K-12 Lesson Plans

Title:   A Story of Sound Effects

Submitted By:   James Berry, North Conway, NH  

Objective:  Students will understand the origins of sound effects and how they can make a story effective.  Students will understand the musical value of sound effects.

National Standard Covered: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music (6)

Materials:  
- Various Instruments that make great sound effects (guiro, ratchet, maracas, rain stick)
- Powerpoint Presentation - Sounds on the Farm (Download it here)
- Worksheet Sound Effect Lesson (Download it here)
- Computer with TV hookup or LCD projector

Procedure:
1. Explain to students about how ordinary sounds are called sound effects.  Play some examples with a guiro, rachet, maracas or rain stick.  Show how these instruments can sound like other things.  
2. Explain that today we will be listening to sound effects on the farm.  Using the powerpoint presentation, show students how the different sounds represent different animals and things that happen on the farm.  Tell students that they will be able to use these sounds to tell a story of their own.
3. Pass out the Sound Effect Lesson worksheet and have students write a story in partners about being on a farm.  Have students use the words that are on the worksheet and it is ok for stories to be funny or not make sense.
4. When the stories are completed, have students read their stories to each other.  As the children read the story, click the corresponding picture on the powerpoint screen and it will seem as though the story has corresponding sound effects.  Ask students how the sound effects enhanced the story.  Perhaps even have students close their eyes during the story, to visualize it.
5. Discuss where sound effects are used - especially with movie - Darth Vader is a good topic!  Ask students to imagine what would happen if Darth Vader sounded like a cat?   

Assessment / Extension:

     Make sure students use the word list corresponding with the sounds in their story.  For an extension, perhaps make a powerpoint for sounds in the city and compare the different locations musically speaking.