Description
Students will be introduced to basic audio terms, audio equipment, audio accessories and relate them to real world applications in multimedia broadcast situations. Students will first spend time learning about basic audio terms and how they relate to what they have done so far and what they plan to do in the future. Then, students will learn about just a small sampling of the audio tools that they might have already used, or might use in the near future.
Objectives
- Students will identify different audio terms.
- Students will illustrate different audio pickup patterns.
- Students will analyze different microphone purposes.
- Students will identify correct microphone placement locations.
- Students will outline the uses of different audio accessories.
- Students will experiment with different microphones in different settings.
- Students will analyze what makes audio editing software useful.
- Students will compare single track editing to multi-track editing.
- Students will utilize audio editing software to complete various projects.
Common Core Standards
| CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4 | Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. |
Length
Five weeks or 25 50-minute classes
Resources
Slideshow: Audio for multimedia
Rubrics: Audio field interview, complete audio story, audio talk show or podcast, microphone field testing, create an audio feature
Lesson step-by-step
Day 1
1. Building background — 10 minutes
Introduce students to the concept of real audio production inside the realm of multimedia broadcast. Make sure students are clear that while earlier projects may have allowed them to simply use the microphone on the camera, they will now be beyond that in all projects they do. When students begin to learn basic audio terms, much of that reasoning will begin to make sense to them.
2. Present — 15 minutes
Discuss the first slide of audio terms: analog, digital, channels, mono and stereo. Be sure to check for understanding with some questioning strategies using these important terms.
3. Concept development — 25 minutes
Present the Audio Pickup Patterns to the class: omnidirectional, unidirectional, bidirectional and cardioid. Then divide students into partner teams or small groups and ask them create a sketch of how they interpret each pickup pattern. When groups are finished, merge them with another group to compare if they have come to the same conclusion. If they cannot come to an agreement, ask the larger group to research online to find the correct pickup pattern sketch.
Days 2-3
1. Building background —10 minutes
Introduce student to three remaining audio terms: ambient audio, sound effects and music. The concept that most students have a hard time understanding is ambient audio. That is, they don’t understand that even if no one is talking on the microphone, it is still picking up sound (lights buzzing, air conditioning, sounds in the hallway, etc.). So, what happens is students cut out the ambient audio when they begin editing and then they hear the major audio drop-offs of sound. You can then relate ambient audio to how sound effects and music affect the overall quality of projects.
2. Discuss and demonstrate — 40 minutes
Use equipment you have in the classroom to discuss and demonstrate the different types of microphones. Select students to get up and demonstrate to ensure they are actually practicing the use of microphones as you go. Don’t be afraid to spend an extra day during this part to ensure that students truly understand how to work the equipment. During this process, also demonstrate the audio accessories you have to work with your equipment. Discuss any items included on the slideshow that you don’t have in your classroom in the event your students run into this equipment in the future.
At this point you can administer the audio quiz.
Day 4-6 (Depending on your class size and equipment availability)
1. Building background — 10 minutes
Introduce students to the microphone field testing project. Depending on your equipment, you might want to rotate each group a certain amount of time with each microphone, or you could allow a group to take one of each type all at once and then give them a set amount of time. Each group should test each microphone in the follow environments: inside a small room with and without people, inside a large room with and without people, outside near people and away from people. Instruct students to state what they are doing for each take. That is, “I am in a small room without people.” This will make it easier for the students to put together later to turn in.
2. Group work — 40 minutes
Day 7
1. Building background — 10 minutes
Introduce students to the audio software available. Also, introduce students to the idea that there are a variety of free or inexpensive software packages for editing audio available online. Be sure to point out the “What to look for” section in the slideshow. Then, discuss the difference between single-track audio and multi-track audio editing. Point out that single-track editors don’t allow for smooth mixing between two sources.
2. Discussion — 40 minutes
Spend the remainder of the class period either covering how the software that you have at your disposal operates or spend the time researching with the class which free software would be best to use in your class. You can even have your students create a running pro/con list for different software types.
Day 8
1. Building background — 10 minutes
Introduce the project Conduct and Audio Field Interview to the students. Be sure they are clear on the parameters provided on the assessment sheet.
2. Independent work time — 40 minutes
Students should spend the remainder of the day conducting their interviews.
Day 9
1. Project wrap-up — 50 minutes
Any students who were unable to conduct their interviews should do so at the beginning of the day. Those students who were able to conduct their interviews should trim it down using the audio editing software you chose.
Days 10-13
1. Building background — 10 minutes
Introduce students to the project Create an Audio Feature completely of others’ words. The timing of this assignment will need to vary depending on your student-to-equipment ratio. Adjust the timing to fit your needs. Check in daily to ensure that students are making adequate progress as you go.
2. Independent work time — 40 minutes
Days 14-18
1. Building background — 10 minutes
Introduce students to the project Create an Audio Talk Show or Podcast. Again, the timing of this assignment will need to vary depending on your student/equipment ratio. Adjust the timing to fit your needs. Check in daily to ensure that students are making adequate progress as you go.
2. Independent work time — 40 minutes
Days 19-25
1. Building background — 10 minutes
Introduce students to the project Create a Complete Audio Story. Again, the timing of this assignment will need to vary depending on your student/equipment ratio. Adjust the timing to fit your needs. Check in daily to ensure that students are making adequate progress as you go.
2. Independent work time — 40 minutes