Music Education

Soundtrap for Education’s Back-to-School Toolkit

October 4, 2023

Recently, we released Soundtrap’s Back-to-School Survival Guide for Teachers, which was aimed at helping teachers start out on the right foot for the fall semester. After all, we know that with new advancements in teaching styles, methodologies, and edtech, being an educator has never been more overwhelming. 

Building on the success of our Survival Guide, today we’re going to delve a little deeper. As educators and administrators navigate the new year, we’re giving you an entire toolkit to help your students integrate fun and learning with the best DAW in the edtech game! Together, let’s use this Back-to-School Toolkit to help you plan lessons for the entire semester.

First Day (or Month) Butterflies 

Everyone, including teachers, has butterflies in the first few weeks of school. For students, it’s only natural – new teachers, new locker combinations, and new class schedules can be hard enough as it is. That’s why we recommend starting your classes with a few lessons that will have your students getting comfortable again around both their teachers and their peers. We recommend three activities to get your students involved and engaged within the first few days.

1. Say My Name  

The “Say My Name” Lesson is a great and easy lesson plan that is designed to enhance self-awareness and relationship-building among students of all grades. The primary objectives are:

  1. To help students learn each other’s names, thereby increasing social comfort.
  2. To build community by encouraging students to share stories about names that are significant in their lives. They can share the history behind their own names, whether they are named after someone, or why they chose a particular nickname for a pet, friend, or family member.
  3. To celebrate the diversity of cultures, identities, and histories that students bring to the classroom.

The activity culminates in an audio project where each student records the story of their name. This lesson plan can be adapted for both younger and older students with variations, like adding background music or creating a piano roll of their name.

Ready to get started? Check out the “Say My Name” lesson plan!

2. Me in a Minute

 

 

The “Me in a Minute” podcast is another fantastic lesson plan tailored to blend perfectly with STEM or STEAM education, ideally starting from Grade 3.

The primary objectives are for students to:

  • Create their own podcasts using Soundtrap to hone their technical and narrative skills.
  • Write and edit a script describing their unique talents, fostering self-expression and media literacy.

“Me in a Minute” Activity

The activity involves several key steps:

1. Introduction and Planning: Students start by learning what a podcast is and then use a graphic organizer to plan their own.

2. Drafting and Editing: Initial drafts are created and then refined through teacher conferences and writer’s workshops.

3. Soundtrap Exploration: The classroom turns digital as students are introduced to Soundtrap, where they will record their podcasts.

Throughout the process, educators can introduce students to the Soundtrap platform 

and open up the library of content available to conduct their own workshops and tutorials. In turn, students will become more technologically savvy and learn how to express their creativity. 

4. Music Creation: Students either craft their own musical segment or utilize Soundtrap’s loop library. 

If you’d like to make this more of a semester-long project and want to teach your students how to make music with a DAW or integrate a lesson on how to create a loop, you can integrate lessons like “Music, Loops, and Coding” into the curriculum to give your students a more holistic approach to learning. 

5. Final Recording and Assessment: The script turns into an audio masterpiece as students record, edit, and then assess their own and peers’ podcasts.

This lesson plan is fully adaptable and gives your students the chance to delve into the world of podcasting while learning more about themselves and their classmates. Similar to the “Say My Name” lesson, the “Me in a Minute” podcast serves as another layer in building a strong, empathetic, and technologically savvy classroom community.

Learn more: How your students can take full advantage of the “Me in a Minute” lesson plan.

3. Empathy Interview & Bringing Joy

 

 

“Empathy Interview & Bringing Joy” is a lesson plan designed to align well with social-emotional learning and foster skills like empathy and active listening, making it suitable for middle school to post-secondary education.

The primary objectives are for students to:

  • Conduct empathy interviews to enhance their listening and empathetic skills.
  • Write, record, edit, and publish an audio or musical creation aimed at bringing joy to their empathy partner.

The activity involves several key steps to get back to school started on the right step:

  1. Feature Exploration: Allow 10 minutes for students to discover as many features of Soundtrap as possible.
  2. Share Discoveries: Each student reports one unique feature they found in Soundtrap.
  3. Empathy Partner: Students choose a classmate to be their “empathy partner” and discuss what active listening and empathy mean.
  4. Empathy Interviews: Set a 5-minute timer for empathy interviews focusing on the theme, “What brings you joy?”
  5. Creation Time: Set a 10-minute timer for students to open a new Soundtrap project and create an audio piece inspired by the interview, aiming to bring joy to their partner.
  6. Share and Reflect: Partners present their creations to each other and explain the inspirations and intentions behind their work.

This lesson plan is fully adaptable and adds another dimension to your classroom, focusing on emotional intelligence and empathy alongside technical skills. It complements other lessons like “Say My Name” and “Me in a Minute,” creating a well-rounded, empathetic, and technologically proficient classroom environment.

Ready to start the year out strong? Check out the full “Empathy Interview & Bringing Joy” lesson plan.

Year-Long Curriculum 

Now that you’ve set the stage for a dynamic and empathetic classroom environment with Soundtrap for Education’s initial lesson plans, it’s time to look ahead and enrich your curriculum for the rest of the school year. Soundtrap offers an expansive library of over 200 ways it can be seamlessly integrated into various subjects to enhance learning and engagement. 

These tools not only make learning more interactive but also more effective. Below, you’ll find specialized sections for integrating Soundtrap into various subjects. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg, and you can explore each subject more at length at our Resource Portal!

Science Lessons

  • Audio Field Guide: This interactive lesson encourages students to observe, document, and understand local bird species through the creation of an audio field guide. Using Soundtrap, students collect audio samples of bird songs, record descriptions of their appearance, diet, and habitat, and compile them into an easy-to-navigate digital guide.

Target Age Group: Elementary School Students

Learn More: Audio Field Guide Lesson 

  • Interview a Spider: This creative lesson combines science and communication skills by requiring students to “interview” a spider. Students first research a particular species of spider. Then, using Soundtrap, they record interviews about these spiders, discussing their physical characteristics, behavior, and impact on ecosystems. The aim is not just to impart scientific facts but also to hone their interviewing and listening skills.

Target Age Group: 5th-8th Grade

Learn More: Interview a Spider Lesson

English and Language Arts (ELA) Lessons 

1. Create a Podcast: This lesson plan introduces students to the world of podcasting. Using Soundtrap, students learn how to build, record, and publish a podcast tailored to a specific audience. The focus here is not just on technical skills but also on storytelling and effective communication.

Target Age Group: Adaptable to All Levels

Learn More: Create a Podcast Lesson 

2. Personal Narrative Poetry: In this lesson, students dive into the art of narrative poetry. Students learn about narrative poems and how to create them. Using Soundtrap, they record their poems with background music and sound effects of their choice, enhancing both their writing and technical skills.

Target Age Group: Adaptable to Middle and High School Students

Learn More: Personal Narrative Poetry Lesson

Math Lessons

1. Fractions and Pizza: In this hands-on lesson, students learn about equivalent fractions by creating musical beats. Using Groove Pizza and Soundtrap, they apply their understanding of fractions to produce unique rhythms, blending mathematical understanding with creativity.

Target Age Group: Elementary

Learn More: Fractions and Pizza Lesson 

2. Fibonacci Sequence and Music: This interdisciplinary lesson connects the Fibonacci Sequence with musical theory. Students will recognize the pattern of the Fibonacci Sequence. Then, they will identify its presence in musical elements, such as scales and keyboard layout. The lesson aims to highlight the intriguing intersection between mathematics and music.

Target Age Group: Middle and High School Students

Learn More: Fibonacci Sequence and Music Lesson

Soundtrap for Education’s EDU Portal offers an expansive range of innovative lesson plans that cater to a diverse array of subjects. Whether it’s music, math, geography, or STEM, educators will find well-crafted, technology-integrated lessons designed to engage students in hands-on learning. 

By merging traditional educational frameworks with cutting-edge technology like Soundtrap, these lessons make complex concepts accessible and relatable, enriching the educational experience across disciplines. The portal is a valuable resource for educators aiming to inspire creativity, enhance understanding, and prepare students for a rapidly evolving world.

Get Started with Soundtrap: A Teacher-Friendly DAW

Embarking on your educational journey with Soundtrap is a seamless experience that prioritizes the needs of educators. From the moment you decide to incorporate Soundtrap, you’ll find that setting up lesson plans and onboarding is incredibly user-friendly. Designed as a digital audio workstation (DAW) that puts students at the forefront, Soundtrap aims to simplify the teaching process while enhancing the learning experience.

Soundtrap goes beyond mere convenience. It serves as a revolutionary tool for integrated STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education. By offering a platform that students find not just educational but also enjoyable, Soundtrap bridges the gap between traditional learning and modern approaches. The interactive and hands-on nature of Soundtrap keeps students engaged. This heightened level of interest naturally facilitates a deeper understanding of complex subjects.

Our comprehensive Onboarding Guide for New Users provides a step-by-step walkthrough to get you and your students up and running in no time.

By embracing Soundtrap, you’re not just choosing an educational tool. You’re investing in a system designed to make life easier for teachers while also enriching the learning experience for students. Welcome to the future of education.