Overview

Students create an aural landscape of a scene from the text using digital sound-editing tools (such as GarageBand or Audacity). They annotate the text for explicit and implied sounds, source audio clips from a library like freesound.org, and layer them together to create a soundscape. Students finish with a brief written explanation of their choices.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Read the text extract as a class. Discuss the setting and atmosphere.
2. Students annotate the text, identifying both explicit sounds (stated in the text) and implied sounds (inferred from the setting and action).
3. Students plan their soundscape by listing the sounds they want to include and considering how they will layer them (foreground, background, transitions).
4. Using an audio editor, students source and import sound clips, then arrange and layer them to recreate the atmosphere of the scene.
5. Students write a brief explanation of their creative choices: why they selected each sound and how it connects to the text.
6. Groups play back their soundscapes to the class, and the audience discusses how each interpretation captures the atmosphere of the text.

Tips

• Set clear time limits for the sourcing phase — students can spend too long browsing sounds.
• Soundscapes don't need to be long: 30–60 seconds is usually sufficient.
• This is a strong activity for engaging students who are less confident with written responses.

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