Soundscape Directions

Erin Finnell
ET 347
Directions:
Fil in the required portions of this document. Be sure to save it. You will submit this file with a link
to your soundscape.
1. The introduction include just a few of the many ideas for soundscapes to get you thinking
creatively. Now it is your turn. Brainstorm a minimum of three soundscape ideas in
different content areas. You should treat this activity as if you are the teacher. You are
creating a project you would have your students do. The soundscape you create will be an
example which you can use in your future pedagogy.
Content Area:
Language Arts
History
Science
Physical Education

Soundscape Idea:
Students pick a poem and interpret it through sound
A Civil War battle with cannons, guns, and marching soldiers
The sound of a tropical forest ecosystem
The sound of kids playing different sports, a coach talking, and
crowds cheering.

1. Choose the idea you like the most. Write a brief summary of your idea.
I like the idea I had for science. Students can learn about different ecosystems, then use
their knowledge about different ecosystems to make a soundscape. For a tropical forest
ecosystem, students would have to know what animals live in that area, what the weather
is like, and what sort of activities go on in that ecosystem to be able to make the
soundscape. Students learn about these things in their science classes, so this would be a
good way to show that knowledge.
2. Identify the grade level, content area, and standards.
Grade level:
Fourth Grade

Content area(s):
Science

Standards:
Standard 2: Life Science
3. There is interaction and
interdependence between and among
living and nonliving components of
ecosystems
b. Identify the components that
make a habitat type unique
c. Compare and contrast
different habitat types
d. Create and evaluate models
of the flow of nonliving
components or resources
through an ecosystem
f. Examine, evaluate, question,
and ethically use information
from a variety of sources and
media to investigate
endangered habitats

3. Brainstorm what sounds you feel should be included in this soundscape. (A bit of a project
outline)
I want to include the sounds of the tropical rainforest. This would mean rain, frogs, birds,
monkeys, and other animals. This kind of project would help students understand what
lives in each environment and it would provide them with a way to be in the environment.
Students would have to research what animals live in each environment and what noises
they would make.
4. Now, create your soundscape. As you create, save your citations.
Citations:
All sounds were used freely and fairly from SoundBible.com
Medium Rainstorm Sound-Recorded by Mike Koenig
Frogs Sound-Recorded by Lisa Redfern
Birds After Rain Sound-Recorded by Mike Koenig
Semipalmated Sandpiper Sound- Recorded by Tony Phillips
Monkeys Monkeying Around Sound-Recorder not listed
Frog Croaking Sound-Recorded by snottyboy
Requirements:
Minimum of 60 seconds and a maximum of five minutes
Quality editing (smooth transitions between clips, sound level is even - it doesnt fluctuate
dramatically)
Creativity
Accuracy (content and grammatical)
Citations
Due on Saturday, April 25 at 11:59PM
Once your soundscape is complete, paste the link here:
https://youtu.be/iqbpbfNSFys

You will also need to post your soundscape to your ePortfolio.

How to Information:
1. You can use audio clips from free sound effects and music sites such as SoundBible and
Free Play Music. Remember copyright and fair use when creating your soundscape. Many
short audio clips from popular songs, movies, speeches, etc. used for educational
purposes can be reproduced.
2. The Library of Congress has access to many historical speeches and other audio files.
3. Use your personal mobile device or computer to record unique sound files (reading a story,
singing, voice overs, etc.)
4. To edit your files and create a cohesive soundscape, you can use an iDevice and
GarageBand. GarageBand is also available on the Macs in the McKee lab.
There is free audio editing software for any computer. Audacity is commonly used in K-12
schools and is rather easy to use. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

5. Load your finished file to YouTube, add the link to this document, and load it to your
ePortfolio.
6. Save plenty of time for creation to account for technical difficulties and/or the need for
help.
Audacity:
Sourceforge tutorial
YouTube tutorial: part 1 and part 2
GarageBand:
Tutorial 1
There are many videos available on using GarageBand and Audacity. Just Google whatever you
need.