To do:

Does music fit action? Does it enhance video?

Rubric

Narrative:
This scope and sequence document seeks to outline how to incorporate elements of music
composition via electronic DAW. Through a production software called “Soundtrap”, students
will score for a silent animated film (sound subtracted) called “Mickey Mouse and the Haunted
House”. Students are expected to create music and foley sounds that best fit the animated feature,
utilizing whatever creative insight they may have.

Justification:
This scope and sequence document is intended to enforce and inform general concepts used in
the creation of audio in a film. It is necessary for students to learn how to create audio for a film
because it enhances students’ compositional, creative, and musicianship qualities.

Course / Grade Content:

What will students be expected to know and do? Provide the core knowledge and skills
(standards) that will be taught and assessed. Organize the essential content standards by unit.
Student Activities:
What will students do to demonstrate their learning?
What cross-content integration is there? E.g. Composition – theory – music technology
Assessment(s):
What common assessments (formative and/or summative) will be used to measure student
progress and achievement?
(These may remain the same or require minimal changes for subsequent units)

Grade 9
Based on three lessons a week

Week 1
Intro DAW (Digital Audio Workstation); activities for learning DAW; composition concepts;
creating compositions; assessing work (use of DAW and composition); Create specific
homework assignments.
Course/Grade Content: Students are expected to understand soundtrap and how to use it.
Student Activities:
Day 1: Juan Gonzalez - Lesson Plan
 1. Demo software for the class; show basic introduction to midi/audio tracks in
DAW context.
2. Allow students to experiment/explore the software and grow familiar with
functions of the software. Create perimeters if necessary.
**Form Groups of 2 - 3 Students for Introductory assignments
Day 2: Jack Aron / Jessica Lipman - Lesson Plan
1. Beat Making
a. Demo how to create multiple rhythm tracks, then copy and paste them in
an A-A-B-A format. Have students try on their own.
b. Individually create rhythmic and tonal elements with voice lasting 8 bars
c. Recreate the improvised rhythm in soundtrap.
2. Bass Line Creation
a. Demo how to create a bass line. Have students try on their own.
i. Go over bass line definition in vocabulary guide
ii. Go over the bassline tracks within soundtrap.
b. Vocalize a bass line of 8 bars
c. Select instrumentation
d. In soundtrap, create the bass line using your selected instrumentation and
vocalization
3. Melody Creation
a. Individually create a melodic phrase with the voice lasting 8 bars
b. Select instrumentation.
c. In soundtrap, create the melodic phrase with the available instrumentation.
*Homework: finalize beat, bass line, and most of melody composition

Day 3: Sydney Hsueh - Lesson Plan

1. Finalize composition
2. Presenting composition to rest of the class
a. Comments from students
*Homework Day 3: Have each student write an individual self-reflection on the
assignment. (What went well and what was difficult for you? And how do you think you can
improve next time?)

Assessment(s):
1. Have students present final version of the piece they composed to the class and form
class discussion.

Week 2
Contributions of music to video (aesthetic valuing); choose video; develop skills to use video in
class (decision making – direct instruction or student centered/constructivist approach – provide
details for each). Demo in class how to do this. Create specific homework assignments. Assess
the work.
Course / Grade Content:
Student Activities:
Day 1: Sandra Na - Lesson plan
1. Play in audio from videos in class WITHOUT VIDEO and have students discuss
observations of existing soundtrack. 1
a. Options:
i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoThry5WsY (Mickey
Mouse - The Haunted House)
ii. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgghnQF6E4 (Steamboat
Willie)
b. What moods is the music trying to convey? What specific sounds/aspects
of the music is helping convey the mood?
c. What do you picture when you hear these sounds?
d. What scene or part of the audio would you consider the music climax?
2. Play videos again for class with both audio and visuals (approx. 6 minutes each
in length) for the project.
a. What major changes would you make to the soundtrack? For what
purpose(s)?
3. Divide students into groups between 4-5 students for the overall project.
a. If time permits, have the groups begin discussion on the potential video
they wish to use and bounce off potential ideas to utilize within the video
regarding music, sound effects, etc.
*homework: choose a video you would like to work with your group
Day 2: Sivory Castellanos - Lesson Plan
1. Trailer genre change
a. Frozen to an action film
i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh_SNZ7j3mc
b. Grinch in 7 genres
i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgUFVTEGQ9A
2. Show examples of what we did showing that point of this project is not for
perfection but for enjoyment and exploration
a. Mickey mouse
Day 3: Sivory Castellanos - Lesson Plan
1. How to take a video apart together step by step
a. Bring your own tech device or go to computer lab

Assessment(s):
1. For homework, have students take the assigned video and remove sound. Have them
write a 200-300 word prompt of creative aural ideas (including sound effects and music)
that will be effective for inclusion in the video.

1
Video played without sound to allow students to imagine possible audio without influence of pre-existing sounds,
also allows students to identify the auditory climaxes of the video.
Week 3 - 4
Composition for the video; identifying conceptual sections in the video; identifying appropriate
musical concepts; suggesting Foley effects; composing music for each section; creating
transitional music; assigning specific homework; assessing the music created;
Course / Grade Content:
Student Activities:
Day 1: KJ Lee - Lesson Plan
1. Have the students break down the video into scenes.
a. Why/how are scene divisions chosen? Are they marked by visual, audial,
or mood changes?
b. Have students divide up the scenes amongst each other and to expedite
work done. Discussion amongst peers should be greatly encouraged
2. Identify appropriate musical concepts
Day 2: Ashley Bowman - Lesson Plan
1. Introduce terms that the students should familiarize themselves with and provide
an audio and/or video example for definitions that can be “heard”
a. Foley artistry - the reproduction of sound effects to be added to media
during post production
i. Example - Foley artist shows how sounds effects are made
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0pOLukIB4s
2. Start composing music for assigned sections.
a. Focus on background music and creating mood.
Day 3: Tara Fay - Lesson plan
1. Continue working on individual composition for assigned sections.
a. Focus on background music and creating mood, then sound effects/Foley
artistry.2
Day 4: Tara Fay - Lesson plan
1. Continue working on individual composition for assigned sections.
a. Focus on sound effects/Foley artistry.
2. Collaboration between students whose video segments are directly after one
another’s to decide best mode of musical connection between segments
Day 5: Sivory Castellanos - Lesson Plan
1. Teacher and peer feedback on compositions, suggestions and compliments.

Day 6: Sivory Castellanos - Lesson Plan

1. Students adjust to work in suggestions and finalize soundtrack
Assessment(s):

2
To avoid cognitive overload, students will be encouraged to isolate different aspects of the music track each day,
including music and sound effects. This corresponds to the concept of “chunking”.
 1. Homework: write a 1-page self-evaluation and description of the process. This should
include what they would change, what they liked, and extensions they would do on the
project if given time.
2. Have students submit their compositions and a list of sound effects used in the videos.
(creaky door, footsteps, etc.) These will be graded largely on participation as well as
creativity.

Week 5
Combining music and video; technical and aesthetic issues; comparing the results of different
student’s work; evaluating the results; demonstrating enduring understandings (e.g. reflective
project – essay, podcast,
Course / Grade Content:
Student Activities:
Day 1: Elana Gitterman - Lesson plan
1. Demonstrate how to download video (YouTube to MP4 online generator), remove
audio.
i. Download Video - www.onlinevideoconverter.com/ (Download as an
MP4)
ii. Eliminate Audio - http://www.audioremover.com/ (Upload video and
remove sound)
iii. Download new version of video without sound to computer
iv. Open Video in video editing software (i.e. imovie) and save project
2. Have students download audio that they have created through soundtrap onto computers
3. Students will input audio into video editing software.
4. Students will watch their own videos in their groups in order to make sure that everything was
downloaded correctly.
Day 2: Cameron Wirtz - Lesson Plan
1. Video Presentations in Class - Students will present their videos to the class. After each
group presents, students from other groups will have the opportunity to briefly comment
(critique) the video.
Day 3: Samantha Buchanan - Lesson Plan
1. If there are still groups that have not presented, have them present at the start of class.
2. Following the completion of every group, have a full-class discussion on the project that
includes how their experience went, what they are excited about or proud of, and things
they wish had gone better or more efficiently.
Assessment(s):
1. Final video presentation, this will be assessed largely on participation and effectiveness
of presenting the material as a group. They will be asked to begin presentation with a
very short dialogue on how they came up with the musical/sound ideas they used and
how they fit into the video.