Page 25 - Level 1 Ukulele Lesson Plans

Choose a volunteer to show you where the bridge is on their ukulele. Next, point to each of the known parts on your own ukulele, one by one, and ask the group to name them.
“Who can tell me what a nut is?” Choose a volunteer to answer. “There is a nut on our ukuleles but it’s different to the kind of nut that we eat!” Show the children where the nut is on your ukulele. Ask everyone to repeat the word “nut” (e.g. “let’s all say nut together. 1, 2, 3 nut. 1, 2, 3 nut. 1, 2, 3 nut”).
Test the children’s knowledge of all the parts learnt so far. Sometimes point to a part and ask them to name it and sometimes say the name of a part and ask them to show you where it is on their ukuleles. Do this mostly with the whole group at once. However, you can sometimes call on volunteers to answer on their own as well.
“Part of this week’s homework is to learn the name of the nut and where it is on your ukulele for next week.”
4. Finger Dexterity (3 mins): ‘Dinosaur Fingers’ written by Lucy Milan Davis “It’s time to do our dinosaur fingers!” Please see instructions in lesson plan 1.
5. Tuning (5 mins): ‘The Tuning Song’ written by Lucy Milan Davis
Remind the children how to hold their ukuleles. See activity 5 ‘Tuning’ from lesson plan 1 for instructions.
Ask everyone to pluck the G string with their thumb.
“Now I’m going to play a G on my tuning fork and I want a volunteer to hum the G back to me.” Choose a volunteer. You play a G and then the volunteer hums a G. If they are a little off pitch then hum their pitch and then slide up or down to the correct pitch (whilst pointing upwards or downwards to provide a visual representation of what you are doing with your voice) and then play your G again. Congratulate the volunteer for doing a great job. Ask the group whether they hummed at the same pitch or slightly higher or slightly lower.
Play the G again and ask everyone to hum it back. “Now pluck the G string on your ukuleles with your thumbs. Does it sound the same? If it sounds the same then we know it’s in tune.”
Remind the children how to use their thumb to pluck the strings. Remind them that for ‘The Tuning Song’ they start with the 4th string which is highest to the ceiling and move down to the first string which is closest to the floor.
Sing the whole of ‘Time to Tune the Ukulele’, encouraging the children to join in, singing and plucking “GCEA Green Children Eat Ants.”
Time to tune the ukulele, time to tune the uke.
GCEA Green Children Eat Ants.
Listen to the strings you’re playing, listen to the strings you’re playing. GCEA Green Children Eat Ants.
Are the notes too high, are they too low?
GCEA Green Children Eat Ants.
Time to tune the ukulele, time to tune the uke.
GCEA Green Children Eat Ants. Yum!
“We’re going to sing the song again, but this time I want you to join in with ALL of the words (not just GCEA....”
6. Song/Game (5 mins): ‘See Saw Up and Down’ (traditional)
Hum the song and see if anyone can guess which it is. Ask a volunteer to sing the song on their own.
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