Overview: Students will come up with a list of sounds they’ll record for their podcast and familiarize themselves with their equipment, including their recording device.
Students will be able to:
- Record voices and sounds
- Understand the concept of intro, outro and transition sounds/music
- Utilize a smart phone for recording and interviewing
- Record a conversation between two people
Targeted PTD Behaviors:
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Choices of Conduct
Activities:
- Pre-Class Setup (10 minutes)
- Listening to Examples (15 minutes)
- Brainstorming (15 minutes)
- Recording Practice + Uploading (30 minutes)
What you need:
- A large tear-off piece of construction paper of easel pad paper
What students need:
- A notebook and writing utensil
- One smartphone or other recording device, a pair of headphones or a speaker
- One tablet or laptop per group
Pre-Class Setup:
We recommend identifying a (1) voice recorder or smartphone device, and (2) a laptop or tablet for each group. Most smartphones, including iPhones and Androids, have built-in voice recorders which can be used for recording narration and interviews for podcasts. If students have their own devices, you can determine if it is appropriate to let them use them.
Part 1: Listening to Examples:
Play the following radio stories for the class, asking them to make note of the sounds that they hear as they listen. They should be particularly focused on the sounds that are not people speaking.
- “Radio Field Trip” from New Hampshire Public Radio (4 mins 12 s)
- Radio Rookies, a series from WNYC (8 mins)
Ask students: apart from the sounds of narration, what other sounds did you hear? How do these sounds help tell the story?
Part 2: Brainstorming
Label a large easel pad paper “sounds” and place it at the front of the classroom.
Directions for students: In small groups of 3-5 students, come up with a list of three to five sounds you think should be in your class’ podcast. Talk about why you think it would help the audience to hear these sounds.
Keep this paper — it should serve as a guide of the sounds that the class will gather to create the podcast.
Part 3: Recording Practice
In groups of 3-5, have students practice recording themselves and each other.
Directions for students:
- Record your own voice — say your name, grade, and age into the microphone on your iPhone or recording device , and then listen back to the recording
- Record another person’s voice — come up with one interview question for a group member, record the question and answer, and listen back to the recording
- Record a conversation between two people
- Record sounds from around the classroom
Afterwards, have students practice exporting their recordings from their device onto a computer and saving it in an easy to find folder. (This process will depend on the device they use to record, but any IT or Technology Assistants in your school should be able to help. This guide from the New York Times has a helpful overview: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/learning/lesson-plans/project-audio-teaching-students-how-to-produce-their-own-podcasts.html.)
Social emotional learning - Inside SEL 