● Participants will review chords from the previous session in an activity in which the facilitator calls them
out at random.
● Participants will play the song that they learned in the last session.
● Facilitators will introduce participants to new chords such as Em, Am, Dm
● Participants will play the same game in which the facilitator calls out chords at random, this time with the
 new chords that they just learned. Facilitators will also add the chords from the previous session.
● Participants will learn higher level songs in a jam based section of the session.

Session 3- Musicianship and Performing on the Ukulele

Goals:
● Perfect chord changing flow and accurate fingerings
● Perform any song using chords discussed and practiced during all three sessions
● Reflect on the shared musical experience in a group setting

Activities:
● Participants will reviewing songs that have already been played, paying special attention to chords, chord
changes, and any uncommon chords.
● Participants will engage in “sight reading” chord charts to ensure that they can play them with ease and
flow.
● Participants will perform a mini concert with songs that they have already learned. The community will be
invited and encouraged to sing along during the concert.
● After the concert, participants and facilitators will meet to debrief and reflect on the entire experience in a
discussion based set up.

Final Assessment Rubric 

Goal/Quality No Evidence  Minimal  Meet  Exceeds 

Evidence  Expectations  Expectations 

1 ​The participant can The participant  The participant can The participant can
perform varying kinds of The participant can perform  perform some styles confidently perform a
music with varying cannot perform one or two  and harmonic variety of styles and
different  structures on harmonic structures
harmonic structures on different harmonic
harmonic  ukulele with good on ukulele with
ukulele. structures on structures on  technique. correct technique.
ukulele and uses ukulele with 
no correct ukulele messy 
technique. technique. 

2 ​The participant can The participant  The participant can The participant can
use dynamics while The participant can perform a  perform some perform a wide range
playing and understand can play at one few dynamics at  dynamics at some of dynamics when the
some  appropriate times specific dynamics are
when certain dynamics dynamic and does
appropriate and  or when it is asked appropriate or when it
are not know when it inappropriate  of them in musical is asked of them in
appropriate/applicable. is appropriate to times in musical  context. musical context.
change dynamics context.  
and cannot play at
a different
dynamic when it is
asked of them in
musical context.
3 ​The participant can The participant  The participant can The participant can
use proper chord The participant can perform  perform a song and perform a song and
technique and uses incorrect using proper  use proper use proper strumming
chord technique  strumming pattern pattern and chord
strumming patterns chord fingerings
and strumming  and chord changing changing technique
within the context of a and cannot pattern for the  technique throughout the whole
song properly change majority of the  throughout the song with no errors.
from one chord to song. There are  whole song with
another. There is some mistakes  few errors.
little to no throughout, but 
strumming the participant 
technique or still displays 
knowledge of 
pattern within the
technique. 
context of the
recording.

4 ​Participants are Participants Participants  Participants are able Participants are able
capable of reading chord cannot figure out have  to see a ukulele to see a ukulele chord
charts and sight read how to decipher a knowledge of  chord chart and play chart and play the
how to read  the correct chord correct chord with
chords after given the chord chart. When
chord charts.  with proper proper fingering.
charts given one to read, When given a  fingering. When When given a
they take minutes chart or a  given a progression, progression, they are
to figure out what progression,  they are able to able to sight read and
the proper they are  sight read and change chords with no
fingering is. When capable of  change chords with timing or fingering
given a figuring out the  few timing or errors. Chord changes
progression, proper chords  fingering errors are seamless and flow
and fingerings  easily.
participants are
with relative 
incapable of ease, timing is 
performing with secondary, but 
any sense of flow. still present. 

5 ​Participants are able Participant does Participant  Participant engages Participant engages
to work collaboratively not work well with engages with  with others and with others and
with peers and others. The others during  displays a positive always displays a
the majority of  attitude during positive attitude. The
developing ukulele participant does
class time. The  sessions. The participant takes
technique not engage with participant does  participant is initiative and helps
others during not give help  capable of helping others who need help
sessions, and is unless asked for  and assisting others whenever they can,
not open to giving it, and is rather  when they see the and is always open to
or receiving help. closed off when  need, and receiving receiving feedback.
asked if they  feedback when
need help.  appropriate.