Group+04+Angela's+Activity

= __**Audio Application - Audacity**__ =

__**Timeframe**__: Grade 2 students should be able to complete this activity in 3 or 4 classes. Additional time spent reading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," at home may be necessary to increase fluency and confidence.

__**Digital Learning Resource**:__ I've chosen Audacity, a free audio editor/recorder. This program allows students to make audio recordings of varying difficulty. It can be used to create more complex files with more than one track at a time, music incorporation, etc.,or it can be used to teach children how to record and save simple audio files. Audacity's key features include recording live audio, converting tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs, editing sound files like WAV and MP3, cutting/copying/splicing/mixing sounds together, and changing the speed/pitch of recordings. This program can be downloaded for free at [] The Audacity icon can then be easily accessed on your computer's desktop. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux.

__**Description of the Activity:**__ In keeping with our unit on butterflies, students will listen to a recording of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," by Eric Carle in groups of four. They will then illustrate their interpretations of the various changes in the caterpillar's journey to becoming a butterfly. In each group, students will practice reading a couple of lines each from the book using the audio recording as an aid, and then they will use the program Audacity to create their own audio recording of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Each group's audio file will be uploaded along with their drawings to the class Kid Blog for parents/guardians to see and hear.


 * __Curriculum connections:__** This activity is mainly linked to the Grade 2 Science curriculum, //__Life Science: Animal Growth and Changes__.// The activity has cross-curricular connections to Art and Language Arts.


 * __//**Science**// **SCO 101-7**__Observe and describe changes in the appearance and activity of an organism as it goes through its life cycle. Also, to be able to recognize the stages of development of an organism, using applicable terminology and language.


 * __//**Art**// **SCO 1.3.3**__ Employ a combination of the elements and principles of design in creating artwork that is based on the senses and imagination.


 * __**Language Arts**__ - //Reading and Viewing - SCO 4//: Students will be expected to select, read and view with understanding a range of literature, information, media, visual and audio texts.

__**Materials:**__ "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Headphones Microphone Computer Audacity Paper Colouring pencils

__**Rationale**__ For students to solidify their understanding of the changes in the life cycle of the butterfly through hearing and reading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." The art component allows students to use their imagination and exercise their creativity as they visually represent the story they hear on the recording. This exercise requires careful attention and good listening skills. Reading the story aloud in a group enables students to learn new vocabulary and practice becoming more fluent readers, with the added component of working together. Cooperative learning allows for feedback and assistance. The rationale for using Audacity is to introduce students to a new form of technology, that will enable them to listen to themselves reading aloud after they have made their audio recordings. This is good feedback and the novelty of using technology in the classroom is a good motivator for students, and good preparation for their technology filled futures. Recording their readings of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" will allow students the opportunity to share their work by uploading the files to KidBlog.

__**Teaching approach**__

I will show students how to open Audacity on the desktop. Then I will model how to make a recording by doing a small demonstration. I will model how to find and use the RECORD, PLAY, STOP and PAUSE buttons. Then I will show students how to save their file and give it a unique name. I will demonstrate how to EXPORT the file as an MP3. Throughout the whole process of students recording their readings of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," I will be right there to assist each group as they record the story. I will export the files and upload them to Kid Blog but I expect students to press record, play and stop themselves.

__**Screenshots and Procedural Notes**__

 * **Step 1:** **Look on the desktop for the Audacity icon and double click to open program.**




 * **Step 2: Click FILE in the upper left corner. Choose SAVE PROJECT from the drop down menu and save your project right away. [[image:mun3484/ANss2.jpg width="365" height="309" align="left"]]**


 * **Step 3: Save your file with a unique name that will allow you to find your Audacity file in the future (ie. myaudacityrecording). Then click SAVE.** [[image:mun3484/ANss3.jpg width="444" height="373" align="left"]]


 * **Step 4: The SAVE box will close and you are ready to record. Click on the RED button under EFFECT and begin speaking into your microphone. [[image:mun3484/ANss4.jpg width="418" height="348" align="left"]]**


 * **Step 5: When you have finished recording, press STOP, which is the YELLOW SQUARE button under TRANSPORT.[[image:mun3484/ANss5.jpg align="left"]]**


 * **Step 6: Make sure to SAVE your work frequently whenever you make a change. Click FILE in the upper left and corner and then SAVE PROJECT. The words will turn grey to show the changes have been saved. [[image:mun3484/ANss6.jpg width="329" height="251" align="left"]]**


 * **Step 7: To LISTEN to your recording, click the sideways GREEN TRIANGLE under VIEW.[[image:mun3484/ANss7.jpg align="left"]]**


 * **Step 8: To PAUSE your recording, click the DOUBL****E BLUE LINES under EDIT. [[image:mun3484/ANss8.jpg align="left"]]**


 * **Step 9: Now your recording is finished and your file is saved. The file will only open and play in an AUDACITY program. This is no good, because you want to play your recording on your KIDBLOG. In order to do this, you must change the file extension. Click FILE in the upper left hand corner, and scroll down and click on EXPORT. [[image:mun3484/ANss9.jpg width="323" height="395" align="left"]]**


 * **Step 10: The EXPORT FILE box will open. Click on the SAVE AS TYPE box under FILE NAME. A menu will pop open and you will scroll up and click on MP3 FILES. [[image:mun3484/ANss10.jpg width="544" height="379" align="left"]]**


 * **Step 11: Click SAVE on the right side of the Export Box above CANCEL.**




 * **Step 12: The EDIT METADATA box will open. Click the OK button in the lower right corner. [[image:mun3484/ANss12.jpg width="467" height="337" align="left"]]**


 * **Step 13: You are finished! Click the RED X in the upper right corner to close AUDACITY.[[image:mun3484/ANsss13.jpg align="left"]]**



**// - - - //****// Listen to the audio file below. This is a reading of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," recorded using AUDACITY. //**
media type="file" key="The Very Hungry Caterpillar reading.mp3" width="240" height="20"


 * //-Angela Norman//**