Beginning Ukulele: Restless Moons Brewery 

Context Statement:
Restless Moons is a brewery in downtown Harrisonburg. These learners are college-aged students and older,
probably 21-30. Most have likely never played a ukulele, but maybe they have a little experience with guitar.
They are interested in just having fun learning something new and enjoying music. The setting has impacted the
curricular designing because the learners are here for fun, not by force and not for a grade. They also likely do not
have musical training, which has impacted the curricular design in its simplification.

Stage 1 - Desired Results 

Standards: Goals:

HGI.1 The student will echo, 1. I can demonstrate a basic strumming pattern after observing someone
read, and notate music,
doing it and doing it myself for one song. (S)
including
1. Identifying, defining, 2. I can describe how to play Dm, Am, Em, G, C, and F chords with correct
and using basic terminology. (K)
standard notation for
pitch, rhythm, meter, 3. I can sing a melody to a song I already know while strumming chords. (S)
articulation, 4. I can recognize what I, IV, vi, ii,viii, and V​ ​chords are in the key of C.
dynamics, and other
elements of music; 5. I can build chords in less familiar keys. (T and K)
2. Using chord charts; 6. I can accurately play Dm, Am, Em, G, C, and F chords when looking at
3. Using guitar
tablature. (S)
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.3 The student will

identify, read, and perform
music in simple meters (2/4,
3/4, 4/4, C​ , 6/8 ​).

HGI.4 The student will read,

analyze, notate, and perform
scales and chords, including

1. one-octave ascending
and descending C, G,
D, A, and E major
scales; A, D, E, and B
harmonic minor
scales; a chromatic
scale;
2. one form of the
moveable, one-octave
pentatonic scale;
3. D, D​7​, Dm, A, A​7​, Am,
E, E​7​, Em, G, G​7​, B, B​7​,
C, C​7​, and F chords;
4. power chords with
roots on the E and A
strings;
5. a I-IV-V​7​-I chord
progression in the
keys of C, G, D, and A
major, and A and E
minor;
and
6. 12-bar blues in a
variety of keys.

HGI.6 The student will use

music composition as a
means of expression by

1. composing a
four-measure
rhythmic-melodic
variation; and
2. notating the
composition in
standard notation,
using contemporary
technology.

HGI.9 The student will

demonstrate proper guitar
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.11 The student will read

and interpret standard music
notation and tablature while
performing music of varying
styles and levels of difficulty.

HGI.17 The student will

explore historical and cultural
aspects of music by

1. describing the
cultures, musical
styles, composers,
and historical periods
associated with
the music literature
being studied;
2. describing ways in
which culture and
technology influence
the development of
instruments,
instrumental music,
and instrumental
music styles;
3. describing the
relationship of
instrumental music to
the other fine arts
and other fields of
knowledge;
4. describing career
options in music;
5. describing ethical
standards as applied
 to the use of social
media and
copyrighted
materials; and
6. demonstrating
concert etiquette as
an active listener.

HGI.18 The student will

analyze and evaluate music by

1. describing the
importance of
composers’ use of
style, cultural
influences, and
historical
context for the
interpretation of
works of music;
2. describing and
interpreting works of
music, using inquiry
skills and music
terminology;
3. describing accepted
criteria used for
evaluating works of
music;
4. describing
performances of
music, using music
terminology; and
5. describing accepted
criteria used for
critiquing musical
performances of self
and others.

HGI.19 The student will

investigate aesthetic concepts
related to music by

1. proposing a definition
of music and
supporting that
definition;
 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;
4. describing aesthetic
criteria used for
determining the
quality of a work of
music or
importance of a
musical style; and
5. explaining the value
of musical
performance to the
school community.

Generative (Essential) Questions

How can we make music fulfilling on a personal level?
What musical skills are valuable?
Why learn music?

Stage 2 - Evidence 

In this setting, evidence will be found through observation and questioning. The teacher will watch as students
play and sing songs to evaluate their understanding and ability to demonstrate the content. The teacher will
question students about how they do something to evaluate them.

Adaptations: different size ukuleles, picks, partner playing (one person strums, another fingers).

Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

Day 1 (1 hour)
- Introduce how to hold the ukulele by describing hand positions, modeling, and by assisting participants by
moving their hands (with permission).
- Explain terminology such as fret, chord, and strum. Review these throughout the lesson, both directly and
by using them in context.
- Introduce how to read tablature. Explain that each chord has a color and there are stickers on the
ukuleles that correspond to the color of the chord.
 - Begin teaching chords in C major. Have the tab charts up, model, and explain by saying finger
numbers/fret numbers/etc. Float around to check on participants.
- If people are struggling, explain in different ways, such as color, names of fingers instead of
numbers, and tapping fingers that need to go down.
- Chords: C, G, Am, F
- Practice going to and from these chords
- Calling out chords names, colors, etc.
- Simple strumming pattern of quarter notes.
- Play and sing (with JMUke slides projected) songs that use these chords: “I’m Yours,” “Don’t Stop
Believin’,” “The One That Got Away,” “Love Story,” etc. Float around to help.
- Play through the chords before playing each song until the group seems to have it down.
- Call out chords using different names while playing.
Day 2 (1 hour)
- Begin with review of Day 1. Ask questions about the parts of the ukulele, review how to play C, G, Am,
and F and play them.
- Explain how C, G, Am, and F are I, V, vi, and IV in C.
- Play through chords calling them out with their different names (color, letter, roman numeral)
- Play the chords in context with songs: “Hey Soul Sister,” previous ones. Sing along.
- Introduce more chords - Dm and Em
- Practice going back and forth between these chords, calling them out using their different names.
Explain their roman numerals.
- Slowly add in the ones the group already knows.
- Strumming pattern: quarter notes
- Float around to check for understanding
- Play and sing songs that involve these chords: “Hey Jude,” “Hey There Delilah”
- Float around, call out chords as above.
- Discuss how you can use different strumming patterns.
- Introduce strumming up, practicing down,up,down, up…
- Explain that a common strumming pattern is up, up, down, up, down, up. Explain it slowly, model
it, have it projected on the slides.
- Do these very slowly and increase tempo.
- Play and sing songs that they already know with this strumming pattern (previously listed).

Day 3 (1 hour)
- Review all chords with a quarter note strumming pattern, calling out chords by their various names. Ask
how they would describe how to play it.
- Review the strumming pattern from Day 3. Review chords and this strumming pattern by calling out
chords by their various names.
- Play and sing some of the songs from the previous two days. Ask participants what they want to play, if
they want to mix up the strumming patterns, etc. Take suggestions and let the group be creative.

Final Assessment Rubric 

Goal/Quality No  Minimal  Meet  Exceeds 

Evidence  Evidence  Expectations  Expectations 

1 The student The student can The student can The student can describe
Knowledge/Understanding cannot describe describe how to describe how to play how to the play the
of fingerings how to play the play the chords the chords in 2 ways. chords in 3 ways.
chords. in 1 way.

2 ​Demonstrate strumming The student The student can The student can The student can
patterns cannot demonstrate 1 demonstrate 2 demonstrate 2 different
demonstrate strumming different strumming strumming patterns and
any sort of pattern. patterns. make up their own.
strumming
pattern.

3 ​Singing and Playing The student The student can The student can play Student can play and sing
cannot play and hesitantly play and sing songs with songs smoothly with little
sing at the and sing songs little hesitation with to no practice/review.
same time. with some review/practice.
review/practice.

4 ​Playing chord changes The student The student can The student can The student can change
can only play go to and from change from one from one chord to any
1 chord. some chords (but chord to another with other chord with no
not all) with little hesitation. hesitation.
hesitation.

5 The student The student can The student can play The student can play
Knowledge/understanding cannot play play chords with chords with little chords with no hesitation
of chords chords when hesitation when hesitation when when roman numerals
roman roman numerals roman numerals are are used.
numerals are are used. used.
used.