Soundscape Directions

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:
Science
History
Math
Reading and Writing

Soundscape Idea:
Weather Systems, chemical lab, ecosystems, natural disasters
Wars/Battles, Natural Disasters, Roman Coliseum
Sound waves, trigonometry curves, base ten
Movie soundscapes, poem interpretations, novel narrations

1. Choose the idea you like the most. Write a brief summary of your idea.
My favorite idea is about natural disasters. Teachers are always looking for new ways to
teach natural disasters. Using a soundscape would allow students to think creatively,
while learning all that they can about different natural disasters. In order to create a
soundscape, students must be experts on the topic to know every sound that would be
used during that specific event.
2. Identify the grade level, content area, and standards.
Grade level:
5th Grade

Content area(s):
Earth Systems Science

Standards:
2

3. Brainstorm what sounds you feel should be included in this soundscape. (A bit of a project
outline)
For my natural disaster mentor text, I would use a tsunami. I would include the sound of
wind, splashing water, objects clanking, birds cawing, people screaming, alarms blaring,
car horns honking, trees blowing in the wind.
4. Now, create your soundscape. As you create, save your citations.
Citations:
Works Cited
C, Mark. "Tsunami Footage People Screaming Running for There Lives Bottom Left." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Mar.
2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Koenig, Mike. "SoundBible.com." Tsunami Wave 2 Sounds. N.p., 17 June 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Livingston, Tom. "Japanese Tsunami | The Mother Wave." YouTube. YouTube, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Relax Night & Day. "3 HOURS - Powerful Thunderstorm Sound - Relaxing White Noise - Insomnia
Sleep,Yoga,Meditation,SPA." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Stilgar. "SoundBible.com." Wind Sounds. N.p., 09 Dec. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Toy, W. "Black Birds Cawing Frenzy." YouTube. YouTube, 10 July 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
YouStorm. "Tsunami Siren, University of Hawaii." YouTube. YouTube, 2 Apr. 2007. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
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://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=2XLDK0kZt4E&feature=youtu.be
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.