Illinois State Standards

Anchor Standard 7 (Responding)

Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: Individuals choose music based on their interests, experiences, musical understanding, and each musical work’s purpose.

Essential Question: How do individuals choose music to experience?

Anchor Standard 8 (Responding)

Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: Through their use of elements and structures of music, creators and performers provide clues to their expressive intent.

Essential Question: How do we discern the musical performers’ emotions, thoughts, and ideas?

Anchor Standard 9 (Responding)

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: The personal evaluation of musical work(s) and performance(s) is informed by analysis, interpretation, and teacher- or student-established criteria.

Essential Question: How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?

Anchor Standard 10 (Connecting)

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

Enduring Understanding: Musicians connect their personal interests, experiences, ideas, and knowledge to creating, performing, and responding.

Essential Question: How do musicians make meaningful connections to creating, performing, and responding?

Objectives

Students will:

  • Learn the history of the ukulele
  • Listen to two ukulele songs
  • Compare and contrast ukulele songs

Materials

  • Computer
  • Speakers
  • Smartboard
  • Ukuleles

Activities

  1. Listen and Watch

    4 minutes

    “Ukulele Weeps” performed by Jake Shimabukuro (listen to all or a portion)

  2. History of the Ukulele

    15-20 minutes

    Students share what they already know about the ukulele.

    Ukulele History

    • Hawaiian instrument
    • Small guitar; only four strings
    • ates back to 1880
    • Hawaiian symbol of love of the land and support for Hawaiians’ sovereignty
  3. Listen and Watch

    4 minutes

    “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” performed by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

  4. Compare and Contrast

    10 minutes
    • Which example do you prefer and why?
    • How do the examples sound similar?
    • How do the examples sound different?
  5. Depth Questions

    15 minutes
    • How do individuals choose music to experience?
    • How do we discern the musical performers’ emotions, thoughts, and ideas?
    • How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?
    • How do musicians make meaningful connections to creating, performing, and responding?