Unit Name: Learning Ukulele

Context Statement: The students in Harrisonburg High School’s Beatmaking and Electronic Music Class will be
learning to play the ukulele to some of their favorite songs. The students will learn chords, the melodies to the
songs, and will play both for a concert at the end of the curriculum. While the students are learning these songs,
they will be asked to put a different twist on each of them, this meaning that they can use Ableton as they have or
can record themselves and remix their own work. This will hopefully allow them to be creative and to make music
that is truly their own.

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Standards: Goals:
1. I can read and write music using standard notation for pitch, rhythm,
HGI.1 The student will meter, dynamics, and strum patterns. (M)
echo, read, and notate 2. I can maintain my instrument and take proper care of it as well as tune it
music, including properly. (K)
1. identifying, defining, 3. I can create a clear, crisp, sound using different strum patterns and
and using basic create good intonation with the left hand. (S)
standard notation for 4. I can create a steady beat and keep time. (S)
5. I can improvise in different styles. (T)
pitch, rhythm, meter,
6. I can use Ableton and my ukulele to create something new. (S)
articulation, dynamics,
7. I can analyze and explain different musical moods and feelings. (K)
and other elements of
music;
2. using chord charts;
3. using ukulele
tablature; and
4. singing selected lines
from the music being
studied.

HGI.2 The student will

echo, read, and perform
rhythms and rhythmic
patterns, including
whole notes, half notes,
quarter notes, eighth
notes, dotted half
notes, dotted quarter
notes, corresponding
rests, and syncopations.

HGI.8 The student will

demonstrate
preparatory
instrumental basics and
playing procedures,
including
1. identification of the
parts of the instrument;
2. procedures for care
of the instrument;
3. proper playing
posture and instrument
position;
4. proper left-hand and
right-hand positions;
and
5. tuning of the
instrument, with and
without an electronic
tuner

HGI.9 The student will

demonstrate proper
ukulele techniques,
including 1. production
of clear tone; 2. right-
hand techniques (finger
style, pick style,
arpeggio patterns with
varying combinations of
pulgar, indicia, media,
anular [pima]); and 3.
left-hand techniques
(first position, finger
technique).

HGI.10 The student will

demonstrate ensemble
skills at a beginning
level, including
1. blending and
balancing;
2. making adjustments
to facilitate correct
intonation;
3. matching dynamic
levels and playing style;
4. responding to
conducting patterns
and gestures; and
5. maintaining a steady
beat at various tempos
in the music literature
being studied

HG.4 The student will

improvise music,
including:
1. improvising melodic
and rhythmic patterns
and accompaniments in
a variety of styles; and
2. improvising
variations on a simple
melody.

HG.5 The student will

investigate
characteristics of
musical sounds by:
1. employing elements
of music, including
melody, rhythm,
harmony, form, and
texture; 2. employing
technology to explore
musical sounds; and 3.
listening to and
describing traditional
and nontraditional
sound sources.

HG.11 The student will

investigate aesthetic
concepts related to
music by 1. explaining
how the context of a
musical work’s creation
may influence its
meaning and value; 2.
analyzing and justifying
personal responses to
works of music; 3.
examining and applying
aesthetic criteria for
determining the quality
of a musical work; and
4. explaining the value
of music to the
community and to
society

Generative (Essential) Questions:

1. How do I read chord charts and tablature?
2. How do I know what different styles are made up of?
3. How do I create my own music?

Stage 2 - Evidence

Evidence for “I can” statement 1

Meets Expectations: Recognizing, performing, and replicating simple tablature and standard western notation.

Developing: Recognizing simple tablature notation and simple standard western notation.

Exceeds Expectations: Recognizing, performing, and replicating simple tablature and western notation and
explaining it to others in a coherent manner so that they may begin to perform and replicate it.

Evidence for “I can” statement 2

Meets Expectations: Setting up and putting away the instrument correctly without damaging it and tuning it
properly with assistance from an electronic tuner.

Developing: Not being able to set up or put the instrument away with damaging it, or being unable to tune it
properly with help from an electronic tuner.

Exceeds Expectations: Setting up and putting away the instrument correctly without damaging it and tuning it
properly without assistance from an electronic tuner.

*For an individual who cannot set up and put the instrument away, he or she would need to know how to do so
and how to instruct another on how to do so.

Evidence for “I can” statement 3

Meets Expectations: Performing distinctly articulate up and down strums on the instrument with correct left
hand placements.

Developing: Performing only up or down strums on the instrument, or both but with incorrect left hand
placements.

Exceeds Expectations: Performing distinctly articulate and successively alternating up and down strums on the
instrument with correct left hand placements.

*For an individual that is unable to strum, an alternative method such as plucking or strumming with the use of
a pick would be acceptable.

Evidence for “I can” statement 4

Meets Expectations: Strumming in time on downbeats and keeping a consistent tempo with the aid of a
metronome.

Developing: Strumming out of time with the aid of a metronome.

Exceeds Expectations: Strumming in time on downbeats and keeping a consistent tempo without the aid of a
metronome.

Evidence for “I can” statement 5

Meets Expectations: Improvising using a variety of different rhythms either as a solo or over a track.

Developing: Improvising using only a single rhythm either as a solo or over a track.

Exceeds Expectations: Improvising using a variety of different rhythms and strum patterns either as a solo or
over a track.

Evidence for “I can” statement 6

Meets Expectations: Remixing a track using Ableton and playing an original ukulele line over it.

Developing: Not being able to use Ableton to either remix a track or produce something original.

Exceeds Expectations: Creating something entirely original in Ableton and playing ukulele over it.

*For an individual that cannot play ukulele, another sort of melodic or harmonic instrument would be
acceptable (piano, harmonica, keyboard percussion, etc.)

Evidence for “I can” statement 7

Meets Expectations: Explaining how different musical elements (timbre, dynamics, tempo, instrumentation,
etc.) contribute to the atmosphere of a piece of music.

Developing: Identifying different musical elements (timbre, dynamics, tempo, instrumentation, etc.) within a
piece of music.

Exceeds Expectations: Explaining how different musical elements (timbre, dynamics, tempo, instrumentation,
etc.) contribute to the atmosphere of a piece of music and analyzing how and why said elements create that
mood, and predicting how the feel would change should one of those elements be manipulated.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Day 1: Introduction to curriculum

On day 1 of the curriculum, the students will get a sheet of the assignment that appears as follows:
The Ukulele Project

What: You will be learning ukulele to a song of your

choice. This song can be of any genre and can be
your personal favorite. You will then take that song
and either do a live performance of it with a backing
track that you will create using Ableton or record
yourself performing that song and do a remix/new
version of that song.

How: You will be given a ukulele and be responsible

for learning some of the basics (simple strumming,
open strings, etc.). You will get mini lessons every
day in class on some basic chords and will get
individual time to figure out other chords and get
help from your teacher. Through Ableton, which you
have been using, you will create a backing track or
remix of your selected song with help from your
teachers and getting feedback.

Why: This is a chance to bring out your creative side.

There are practically no limits on what you can
create and this will give you the opportunity to make
your favorite song into something new.

Deadlines: …

This will be given to every student and questions can be answered. After going through the information, the
students will be given a ukulele and given a chance to explore.

Day 2: Selection and Planning

Day two will be split into two parts. Part A will be comprised of the students finding a song that they want to learn
on ukulele. This will then be analyzed by both the student and teacher to either find or create a ukulele version of
that song. Part B of the day will be for planning. Questions for the students:
-What do you want to do with this project? (Remix or backing track)
-What kind of mood do you want to create with the track/remix?
-How much time do you think you’ll need to work on it?
-What can I do as the teacher to help?
All of these questions don’t have to be answered in class, but are questions that should be thought about as they
select songs.

Day 3: Work Day

This day will be specifically for a work day and allowing the students to ask questions and continue to bring their
ideas together for what song they want to do. This allows for the students to specifically get their ideas and a full
plan together for what they want to create. This day will also be an opportunity for the students who already have
an idea of what they want to do to ask questions about ukulele or Ableton.

Day 4: The Ukulele

Day four will primarily be dedicated to ukulele. Students will receive a chord chart (seen below) and will be asked to
find different chords on the chart and play them. Example lesson plan could be seen:

Lesson Plan
Day 4
“Ukulele Day”

Looking at the chart:

||: Play a C Major Chord
(Give time) 1, 2, 3, 4… play!

Play an A Minor Chord

(Give time) 1, 2, 3, 4… play!

Play an F Major Chord

(Give time) 1, 2, 3, 4… play!

Play a G Major Chord

(Give time) 1, 2, 3, 4… play! :|| (repeat as needed)
________________________________________________
Give time for exploration and play

Give the students at the end of class to play and figure out chords that are not taught by us. Exploration and trial
and error help a student grow and figure out their own strengths and weaknesses.

Day 5: Ableton
In this setting, the students already understand and have used Ableton. This day will be used as a review day for
those who are very familiar to get ahead in their work and for those who aren’t quite as proficient to review the
skills they can use in Ableton. When reviewing, try to do more of a “try this” lesson plan and have the students
doing something. Give the last 15 minutes of class to the students to work on making their backing tracks or
recording their remixes.

Day 6: Work Day

This day is solely for working and getting projects done. While it seems like a cop out for a lesson plan, this is in-
class working time that gives the students a chance to have face-to-face feedback from the teacher. The students
can use this time to finish their projects and final projects will be expected to have the project near finished.

Day 7: Finishing the Product

On this day, students will be finishing their products. No matter which option the students decided to pursue, this
day it will be presented to the class and given feedback. This will be similar to kind of a peer-review that lets other
students give constructive feedback to the students and this feedback can be used or ignored. This class will kind of
be a “dress rehearsal” for the final performance.
Day 8: The Performance
In this performance, students will present their products to their peers and to others in the school. Students will be
assessed in terms of how they grew as a musician and how they utilized both parts of the project. However!!!!!
Students will not be assessed on their quality of performance as long as they enjoy it and do their absolute best.
Rubric for assessment is listed below.

Final Assessment Rubric

Goal/Quality No Minimal Meet Exceeds

Evidence Evidence Expectations Expectations

1. Ukulele The song was The song uses 1 The song uses 2 The song uses 3+
Chords performed chord on the different chords on different chords on the
without a ukulele the ukulele ukulele
ukulele

2. Ableton Skills The song was The Ableton The Abelton backing The Ableton backing
performed backing track track provided both a track provided both a
without an provided either harmonic and harmonic and rhythmic
Ableton a harmonic or rhythmic layer to the layer to the song as well
backing track rhythmic layer to song as a melodic layer or
the performance other extra effects

3. Performance There were There were a few There were minimal There were no
Integrity/Knowledge several major pauses/hesitatio pauses/hesitations pauses/hesitations
of Song pauses/hesitat ns during the during the during the performance
ions during the performance performance
performance

4. Ukulele The ukulele The ukulele was The ukulele was both The ukulele was both
Strumming was not only either upstrummmed and upstrummed and
strummed upstrummed or downstrummed on downstrummed on
during the downstrummed downbeats of various beats and/or sub-
performance on downbeats of measures beats of measures
measures

5. Tempo There was no Tempo Tempo fluctuated Tempo was consistent

consistency tempo fluctuated slightly throughout throughout the
established for significantly the performance performance
the throughout the
performance performance