Creating a Podcast for K-5 Science

From WolfWikis

Return to College of Education Workshops

K-5 Science Podcasts:

• Science on the Wildside [1]
• Scientific America 60 second podcasts [2]
• Why? The Science Show for Kids [3]
• Science and the Sea [4]
• Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears produced by the National Science Digital Library (an online magazine with podcasts for K-5 teachers) [5]

Podcasting in the Classroom

Smithsonian Education - Podcasting with your Students [6]

• Why would you podcast with students?
  • To expand and enhance your curriculum.
  • To tell digital stories.
  • To promote classroom activities for parents; sharing news and information.
  • To record classroom or fieldtrip activiites.
  • To conduct interviews and create news programs.
  • To create study materials.
  • As a teacher you can build audio libraries of content for your students to listen to inside or outside of your classroom.
  • Student-created podcasts represent authentic learning.
  • Podcasts are excellent for auditory learners.
  • Podcast production acknowledges students' multiple intelligences & diverse learning styles.
  • Podcasting is fun, creative, and engaging!

• Ideas for podcasting with students:
  • Have students take voice memos/notes on a fieldtrip and create a fieldtrip podcast.
  • Some elementary teachers create vocabulary podcasts.
  • Students create narrative histories or reports using podcasts.

Creating Your Classroom Podcast in Six Steps

1. Plan and research your content. (Ask - What is the purpose of my podcast?)
   • Visit LearnNC.org [7] to review K-2 science standards.
   • Choose your subject and write a 1-2 sentence statement about the purpose for your podcast.
   • Create a content outline.
   • Things to consider including:
     • An introduction (to include name of podcast, date, name of host, & purpose)
     • A teaser about what is coming next and/or perhaps a useful tip
     • A recap of what has been presented.
   • Create a project folder on your computer to house all files associated with your podcast.
2. Create a storyboard fashioned from the outline complete with your script and music clips. (Ask - How do I want my podcast to flow?)
   • Find any music and/or sound effects you want to use and add them to a folder on your computer.
   • Consider who your audience is when writing your script.
3. Practice and then record your podcast.
   • In Audacity press the record button to record your podcast.
   • Using an iPod, use the micromemo device and record your podcast as a voice memo.
   • It is important to speak clearly or all your hard work will be for naught.
   • Use only 15 seconds or less of intro music.
   • You can record using an iPod with a micromemo device, or you can record directly into your computer using software such as Audacity[8].
4. Edit your podcast.
5. Publish your podcast as an MP3 file. (Download the LAME library file [9] and export your podcast through Audacity as an .MP3 file.)
6. Evaluate your podcast. (Ask - What worked and what could be improved.)

Audacity Tutorials

Audacity 1.2 tutorial by Dan Eliot [10]

Guides and Tutorials.Com [11]

Creating a Simple Voice and Music Podcast with Audacity [12]

Creating an Audio Essay [13]

Audacity Video Tutorial [14]

Royalty Free Music and Sound Sites

Free Play Music [15]

The Free Sound Project [16] (requires that you register first)

Podshow Music [17]

CCMixter [18]

Recording Your Podcast

• Using an iPod:
  • Attach micromemo to iPod.
  • Set record quality to high
  • Press center of wheel to RECORD
  • Save
  • Preview by pressing silver X on micromemo.
  • Connect iPod to computer and sync.
  • Find your recorded file in My Documents - My Music - iTunes - iTunes music. Rename it and save it to your project folder.

• Using Audacity
  • Insert microphone.
  • Select audio preferences for playback and recording. (You may need to select microphone from the Control Panel through the Start Menu - Sounds and Audio Devices.)
  • Click red record button to begin recording. Use pause button to pause.
  • Click stop button to end recording.
  • Click reset and play to hear your recording. (If you begin recording again, your recording will start on a new track. You may need to mute your first track to make your next track or you can delete the first track and start over.)

Editing Your Podcast in Audacity

• Open your recorded file in Audacity (File - Open) if your recorded your podcast on an iPod.
• Import your music file (Import - Audio)
• Use the Effect button to fade your music in at the beginning.
• Use the time-shift tool to move your music and/or recording if you need to.
• Use the Effect button to fade your music out at the end.