Drayton Manor High School
Creating audio content with Audacity (KS3 ICT)
About
About
Audacity is free software that can be used to create and edit sound on a PC. The program contains some sophisticated effects processing algorithms that can be used to manipulate and enhance recorded audio.Hardware requirements are modest: a PC with a sound card, headphones and a microphone are the basic requirements to be able to create audio content. Most PCs these days have sound built onto the motherboard, and a headset comprising headphones and a microphone can easily be bought for between £8-£12.
Over four lessons, this project aims to get KS3 students to produce a radio advertisement. After some background on radio, and an introduction to Audacity, students brainstorm ideas, which are then developed into a script to be recorded, edited, and finally output as an MP3 file. In the final lesson, students listen to the work class members have produced, and reflect on how they could use the knowledge and skills they have gained in other lessons. Resources to support the project include example sound files, PowerPoint slides, and worksheets to give basic instructions on the use of Audacity.
It is suggested that the lessons be delivered as discrete ICT lessons with Year 8 students, although depending on the ability of the students and staff, it may also be possible to deliver the lessons as cross-curricular ICT within subject areas. There is scope to broaden the project to include cross-curricular work in Citizenship, Music, English and Media Studies. In particular, there may be some opportunity for students to create compositions to be used as jingles in the advertisements.
Use the links on the left to download lesson plans and resources, and to visit sites relevant to the project.
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