Unit: Fundamentals   

Context Statement:
This is an introduction to beginning ukulele, offered to 5th graders. It will be taught at a rural school, and
demographically the school is mainly white and hispanic students. There are about 350 students in total, and there
are 12 students enrolled in the ukulele class. As 5th graders, they have been through a wide variety of
instrumental music and have a basic understanding of general music standards.

Stage 1 - Desired Results 

Standards: Goals:
Music Theory/Literacy 1. I can read notes and rhythms on the treble and bass clef by using solfege and
5.1 The student will playing notations on the ukulele. (K)
read and notate music, 2. I can demonstrate the proper playing position, how to pack up and care for the
including instrument and the parts of the instrument. (K)
3. I can use call and response when learning rhythms. (T)
1. identifying the 4. I can use basic chord progressions for many short songs using C, G, F, and Am
treble (G) and chords. (S)
bass (F) clefs; 5. I can listen and perform a chord progression performed by my teacher and
2. using a system improvise on at least three different strum patterns (T)
to sight-read 6. I can demonstrate proper performance etiquette for when my peers are not
melodies based performing. (K)
on the diatonic 7. I can collaborate with my peers to form a small ukulele ensemble, write songs,
scale; and perform in front of my peers, using the C, G, F, and Am chords. (S)
3. using traditional 8. I can propose a definition of music, identify ways music can evoke our senses,
notation to and bring a sense of community to the school. (M)
write melodies
containing skips
and leaps;
4. reading and
notating
rhythmic
patterns of
increasing
complexity;
5. identifying the
meaning of the
upper and lower
numbers of
compound time
signatures
( );and
6. identifying
 tempo
markings.

Performance:
EI.10 The student will
demonstrate
preparatory
instrumental basics and
playing procedures,
including

1. identification
and selection of
an appropriate
instrument;
2. identification of
the parts of the
instrument;
3. procedures for
care of the
instrument;
4. proper playing
posture and
instrument
position;

EI.15 The student will

perform simple
rhythmic and melodic
examples in
call-and-response styles.

5.3 The student will play

a variety of pitched and
non-pitched
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.

5.6 The student will

create music by 1.
improvising melodies
and rhythms of
increasing complexity;
2. composing a short
original composition
within specified
guidelines; and 3. using
contemporary media
and technology

Music History

5.8 The student will

exhibit acceptable
performance behavior
as a participant and/or
listener in relation to
the context and style of
music performed.

Analysis, Evaluation, and

Critique

5.14 The student will

collaborate with others
to create a musical
presentation and
acknowledge
individual contributions
as an integral part of the
whole.

Aesthetics

EI.20 The student will

investigate aesthetic
concepts related to
music by

1. proposing a
definition of
music;
2. identifying
 reasons for
preferences
among works of
music, using
music
terminology;
3. identifying ways
in which music
evokes sensory,
emotional, and
intellectual
responses,
including ways
in which music
can be
persuasive; and
4. explaining the
value of musical
performance to
the school
community.

Generative (Essential) Questions:

- What does it mean to be a musician?
- How do musicians collaborate with one another?
- How do chord progressions serve as the structure for music?

Stage 2 - Evidence 

Evidence for “I can” statement 1

- Meets expectations: ​Students are able to identify notes and rhythms on the treble and bass clef staff
while using solfege with over 80% accuracy.
- Developing: ​Students are able to identify most notes and rhythms on the treble and bass clef staff with
solfege.
- Exceeding expectations: ​Students are able to identify notes and rhythms on the bass and treble clef staffs
while using solfege with over 90% accuracy.

Evidence for “I can” statement 2

 - Meets expectations: ​Students can hold the ukulele in the proper position, demonstrate care, and name
the parts of the instrument.
- Developing: ​Student shows an understanding of the proper position, can pack the instrument up and can
name most of the parts on the ukulele.
- Exceeding expectations: ​Students can not only demonstrate proper ukulele position, and care but also
teach a peer the parts of the instrument and playing position

Evidence for “I can” statement 3

- Meets expectations: ​Students can perform strum patterns after listening to the teacher.
- Developing: ​Student shows understanding of strum pattern and is able to demonstrate the general idea.
- Exceeding expectations: ​Student can perform the strum patterns in the call-response pattern and also
give their peers a strum pattern on their own.

Evidence for “I can” statement 4

- Meets expectations: ​Student can perform a basic chord progression in the context of a song with the
chords, C, G, F, and Am.
- Developing: ​Student has an understanding of the chords and the fingerings.
- Exceeding expectations: ​Student can perform the chord progression and improvise strum patterns freely.

Evidence for “I can” statement 5

- Meets expectations: ​Student can demonstrate 3 different strum patterns.
- Developing: ​Student is able to demonstrate a chord progression with an understanding of ways they can
improvise.
Exceeding expectations: ​Student is able to demonstrate 3 or more different strum patterns.

Evidence for “I can” statement 6

- Meets expectations: ​Student can demonstrate good performance etiquette while listening to other peers
play.
- Developing: ​Student can explain good performance etiquette.
- Exceeding expectations: ​Student can demonstrate good performance etiquette and set a good example
for their peers.

Evidence for “I can” statement 7

- Meets expectations: ​Students create a small ukulele band and write a song/perform a song using the C, G,
F, and Am chords using a strum pattern that uses an 8th note strum rhythm.
- Developing: ​Students create a small ukulele band and perform either a song they wrote/cover with a basic
strum pattern.
- Exceeding expectations: ​Students create and perform a song they wrote or decided to cover and include 2
different strum patterns.

Evidence for “I can” statement 8

- Meets expectations: ​Student proposes a definition of music, and can describe 2 ways it evokes the senses
and brings a sense of community to the school.
- Developing: ​Student has an understanding of music and can name a way it evokes our senses and brings
community to the school.
- Exceeding expectations: ​Student proposes a definition of music, and can describe 2 or more ways it
evokes the senses and how music can bring a sense of community to the world.
 Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

This class will be a 6 day long course for 5th graders:

Day 1:
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 1: Students will learn solfege by singing a scale and then applying
the solfege to a wrote song like hot cross buns because it will help them understand music notation later
on in the unit. The teacher will use hand sign to guide students.
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 2: Students will be introduced to the ukulele. They will learn
proper care for the instrument and playing position. The teacher will have student sit in a semi circle
around them so they can see all the students and individually help students that are confused.
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 4: Students will work on finger positions for the C and G chord and
then strum the chord as a class. The teacher will sing a melody with the students to have the students
ears understand why the chords belong.
Day 2:
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 1: Students relate the solfege they learned to written notation for a
beginning of class discussion. The teacher will teach them how to read notes on a staff.
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 3: Students will use call and response to work on rhythm. The
teacher will facilitate this by showing the rhythm they will clap back.
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 4: Students will review the C and G chord that they learned last
class, and then they will learn the Am chord. They will then sing a melody that contains these three
chords. The teacher will help with hand placement for the students and will show the song and the
students will repeat.
Day 3:
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 3: Students will work on learning basic strum patterns. The teacher
will say allowed the direction the students must strum, “down, up, up, down.”
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 4: Student will learn their final chord, the F chord. They will then
sing a song with the teacher that involves these chords and using a simple strum pattern.
Day 4:
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 1 and 5: Students will learn several new strum patterns that they
will then have to use on the chord progression they have been working on. The teacher will teach them
the strum patterns.
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 3: The teacher will facilitate a call annd response activity with the
students. They will copy the rhythm and sing the song the teacher is singing after hearing it.
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 7: Students will be formed into small groups to work on making
their own song to later present to the class. They will have to work on collaboration and the teacher will
guide groups and help those with more needs.
Day 5:
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 7: Students will continue working with their small ensembles to
create a song to share with the rest of the class.
Day 6:
● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 6: Students will perform their group songs to the rest of the class.
 ● Learning Activity for “I can” statement 8: The class will sit a circle, like in a socratic seminar, and discuss
what music means to them and what they learned through the ukulele. The teacher will lead this
discussion and will make sure each student interacts.

Final Assessment Rubric 

Goal/Quality No  Developing  Meet  Exceeds 

Evidence  Expectations  Expectations 

1 Student is able to Student is Student is able to Student is able to Student is able to

identify notes on the unable to identify most identify notes on identify notes with
treble and bass cla identify notes notes on the the treble and over 90% accuracy
on the treble treble and bass bass staff with
and bass staff staff over 80%
accuracy

2 Student can Student is Student shows an Student can Students can not only
demonstrate proper unable to understanding of demonstrate demonstrate proper
care, playing positions demonstrate the proper proper care, ukulele position, and
and name the parts of proper care, position, can pack playing positions care but also teach a
the instrument playing the instrument up and name the peer the parts of the
positions and and can name parts of the instrument and
name the most of the parts instrument playing position
parts of the on the ukulele.
instrument

3 Student can perform Student Student shows Students can Student can perform
in call-response cannot understanding of perform strum the strum patterns in
settings perform in a strum pattern and patterns after the call-response
call and is able to listening to the pattern and also give
response demonstrate the teacher. their peers a strum
setting general idea. pattern on their own.

4 Student can perform Student Student has an Student can Student can perform
a basic chord cannot play understanding of perform a basic the chord progression
progression with the the chords the chords and chord progression and improvise strum
C, G, F and Am the fingerings. in the context of a patterns freely.
chords song with the
chords, C, G, F,
and Am.

5 Students can Cannot Student is able to Student can Student is able to

demonstrate at least 3 demonstrate a demonstrate a demonstrate 3 demonstrate 3 or
different strum strum pattern chord progression different strum more different strum
patterns with an patterns patterns.
understanding of
ways they can
improvise.