JMUke Boys and Girls Club 

Rachel Napierskie, Katy Morgan, Ailish Hall, and Theresa Perez 

Boys and Girls Club: a Community Setting  

Context Statement:
The setting from JMUke will be at the Boys and Girls Club, a community space, in Harrisonburg, VA. This
community is focused on building kids’ and teens’ essential skills with unique and enriching programs and
activities. The age range is from 6-12 and it is believed most of these students have minimal musical background,
including ukulele. This group of pre-teens and children are mostly interested in social and fun activities that
challenge the mind, but stay within the zone of proximal development.

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Standards: Goals:
1.1 The - 1. I can sing and play 4 songs at the end of the experience that include chords
student will G, C, F, and Am. (T)
read and - 2. I can play the chords and sing in time with the tempo at the end of the
notate music, experience. (T/S)
including - 3. I can play all four strings while doing a D D D D or U U U U strum
1.high pattern, three out of four times by the end of the experience. (S)
and low - 4. I can hold a ukulele comfortably by the end of the beginning lesson. (S)
pitches, using - 5. I can smoothly transition from one chord to the next by the time we are
traditional and halfway through the experience. (S)
nontraditional - 6. I can name important parts of the ukulele (neck/strings/hole) and explain their
notation; importance/use by the end of the lesson. (K)
1.10 The - 7. I can identify the chords by letter name instead of by the color of the fingering
student will stickers by the end of the second lesson. (K)
explore - 8. I can identify cultural context within the music and instrument choice. (K)
historical and
cultural
aspects of
music by
3.
identifying
musicians in
the school,
community,
and media;
1.13 The
student will
analyze music
by

1.identifying
and
classifying the
timbres of
pitched and
non-pitched
instruments by
sounds;

2.differentiatin
g vocal and
instrumental
music;
1.14 The
student will
identify
elements of
performances
that he/she
likes or
dislikes and
explain why.
2.2 The
student will
sing a
repertoire of
songs alone
and with
others,
including
1. singing
melodi
c
pattern
s that
move
upwar
d,
downw
ard,
and
stay
the
same;
2.3 The
student will
play a variety
of pitched and
non-pitched
instruments
alone and with
others,
including
1. playing
melodi
c
pattern
s that
move
upwar
d,
downw
ard,
and
 stay
the
same;
2.10 The
student will
analyze music
by
4. using
music
vocabulary to
describe
music.

Generative (Essential) Questions:

- Why might musicians playing the ukulele use the fingering they do for the chords?
- What factors determine what strum pattern one would use for a specific song?
- What are the benefits of the different types of notation for ukulele music (Ex: tabs vs written out)

Stage 2 - Evidence 

This Evidence Rubric will allow instructors to note observations of the students throughout the entirety of the
lessons. Some goal evidence is very concrete, for instance playing chords, because there is a specific way to play
chords (placing fingers in specific locations). Other goals, like learning strum patterns, allow more flexibility with
evidence. Students may only be able to learn one strum pattern, and others may be able to learn five others. Every
learner is different and this rubric is trying to include this. The main goal of this rubric is to provide evidence that
the learners are showing attempts and determination.

Learners Are... Needs Improvement Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations

Strumming a Learners are not attempting Learners are strumming a Learners are strumming a
pattern to keep a steady strum or specified pattern, with a few specified pattern on the
beat pauses down beats, constant

Holding the Ukulele Learners are not supporting Learners are holding the Learners are holding the
correctly the ukulele correctly, or are ukulele as instructed, often ukulele as instructed, and
not treating it with care needing a few minor can fix their placement
adjustments when asked

Engaging with Learners are refusing to Learners are interacting and Learners are interacting
teachers and other interact with others when listening to teachers and and engaging with both
learners approached other learners only when their teachers and their
asked learners without being
prompted
 Singing and playing Learners are only singing or Learners are attempting to Learners are successfully
at the same time playing, not doing both at sing and play at the same singing and playing at the
the same time time often with pauses same time

Participating when Learners are refusing to Learners are hesitant or Learners are open to
asked participate when asked by require some participating in activities
the teachers encouragement to when asked by the
participate in activities teachers

Willing to try new Learners refuse to Learners are open to trying Learners are willing and
patterns or chords experiment with new ideas new patterns and chords excited to experience new
chords and strum patterns

Can demonstrate Learners refuse to Learners attempt to Learners successfully

their demonstrate knowledge or demonstrate knowledge and demonstrate their
understanding of answer questions. answer questions, with understanding of their
taught subject partial success knowledge through
speaking or showing

Can express Learners do not attempt to Learners demonstrate small Learners are
musicality express any musical skills changes in dynamics and experimenting
tempi with/demonstrating
dynamics, tempi, rhythm,
articulation and more
while performing

Adaptations:
1. If learners have small hands and have trouble placing their fingers on the strings you might have to guide
them or show them an easier fingering.
2. If there are learners aren’t playing each chord/strumming to the beat a quick fix would be to help them
solidify the chords they are playing until everyone is on the same page.
3. If learners aren’t playing the correct strum pattern a way to fix that would be to show them how to do it
on your ukulele first and then have them do it. If that doesn’t work have them slow down the strum
pattern first.
4. Some learners react to colors better than numbers. If this is the case, you can place different color stickers
on places of the ukulele so that they know where to place their fingers.
5. If learner is having trouble transitioning between each chord we can help them solidify that by
compartmentalizing and just switching between two chords at a time.
6. Again, some learners react to color more than other things so a good way for them to learn the parts of
the ukulele would be to color code each part.
7. Learners could make the connection of the color of chord on the screen with the same color on the
ukulele stickers for the same chord fingerings.
8. Educators could help young learners remember composers by repetition and simple explanation.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

Day one: ​Students should come in the first day ready to learn some new chords based on color and note names as
well as strum patterns. We will grab their attention by playing ukulele music as they come in, and having
instruments around for them to pick up if they want to start experimenting. The teachers will begin the lesson by
teaching the students in small groups how to play different chords based on color stickers. Once the students are
taught the chord’s shape and fingering, the teacher will then explain chord names that go with the different
colors, and begin to refer to that way as well. They will only refer to them as their color when students need extra
help. Once some basic chords are learned, the teacher will start to teach basic chord progressions with the two
different strum patterns, for example: C-F-G-C with four down strokes on each chord. They will practice this in a
few different keys.

Day two:​ When the students come in for day two, the class will spend the first ten minutes reviewing what they
learned in their last class by having students demonstrate different things they remember. Once most of the topics
are reviewed, the teacher can jump in and cover some things the students didn’t remember for another 5
minutes. Once this is done the teacher will pull up the power-point with a few very basic songs that the students
can play with the chords that they know. The class will first play the chords from the song in order while only the
teacher sings. This will help make sure they can do this task before adding to the difficulty and asking for them to
sing through it as well as play.

Day three:​ To start off the third day we will have a short jam session and give the students a chance to play what
they want. We can ask them to sing with what they are playing and try and keep a steady tempo. This will
kick-start the students interest for the day, and also start to introduce the idea of singing while they play. We can
then ask them more songs they want to learn and look up the tabs. While we are starting to teach them the new
songs we can ask them what they know about the history of the pieces they chose. While we are openly discussing
what they think, an assistant teacher can be researching the historical contacts of the

Final Assessment Rubric 

Goal/Quality No Evidence  Minimal  Meet  Exceeds 

Evidence  Expectations  Expectations 

1. ​I can sing Learner doesn’t Learner has - Learner can Learner can play
and play 4 understand where to difficulty playing and strum the chords more than 4 songs
songs at the place fingers, does singing at the same and sing at the and can play included
end of the not attempt, ¾ time, they may only same time, ¾ chords (G, C, F, and
experience songs do one, ¾ songs songs Am) plus 1 or more
that include - Learner can find chords than the
chords G, C, the fingerings and already included
F, and Am produce a full chords.
sound, ¾ songs

2. ​ I can play Learner is - Learner can either - Learner strums Learner can strum
the chords distressed or strum or sing to the and sings to the and sing with tempo
and sing in frustrated with any beat, or they do not beat of the songs, as well as attempt a
time with the changes, they do attempt either, ¾ ¾ songs different strumming
tempo at the not attempt, ¾ songs - Learner can pa
end of the songs - Learner can strum follow any
experience. and sing to the beat/tempi
beat, but may be changes by
out of time observing the
sometimes, ¾ instructor and
songs. peers, ¾ songs

3. ​ I can play Learner does not Learner attempts Learner plays all -Learner plays all four
all four strings attempt strum strum pattern but four strings while strings while doing a
while doing a pattern. may not play all four doing a D D D D D D D D or U U U U
D D D D or strings or only play or U U U U strum strum pattern, four
U U U U strum 2/4 times by the end pattern, ¾ times out of four times or
pattern, three of the experience. by the end of the more by the end of
out of four experience. the experience.
times by the - Learner attempts to
end of the create their own
experience. strum pattern.

4. ​ I can hold Learner does not Learner sometimes Learner shows Learner can help
a ukulele attempt to learn how strums or places where to place others to hold their
comfortably by to hold the ukulele. fingers out of proper their hands and ukelele safely,
the end of the placements. finger on the
beginning ukulele.
lesson.

5. ​I can -Learner can’t - Learner transitions Learner transitions Learner transitions

smoothly transition between between chords between chords between chords 4/4
transition from chords. successfully ½ of 3/4 times by end times by end of
one chord to the song. of experience. experience.
the next by
the time we
are halfway
through the
experience.

6. ​ I can name -Learner cannot -Learner can -Learner can Learner can explain
important identify any parts of identify parts of the explain the the importance and
parts of the the ukulele by name. ukulele by name. importance and use of each part of
ukulele use of each part of the ukulele as well as
(neck/strings/h the ukulele. tell their peers about
ole) and the importance.
explain their
importance/us
e by the end
of the lesson

7. ​I can Learner cannot Learner can identify Learner can Learner can identify
identify the identify the chords the chords by the identify the chords chords by letter
chords by by letter name at all. color of the by letter name by names as well as
letter name fingering stickers by end of 2nd lesson. connect them to the
instead of by end of 1st lesson color of the stickers
the color of
the fingering
stickers by the
end of the
second
lesson.

8. ​I can Learner cannot -Learner is able to -Learner is able to - Learner is able to

identify identify cultural identify composers identify apply knowledge to
cultural context within the and other elements composers and the song by
context within music and of pieces but unable realize their connecting that to the
the music and instrument choice
to interpret cultural relevance. relevant culture.
instrument
understanding in
choice.
their own words​.