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Welcome to my Final Project!

Summary

      The topic for my Final Project is Sound Versus Noise. This is a presentation that I developed for my Music classes. I teach two different Music classes at my school, 2oESO F and 3oESO D. This is in addition to the other subjects I teach, English language and Physical Education.

      My main objectives for this lesson are to amplify the students vocabulary when it comes to talking about music and sound, to reinforce concepts they already understand in their own language and for them to think about how sound shapes the environment they live in. In my Music classes, we went over some of the basic vocabulary describing music like the names of notes, their durations, how to identify, write notes and show some examples. The goal of this initial presentation is to review information about the difference between sound and noise. By doing so we, the main instructor and I, can focus on key vocabulary and using it in a different context. By presenting this powerpoint, we can give the students the opportunity to have a solid foundation to apply to the next unit on Film Soundtracks.

      The materials I am going to use are principally the computer, projector and the blackboard or whiteboard, it depends on the class I am in. I will also have the students write in their notebooks so pieces of paper and writing utensils as well.

      In terms of timing for this project, because there are two parts of the project it takes about two classes. There are quite a few audiovisual components in part because it is a Music class and it is important to expose the students to a variety of different types of materials, so it takes a while to do that. To break up the class into smaller timed bits, there is a portion for the warm up, the central presentation, demonstration and extension and also for follow up games or activities. There are a few different options to choose from for companion games or exercises so other teachers can modify accordingly.

      My role as a Language Assistant is to aid the primary instructor in successfully executing the lesson plan and to provide as needed my input whether for language correction (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, varieties, options or context). It is important for the teacher and I to have a thorough understanding of the subject matter, to adhere to or be flexible with proper timing and to work as a united front.

      There are several different activities we will be doing using this foundational material in the next presentation on Soundtracks. By using the student already existing English language capacities, demonstrating new target vocabulary, real world examples of the material and different scaffolding activities to use the language in context, the students should be able to achieve a certain set of goals. These goals can be evaluated in different ways. They can be evaluated by production through conversation, asking questions and comprehension checks. They can be evaluated through writing in a quiz, exam or prompt later. They can also be through point-based games, either on smaller scales or with the whole class.

      After doing this presentation and working on some of the corresponding activities, the students should be able to use specific terminology to describe aspects of sound, noise and music. They should be able to talk about their own personal preferences, likes and dislikes based on esthetics and past experience. They should gain an awareness of technical aspects of sound and how the manufactured world affects their environment. They should be able to talk more in depth about sound and music as used in the world of film. They should be able to talk about fil music they are familiar with, adequately describe it and how emotional development is shown in films through the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound and music.

      As with any specific unit material, whether history, biology or music, these aims are possible. There are several different ways to modify the activities to accommodate different learning styles. In regard to this specific project, a lot of the content is more targeted towards Aural and Visual learners. With some of the corresponding activities, one could also more physical aspects to get the students moving like to act out what is going on with the music or to throw a ball from one team to another. There are some more Reading/Writing activities, like making associative word lists or coming up with the students' own #ExplainAFilmBadly.

      This Final Project can be useful and/or original for students because it is firstly a thorough way to present the assigned material we are covering and for giving ample opportunities to use language in context as it relates to the students' own personal interests. There are several different components which cumulatively help to build up the students' vocabulary and work on different skill sets.

      This format is easily adaptable to different subject areas. I like to begin by allowing for the students to discuss freely what they might already know about the lesson subject, to gauge their language or content understanding and warm them up. Then we proceed to the theory portion where we cover the material more in depth or focus on target vocabulary. Then we use specific activities to reinforce the vocabulary. Then we use different activities to extend and talk about different, related subjects. It is also important for students to think critically about their own environment and the real world that surrounds them. By striving to create a lesson plan where students can talk about what they know or have experienced they can work on solidifying their skills and use it later on in life.