Playing With Sounds as Information

Create a Soundscape Application

Activity:

1. Ask students to open the Create A Soundscape applet. Tell them to click on the NEXT SET arrows on the bottom to select an image they want to work with. Then ask them to click on each of the types of sound and name the sounds they think they might want to use to layer the image.

2. Ask students to click on SOUND SPOT for each of the sounds they want to use and to drag that sound spot over the part of the image where they think it makes sense.

3. If you want to structure the activity, divide students into at least two groups dealing with the same image so they can compare how their sound choices affect the meaning of the image.

4. Discuss how the order of the sounds can also add to the meaning of the image, since it tells a kind of story with the image. Ask students to consider the order of their sounds and to change it if need by using the SOUNDS ORDER button.

5. Ask students to write down the number and type of the sounds they used (i.e. music 5) so they can reproduce their choices in front of the class (the applet does not save their production.) Ask groups to recreate their soundscape for the class and then click on the PLAY ALL button to show the "story".

6. If possible, compare how different groups changed the meaning of the same image by selecting different sounds.

 

 

 

 

The Main Idea

To explore how sounds can add information, students can take the identical image, but change its meaning just by adding different sounds.

The idea is to let students discover how sounds can add information by letting them all select sounds from the same set, but giving them the choice of which part of the image to illustrate with which sound. They can work in pairs or small groups or as individuals, depending on technology access.

 

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