Erica Unroe, Bailey Furrow, Rob Jackson

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 this UbD template
(https://goo.gl/kJkZNo). 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)

Share the URL of your document (each member needs to do this) and ensure that the share settings are
set to "Anyone with Link can Comment."

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.

Frere Jacques: Stone Spring Elementary 

Context Statement:​ ​Stone Spring Elementary School is located in the city of Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school is
diverse, with a majority of White Students, but the second largest cultural group are Hispanic. The School’s
mission statement is to learn through the integration of arts and academics. Therefore, the students will be
accustomed to this type of learning in their classes, and expect it. This lesson is designed for Kindergarteners in a
music class. This has impacted the design because of the fact that we must consider the abilities and levels of the
grade of Kindergarten.
 Stage 1 - Desired Results

Standards: Goals:
K.3 The student will Unpack and restate standard content into “I can” ​SMART goals​. Identify each goal as a
sing a variety of songs Knowledge (K), Skill (S), Understanding (M), or Transfer (T) goal.
of limited range alone - I can match pitch and echo sung melodies to a song. (S)
and with others, - I can identify the fact that the song I learned is a French Folk song.
including 2. singing at (K)
the appropriate time - I can finger and perform the chords CM and GM on a Ukulele. (S)
following a musical - I can hear a ukulele and know what it is from the sound of it. (K)
introduction. - I can take turns singing or playing chords with other people. (M)
K.2 The student will - I can strum a ukulele along with the beat. (S)
investigate various uses - I can make a connection between the number of beats in common
of the voice by 2. time and how many 1s add up to 4. (T)
matching pitches within
an appropriate range
K.9 The student will
explore historical and
cultural aspects of
music
K.5 The student will
perform rhythmic
patterns that include
sounds and silences,
using instruments, body
percussion, and voice.
K.6 The student will
demonstrate a steady
beat, using body
percussion,
instruments, and voice.
K.12 The student will
analyze music by 2.
identifying selected
instruments visually
and aurally.
K.10 The student will
participate in music
activities that involve
sharing, taking turns,
and other behaviors
that demonstrate good
citizenship.
K.11 The student will
recognize the
relationships between
music and other fields
of knowledge.

Generative (Essential) Questions:​ Broad questions that learner will word toward finding multiple and unique
answers. These questions encourage learners to dive deep (not easy to answer quickly and not answerable in only
one or two ways).
- What are some different ways that we can express what we know through music? (Voice, Instruments,
Body Percussion, etc.)
- Why should we be able to play and sing with other people?
- How does music relate to our day-to-day lives?

Stage 2 - Evidence 

Be as specific as possible to articulate what a quality piece of evidence will look like that will demonstrate that
learners grew related to each of the goals. Be clear and think about what specifics need to be addressed and which
ones don’t (use vagueness purposefully to encourage some aspect of learner agency). Identify the format and
qualities of each piece of evidence and how they relate to the goals. Also provide specific adaptations to the
evidence to allow for this curricula to be inclusive of learners with different ability levels and body/mind
constitution.

Goals:
- I can match pitch and echo sung melodies to a song. (S)
- Playing a call and response game with the children all at once, then one by one will be a
way to assess the group, as well as the individual. Singing a phrase without
accompaniment, or using a “hi, my name is” song with all the children would be a great
idea to get them scaffolded to call & response learning to the actual song at hand.
- I can identify the fact that the song I learned is a French Folk song. (K)
- First, teach the students the cultural origin of the song, possibly using alliteration to
connect the two (i.e, F for France, F for Frere Jacques) and have the students repeat the
information. The students could also point on a map to where the song is from.
- I can finger and perform the chords CM and GM on a Ukulele. (S)
- Have students sit in a circle, or in rows, etc. Learn the chords all together as the teacher
scans the room, but then turn the assessment into an activity similar to the one used to
assess matching pitch and melodies, except go around the room to each student and have
them play the chord(s) by themselves.
- I can hear a ukulele and know what it is from the sound of it. (K)
- Teacher would start by introducing what the ukulele is, by showing them, and playing a
song for them. After this, the students could play a game of “guess this instrument”.
Students would close their eyes or put their heads down while the teacher plays
miscellaneous instruments. (Drums, Bells, Ukulele), ensuring that the teacher doesn’t play
too many instruments before getting to the ukulele, to avoid confusion. The students’
answer to when the teacher plays the ukulele should serve as the assessment.
- I can take turns singing or playing chords with other people. (M)
- The teacher would play the chord progression and then ask the students to sing the
melody of the song in small groups and then individually. This would show that they know
 the melody, can sing with others or individually, and can take turns singing.
- I can strum a ukulele along with the beat. (S)
- First, the teacher could have the students count to a beat, most likely ~60bpm. Then while
the students count, the teacher strums along with the students’ beat, modeling for them
how the strumming lines up with the beat that they are counting. Then, the teacher will
have the students count and strum at the same time, with the teacher counting and
strumming with them at first, but will fade out, having only the students count and strum.
Finally, the teacher will instruct the students to stop counting but to keep strumming. If
need be, the teacher can have the students stop completely before strumming on their
own.
- I can make a connection between the number of beats in common time and how many 1s
add up to 4. (T)
- The teacher can show the students cutouts of four quarter notes. The teacher will show
the students one quarter note and ask them how many beats is the one quarter note. The
students should be able to successfully answer one beat. The teacher will ask the
students how many beats are in a 4/4 (or common time) measure, which the students
should reply 4. Therefore, the teacher will then ask the students how many quarter notes
will need to be added together to make up a 4/4 measure, which the students can make
the connection and reply 4.

Develop rubrics, checklists, and informal assessments (like observation guides) to assess learners growth in your
setting. Develop a final

Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

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.

Class 1:
Procedure:
● Students will practice pitch matching by echoing the teacher as she sings a short melody (Lime and
Coconut).
○ This melody is something that the students shouldn’t know very well, so the teacher can better
assess their pitch matching skills, and not just singing from memory.
● Students will learn to strum the ukulele without using chords yet.
○ The teacher will not give students a standardized way of strumming. Teacher will let students
 experiment with their strumming techniques to make sound however they can.
○ Teacher will introduce the act of strumming by first strumming down on beats 1 and 3.
■ Exercise will be repeated until students can cohesively perform this strumming pattern.
○ After students complete the exercise, they will then start strumming down on 1 and 3 and up on 2
and 4.
■ This will prepare them for strumming. Repeat as many times as necessary.
○ Students will continue using the strumming pattern on each quarter note in 4/4.
■ Teacher will start to incorporate the lime and coconut song in rhythm to their strumming.
Teacher singing first, and students listening. Without interrupting the strumming, students
will join in and start singing with them.
● Time Permitting, students will be given the opportunity to solo and show the song or strumming pattern,
or perform in groups if they so choose.

Class 2:
Procedure:
● Class will review what was learned in the previous lesson.
○ Students will demonstrate that they have retained the skill to strum to the beat of 4/4 with the
pattern DUDU.
○ They will then be reminded of the song they learned by listening to the teacher sing it first, and
then singing it all together.
● Teacher will review the strings, and introduce the concepts of frets and what the left hand’s responsibility
is when playing the ukulele. (Chords)
● Teacher will then explain very briefly the concept of a chord.
○ The image of three stacked notes will be shown to them visually. Teacher will explain that we can
play a note, C, by itself. It sounds beautiful alone, but when you stack other notes on top of it, the
third and fifth, it makes a C major chord.
○ Teacher will introduce the fact that they can play chords on Ukulele too, and that they aren’t just
on piano.
● Teacher will change the slide on the board to show a diagram of how to finger a C chord.
○ Teacher will have students model what she does.
■ Hold up three fingers (pointer, middle, ring). Place the third finger on the A string, 3rd fret
down.
■ Inform them that this is all they need for the C chord.
○ Students will simply practice lifting and placing their fingers in the C chord position a few times all
together, facilitated by the teacher.
● Students will now combine their strumming to their C chord fingering
○ Teacher will instruct students to hold their fingers tightly down on the string, and strum once.
“This is what it should sound like”, “now you go”
○ After this exercise is successful after a few times, they will return to their routine of strumming
DUDU in 4/4 time.
● Students will sing the Lime and Coconut song like before, but only using the C chord!
● Time permitting, groups or solo performances can also be incorporated.

Class 3:
Procedure:
● The teacher would begin class by singing a new song, Shortnin Bread, and asking the students to sing along
after the teacher sings through some of it.
 ● The teacher will then review previous lessons.
○ Class will begin with strumming the C chord in the DUDU pattern in 4/4 with the teacher checking
to see if the chord is correct, reminding the students to firmly press the strings down.
○ When the teacher can see the chords are correct, the teacher will sing Lime and the Coconut, and
then invite the students to sing along with them.
● The teacher will introduce the G chord to the students.
○ The students will be shown an image of the ukulele fingerings with the teacher showing how they
play the chord, and then quickly trying to help anyone who may be having trouble.
■ The teacher will again raise the same three fingers, individually placing the first on the C
string second fret, second on the A string second fret, and then third on the E string third
fret. The teacher may repeat these individual fingerings, but after once or twice the
teacher will show them being placed at the same time.
○ The students will also refinger the chord repeatedly in unison to get a better feeling of where it is,
and then begin to strum the same DUDU pattern in 4/4 but now on the G chord.
● After some time of strumming, the teacher will begin to sing the new song, Shortnin Bread, keeping the
same strum pattern of DUDU, and then will invite the students to sing along while still strumming.
● As before, if time permits, the teacher will ask students if they would like to sing and or play individually or
as a smaller group.

Class 4:
Procedure:
● The teacher would begin class by reviewing Lime and a Coconut.
○ The teacher would start off by singing and playing Lime and a Coconut, and inviting the students
to sing along from the beginning.
○ After the class sings through the melody, the teacher will remind the class of how to play a C
chord, and then the class will then play the C chord along with singing in the DUDU pattern in 4/4
○ This could be repeated as many times as desired by the teacher, checking in on how the students
are doing in both matching pitch but also how they are doing in playing the C chord in the 4/4
pattern.
● The teacher would then remind them of Shortnin bread.
○ Similarly to before, the teacher would begin by singing the melody while playing the G chord,
inviting the students to sing along.
○ The teacher will then show the class how to play a G chord, showing the exact placement of the
fingers as well as an image of the fingerings for the chord, reminding the students to firmly press
on the strings.
○ After the students are again comfortable with this fingering, the teacher will have them strum in
the DUDU pattern, and after some time, the teacher will begin singing the melody, inviting the
students to sing along.
● The teacher will introduce the idea of switching between chords.
○ The teacher will play both chords individually, and then switch between the two chords every two
bars of 4/4.
○ The teacher will show, without playing, the changing of fingers, and showing the transition of the
third finger between strings, asking the students to try this transition on their own, and then in
unison as a group as in time as the teacher can make it, but fitting to the students’ needs.
○ If possible, the teacher will again slowly switch between the two chords every two bars of 4/4, and
then inviting the students to try. The teacher may have the students attempt the DUDU pattern on
beats 1 and 3.
Class 5:
Procedure:
● The teacher would start the class by reviewing C and G as well as switching between the two chords
○ First, the teacher will start with reviewing the C chord in a DUDU pattern in 4/4 with the teacher
checking that the students are shaping the chord correctly.
○ The class will go over Lime and a Coconut again to ensure that the students have the C chord
down.
○ The teacher will review the G chord in the same manner as the C chord
○ The class will go over Shortnin Bread again to ensure that the students have the C chord down
○ The teacher will review switching chords with the students
■ The teacher will start with showing the chord shapes to the students without strumming,
then with strumming
■ The teacher will have the students strum the C chord for four beats, then immediately
switch to G chord for four beats without pause
■ Procedure will continue similarly to the previous class on switching chords
● The teacher will introduce Frere Jacques to the students
○ The teacher will explain that Frere Jacques is a French folk song, and will ask the students what
country is French (France) and where it is in the world
○ The teacher will display the lyrics to Frere Jacques on the board and sing it to the students. The
teacher will then ask the students to sing the song with her in unison, then again in a
call-and-response form.
○ The students will then sing Frere Jacques by themselves without assistance from the teacher other
that the lyrics posted on the board. Finally, the teacher will hide the lyrics and have the students
try to sing from memory.

Class 6:
Procedure:
● First, the teacher will review the lyrics to Frere Jacques with the students
○ The teacher will review the origins of Frere Jacques with the students (where is it from?)
○ The teacher and the students will sing Frere Jacques in a call-and-response style from memory, to
ensure that the students remembered the song
○ The students will sing Frere Jacques together without the teacher
● The teacher will review changing chords with the students
○ The teacher will show the two chords to the students and change between the two chords
without pause to demonstrate
○ The students will play the two chord, starting with C chord for four beats, then going to G for four
beats, then back to C for four beats. The teacher will check to make sure that the students are
playing the chords correctly
● The teacher will teach Frere Jacques with chords
○ The teacher will explain that this set of chords can be used for the Frere Jacques song
○ The teacher will perform Frere Jacques with lyrics and chords
○ The teacher will introduce the song with both lyrics and chords to the students, one line at a time
■ The teacher will start with both teacher and students playing the line together in unison
■ The teacher will have the students play in call-and-response, checking for correct lyrics
and chords in the response
 ■ The teacher will have the students play the line by themselves
■ Any step can be repeated as needed to ensure that the students understand the music
○ The students will play Frere Jacques together without the teacher

Final Assessment Rubric 

Goal/Quality No  Minimal  Meet  Exceeds 

Evidence  Evidence  Expectations  Expectations 

1 ​I can listen to a song The students Students can Students can identify Students can identify
and identify the name cannot identify identify either Frere the ukulele and the more than the ukulele
of the song and Frere Jacques or Jacques, or the song (Frere Jacques) playing in the song.
the ukulele being. ukulele being. when listening to it.
instruments playing.
played played.

2​ I can play CM and Students cannot Students can Students can Students can accurately
GM Chords on accurately or somewhat consistently strum and consistently strum
Ukulele consistently play consistently play both CM and GM CM, GM, and other
either of the CM and/or GM chords. chords.
chords. chords.

3 ​I can strum the Students cannot The student can Students can Students can confidently
ukulele to the beat in strum the ukulele, strum the ukulele, confidently strum the and accurately strum the
4/4 or strum to the but not in time with ukulele on the beat in ukulele on the beat.
beat in 4/4. the beat, or vice 4/4.
versa.

4 ​I can match pitch Students are not Students can Students can sing the Students can sing the
and echo sung singing. somewhat accurate notes to the accurate notes to the
melodies in a song consistently sing the song with few errors. song with very minimal
accurate notes. errors.

5 ​I can take turns Students are not Students can sing Students can take Students can sing and
singing or playing singing or playing. and play Frere turns singing and play Frere Jacques by
chords with other Jacques together as playing Frere Jacques themselves.
a class. in small groups.
people.