HOW IS YOUR IDENTITY CONNECTED TO THE LAND?
After taking a sound and art journey across Canada, children will probably be more conscious and aware of the everyday sounds in their own lives and environment. You will find that that often the landscape influence and inspire. Now, go outside to make maps of the sounds you hear. Then, have students create their own recording or form of soundscape story based in their local landscape and create art that represents that connection.
PREPARATION:
INTRODUCTION OF A SOUND MAP:
4. Go outside and find a spot to sit and listen. On a piece of paper, write or draw what sounds you hear.
Here is an example of a city sound map:
http://goodcitylife.org/chattymaps/index.php Chatty Maps a sound map of cities)
Here is another soundscape drama game to warm-up students to the idea of soundscapes:
https://dramaresource.com/soundscape/
Students can practice recording sounds outside with a Soundscapes: app https://www.recordtheearth.org/
LESSON ON CREATING A SOUND-MAP:
After taking a sound and art journey across Canada, children will probably be more conscious and aware of the everyday sounds in their own lives and environment. You will find that that often the landscape influence and inspire. Now, go outside to make maps of the sounds you hear. Then, have students create their own recording or form of soundscape story based in their local landscape and create art that represents that connection.
PREPARATION:
INTRODUCTION OF A SOUND MAP:
- What exactly is a ‘map,’ and what does it do?
- Look at different maps that represent technology, symbols, or images that are used to broaden our understanding. Ask students to explain what each map shows, and how it conveys more information than a simple road map.
- Watch video clip talking about sounds around you: https://www.nfb.ca/film/listen/ Listen Film
- Inform students we will be making our own sound maps.
- Introduce the basic skill of mindfulness, focusing on one sensation.
- Ask students to listen to a distant sound. Ask one of the students to share, describe the distance, and describe the direction. Model on a poster paper:
- How would you describe that sound?
- What verbs?
- What direction and distance the sound comes from.
- Is there a symbol or onomatopoeia that represents that sound?
4. Go outside and find a spot to sit and listen. On a piece of paper, write or draw what sounds you hear.
Here is an example of a city sound map:
http://goodcitylife.org/chattymaps/index.php Chatty Maps a sound map of cities)
Here is another soundscape drama game to warm-up students to the idea of soundscapes:
https://dramaresource.com/soundscape/
Students can practice recording sounds outside with a Soundscapes: app https://www.recordtheearth.org/
LESSON ON CREATING A SOUND-MAP:
- Create soundscapes (a poems or story ) using sounds you have recorded or from website links (see resources for links). Students are asked to use their knowledge about the importance of land, and their own personal or cultural history that is connected to this land.
- Have students share their work and see what messages they came across.
Here is an example of what a student may write (with sounds recorded in background):
“Leafing through the pages of my book, I found that my school was the place I always felt happy. I was calm and relaxed like I was in the prairies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD1jYoipuDs ( Play sound for 5 seconds)
From kindergarten to grade three. Grade three was the last time I was going to be there. It was time to move schools and houses and make new friends. I had seen my new house quite a few times and I had even slept there once.
The last day of school was even more harder than the first day.
My classmates had made me a booklet, everyone in the class wrote in it.
It was sad going on the bus and saying bye to my friends. It wasn’t like the other times, I felt like I was in a dark storm no longer in the prairies. When I got back home I was reading the booklet when my Mom and Dad had came in with my brother. My new house was big and warm but it wasn’t like our old house it was really different.
Finally, going to my new school wasn’t that bad. My teacher was very kind, It still was scary but not too much. My new teacher tells stories and is funny. I had made new friends we played together at recess. In grade 5 I am so happy I am not moving again I really like this place.
This is connected to the land because every school has a playground with kids and people and you wouldn’t be that scared. The playground (play sounds of playground including sound of wind in trees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DWusPgTjiw ( play for 5 seconds) ) is connected to the land because even if you move schools. Being the new kid at school. Being the new kid on a playground is the same. There is laughter and shouting but the most important thing is that there people there like any other school. In conclusion, I was able to show how it was connected to the land and tell my story when I thought of the playground”.
Grade 5 student new to Canada
“Leafing through the pages of my book, I found that my school was the place I always felt happy. I was calm and relaxed like I was in the prairies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD1jYoipuDs ( Play sound for 5 seconds)
From kindergarten to grade three. Grade three was the last time I was going to be there. It was time to move schools and houses and make new friends. I had seen my new house quite a few times and I had even slept there once.
The last day of school was even more harder than the first day.
My classmates had made me a booklet, everyone in the class wrote in it.
It was sad going on the bus and saying bye to my friends. It wasn’t like the other times, I felt like I was in a dark storm no longer in the prairies. When I got back home I was reading the booklet when my Mom and Dad had came in with my brother. My new house was big and warm but it wasn’t like our old house it was really different.
Finally, going to my new school wasn’t that bad. My teacher was very kind, It still was scary but not too much. My new teacher tells stories and is funny. I had made new friends we played together at recess. In grade 5 I am so happy I am not moving again I really like this place.
This is connected to the land because every school has a playground with kids and people and you wouldn’t be that scared. The playground (play sounds of playground including sound of wind in trees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DWusPgTjiw ( play for 5 seconds) ) is connected to the land because even if you move schools. Being the new kid at school. Being the new kid on a playground is the same. There is laughter and shouting but the most important thing is that there people there like any other school. In conclusion, I was able to show how it was connected to the land and tell my story when I thought of the playground”.
Grade 5 student new to Canada
Resources:
Extra Sounds to add for Soundscapes (The best sounds are recorded by the students though).
(please preview these are external links):
Canada Sounds: http://canadasound.ca/en/
Canada Sounds: https://canadasound.ca/en/soundstream/sound-map/
Sounds of whales in north: https://vimeo.com/44594392
Eastern Canada: https://vimeo.com/25600262
Nature Sounds: http://nature-downloads.naturesounds.ca/
Boreal and Acadian Forests: https://vimeo.com/26005047
Sounds: https://soundcloud.com/wildearthvoices
https://www.zapsplat.com/
Animal Sounds: http://soundbible.com/tags-animal.html and http://www.grsites.com/archive/sounds/category/25/
Sounds: https://freesound.org/search/?q=wind
Nature Sounds: http://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/the-sounds-of-nature-in-your-backyard-furry-visitors/
https://www.soundsnap.com/tags/canadian?page=1
Sounds of Urban Canada: https://www.soundsnap.com/tags/canadian?page=1
Sounds from around the world: http://www.naturesoundmap.com/
Snow Sounds https://canadasound.ca/submission/squeaking-snow/
Technical ideas for recording:
http://www.soundandmusic.org/resources/artists-toolkit/how-tos/fieldrecording
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2015/05/04/the-best-sound-maps-webcams-for-teaching-geography/
Create a piece of artwork that represents your connection to the land:
