- MUED273: Leadership Portfolio Project

- Don Gatz and Andrew Sheloski

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Unit Name: Community Setting  

Context Statement:​ This curricula can take place in any school setting (elementary, middle, high, or above) as a
general music activity introducing any combination of musicians and non-musicians to the idea of playing ukulele
and singing to well known songs. The learners will be anywhere on the spectrum of previous musical education
from no teaching at all to receiving musical direction regularly. The learners will be interested in learning a new
instrument or singing with others with the only necessity being a ukulele. The students will learn the basics of
ukulele playing and vocal performance within each setting.

Stage 1 - Desired Results 

Standards: Goals:
2.12 The student will ● I can perform songs with peers.
collaborate with others ● I can analyze the quality of a music performance.
in a music performance ● I can use an analysis of a performance for musical growth.
and analyze what was
successful and what
could be improved.

3.15 The student will ● I can tell others what motivated me to learn how to sing and play ukulele to
explain personal certain songs.
motivations for making
music.

3.16 The student will ● I can explain to peers why music is important to other people because of certain
describe why music has messages they hold.
quality and value.

4.2.2 The student will
sing a varied repertoire
of songs alone and with
others, including singing
diatonic melodies.
● I can learn to sing a melody through listening and repeating the melody sung to
me.
● I can sing the entire range used in a song I am performing.
● I can perform vocal melodies comfortably in front of others.

4.3.5 The student will ● I can harmonize a melody or song through chords.
play a variety of pitched ● I can accompany while others or myself are singing and/or performing a
and nonpitched melody.
instruments alone and ● I can demonstrate different strumming patterns on ukulele to create interesting
with others, including accompaniments.
accompanying songs
and chants with I, IV,
and V(V7) chords.

EI.2 The student will ● I can play different strumming patterns and techniques by echoing patterns and
echo, read, and perform techniques demonstrated for me.
simple rhythms and ● I can perform and strum rhythms notated for me.
rhythmic patterns, ● I can read and identify different rhythmic patterns, notes and durations.
including whole notes,
half notes, quarter
notes, eighth notes,
dotted half notes,
dotted quarter notes,
and corresponding rests.

MG.1.3 The student will ● I can play chords on ukulele by echoing chords demonstrated for me.
echo, read, and notate ● I can play chords by reading tablature.
music, including using ● I can identify specific notes on ukulele through tablature.
guitar tablature.

MG.4.4 The student will ● I can accompany songs in the keys C, G, D, A major and A minor by identifying
read, notate, and the I(i), IV(iv), and V(V7) chords of each respective key.
perform scales and ● I can read and distinguish different chords through tablature and/or pitches.
chords, including a
I-IV-V7-I chord
progression in the keys
of C, G, D, and A major,
and A minor.

Generative (Essential) Questions:

How does a ukulele broaden the learner’s experience with music?

In what ways will the learners be engaged in the learning process?
How can the learners share what they learn in this activity to others pursuing musical knowledge as well as getting
others involved or interested?
How can the teachers ensure the comfortability in the learners to allow them to continue wanting to learn musical
skills?

Stage 2 - Evidence 

● I can play chords on ukulele by echoing chords demonstrated for me.

● I can play chords by reading tablature.
● I can play different strumming patterns and techniques by echoing patterns and
techniques demonstrated for me.
● I can demonstrate different strumming patterns on ukulele to create interesting
 accompaniments.
● I can harmonize a melody or song through chords.
● I can accompany songs in the keys C, G, D, A major and A minor by identifying the
I(i), IV(iv), and V(V7) chords of each respective key.

Evidence:​ When beginning a song, the chords and tabs will be present in a written format or as pictures
as well as be demonstrated by the teacher. Students will be given individual time to either ask questions
or private demonstrations or read the tablature to begin learning chords needed for performance. After
learning the chords, the students will be encouraged to practice chord progressions with the necessary
chords with different strumming rhythms and patterns (i.e. DDDD, DDUUD, etc.). The students will then
come together and offer their input on a strumming pattern and will echo the pattern on one static chord,
then ultimately the entire progression.

Strumming
● Meets Expectations​: I can play an entire song while echoing strumming patterns demonstrated for
me.

● Developing: ​I can continue strumming one rhythm (such as DDDD on quarter notes) throughout a
piece of music.

● Exceeding Expectations:​ I can experiment with more complex strumming patterns and play a song
with different ideas and combinations of strumming patterns.

Chords
● Meets Expectations​: I can strum different chords and chord changes throughout a piece of music.

● Developing:​ I can play each individual chord within a specified song.

● Exceeding Expectations:​ I can play an entire chord progression within a piece of music and begin
brainstorming of other harmonizations or melodies to play.

● I can learn to sing a melody through listening and repeating the melody sung to
me.
● I can tell others what motivated me to learn how to sing and play ukulele to
certain songs.
● I can sing the entire range used in a song I am performing.
● I can perform vocal melodies comfortably in front of others.
● I can harmonize a melody or song through chords.
● I can accompany while others or myself are singing and/or performing a melody.

Evidence: ​When learning a song, the lyrics will be presented along with the chord tablatures. Students
will be given individual time to be able to listen to the song, re-create the melody (hum or whistle), talk
and sing the lyrics, as well as be able to harmonize them with the ukulele and other singers. This will
allow them to be prepared for their performance. After being comfortable with the lyrics and singing, the
students will be asked to be able to sing the song while also playing the ukulele. The students will then
come together and offer feedback as to what they can do to make the songs more comfortable and/or
enjoyable for them and the audience.

Singing

● Meets Expectations​: I can sing all lyrics and melody as well as strum downbeats of the chords of a
piece of music.

● Developing:​ I can hum the melody or speak the lyrics of a song.

● Exceeding Expectations:​ I am comfortable and confident in singing and playing a strumming pattern
on ukulele in front of others.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

Day 1: ​The students will be exposed to the ukulele for the first time. The beginning of class will be introducing the
learners to the basics of how to hold the instrument and how to strum the instrument. As class comes close to
conclusion, the students will be introduced to C and G major chords so that they can get an easy start on the
instrument.

Day 2: ​The students will review C and G major chords at the beginning of class. They will then begin learning the C
major scale and play through basic melodies from well known songs or rote songs (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Hot
Cross Buns, etc.). Afterwards, the class will be divided in two in which half the class will play a melody and the
other half will play a simple chord progression with C and G to harmonize the melody. The class will then switch so
each student gets the opportunity to play a melody and harmonize with ukulele. Finally, the class will end with the
class singing a melody or song they all know while the teacher plays the chord progression over the singing to give
the students an idea of what is to come.

Day 3: ​Prior to meeting, students will brainstorm different tunes and pop songs for suggestions to learn within the
setting as a group, which will involve identifying the chords within their chosen song and finding a video for the
class to play along with. The class will be spent identifying and learning some of the chords brought from their
peers, and slowly playing progressions.

Day 4: ​The beginning of the class will be singing familiar songs while the students accompany themselves with
ukulele. Students will go through rote songs or songs mentioned in their group and be able to play through the
chords with a basic down strum, as well as hum or speak through the lyrics.

Day 5: ​Prior to this class, students will be asked to create their own strumming pattern for the song they
identified. The beginning of class will be used for students to share their creations and play together as a group.
Afterwards, the class will begin applying these new strumming patterns to each song while singing to give each
song a unique character.
Day 6: ​The students will sing and play their songs with ukulele accompaniment together as a group as a jam
session and play through all of the repertoire they brought and learned throughout the experience.

Final Assessment Rubric 

Goal/Quality No  Minimal  Meet  Exceeds 

Evidence  Evidence  Expectations  Expectations 

1. Performance of The student The student can The student can The student can
strumming patterns cannot strum strum specific strum specific strum specific
and rhythms specific patterns but patterns and can patterns and can
patterns while doesn’t maintain a maintain a steady maintain a steady
maintaining a steady tempo to it. tempo most of the tempo throughout the
tempo. time. whole song.

2. Reading Tablature The student is The student is The student is The student is able to
unable to read able to read some able to read most fluently read chords
chord chords in chords in in tablature.
tablature. tablature. tablature.

3. Performance of The student is The student can The student can The student can play
scales and melodies unable to play play through play through through scales and
on ukulele scales and/or scales and scales and melodies without any
melodies on melodies with melodies with errors.
ukulele. prevalent errors. minimal errors.

4. Ability to play The student is The student can The student can The student can play
chord progressions not able to play a specified strum different an entire chord
play through chord song by chords and chord progression within a
the chords in itself. changes piece of music and
the songs. throughout a piece begin brainstorming
of music of other
harmonizations or
melodies to play.

5. Singing The student The student can The student can The student can
cannot apply apply their voice apply their voice apply their voice to
their voice to to the song by to the song by the song by singing
the song. humming. speaking the the lyric.
lyrics.