Multimedia: Audio or Video Lesson Idea

Lesson Idea Name: Historical Figures Podcast

Grade Level/Content Area: 1st grade/Social Studies
Content Standard Addressed:
SS1H1- Read about and describe the life of historical figures in American History.
ISTE Technology Standard Addressed:  What would you like students to know and be
Empowered Learner- able to do by the end of this lesson:
1.1.a Students articulate and set personal learning I would like the students to make a podcast
goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to about the contributions that have been made by
achieve them, and reflect on the learning process historical figures in American History.
itself to improve learning outcomes.

What is the student learning goal for this lesson idea?

I can make a podcast about a historical figure and what they are most known for in American
History.

Selected Instructional Software Tool: Podcast/Audio Recording Tool (Spotify for Podcasters)

Description of Software: Spotify for Podcasters allows the creator the ability to upload or record
their content, publish video podcasts to Spotify, and add interactive features by recording their voice
over an audio file.

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): https://podcasters.spotify.com/?

_ga=2.184046885.263293081.1680817163-1042579589.1680817162

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating

How do you plan to implement this lesson and integrate the technology? Check all that apply:

☐ Teacher-led: There is no student voice and choice in the activities. Students are guided by the
teacher's direction and expectations. Learning activities are assigned to the student and mostly
practice based.

☒ Student-Led: Students are given voice and choice in the activities. They may select the topic of
learning and/or determine the tool they will use to meet the learning goal. The teacher facilitates
the learning as the students direct their own learning processes.

☒ Problem-based and/or Publishable: Students are solving problems and completing projects to
demonstrate their learning. Additionally, the projects can be shared outside of the classroom.
(Note: This objective could be reached by displaying the project on the school’s morning
newscast, posting the project to the classroom blog, presenting it to another class, or publishing
it via an outside source.)
TFrazier, 2022
 Multimedia: Audio or Video Lesson Idea

Lesson idea implementation:

The activity for this lesson will have students make their own podcast interview by interviewing
another student that is pretending to be a historical figure from American History (chosen by
students from a list of historical figures given by teacher) and asking them about their contributions
within the history of the United States. I will introduce the lesson by telling the students that they
are going to be making their own podcast, giving instructions and modeling how to record
themselves before beginning, and interviewing a historical figure that they choose about the
contributions that they made throughout American History, telling them they will be working in
partners, with one student being the host and interviewer of the podcast, and one student playing
the historical figure. I will make the students aware of their goals for this lesson by giving the “I can”
statement of “I can make a podcast about a historical figure and what they are most known for in
American History.”, emphasizing that they must make a script and include at least 3 facts about the
historical figure and their biggest contribution to American History. The students will utilize the
technology by making their own audio recording to make a podcast (using a podcast/audio recording
tool such as Spotify for Podcasters or other audio recording tool) that is at least 2 minutes long. As
the teacher, I will monitor the students and make sure they are collecting facts and the contributions
that these historical figures have made in American history, including if they are using the audio
recording tools correctly, helping to press record and stop if needed. I will provide feedback to the
students by reviewing their podcasts and telling them if they included enough information (3 facts
and their biggest contribution in history) and if they made the podcast the correct amount of time,
noting if they passed the learning objective and “I can” statement. I will conclude the lesson by
allowing everyone to present their podcast audio recordings and letting other students ask questions
about each historical figure that was interviewed, making sure to hold a small discussion on each
historical figure after their podcast has been presented.

Managing student learning:
The audio recording/podcasting tool that will be used within this lesson will cause a shift in the behavior of
students where they move from passive to active social learners in many ways. This is because the students
will be not only researching and learning about a historical figure that made an impact on American history
but will also be collaborating with another student, interviewing a historical figure (played by another
student), asking them questions that promote critical thinking and active learning by thinking about how the
historical figure would answer and react to each question the interviewing/host student of the podcast will
make. I will also allow for time-on-task by having the students create a script for the podcast (that will need to
include the historical figure’s biggest contribution to American History and three facts about the historical
figure) that they will show me before recording the podcast, in order to make sure they have the correct
information and components to achieve the learning objective and standard before making the podcast.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Reflection:

This activity and the technology audio recording/podcasting tool that I selected support and enhance the
learning experience for students in the classroom through the principle of action and expression by allowing
the students to use a format/tool (the audio recording tool) to communicate and express their knowledge
that they have gained from research on the historical figure. This also promotes the engagement principle of
Universal Design for Learning (UDL), as it promotes individual choice and autonomy by allowing the students
to choose which historical figure they want to base the podcast activity on, and what facts they found to
include in their script that they will write themselves within the podcast.

Reflection:
TFrazier, 2022
 Multimedia: Audio or Video Lesson Idea

After designing the lesson idea, I think that the activities will impact student learning by allowing
them to have choices and options in the research about what they will want to interview their
historical figure of their choosing about, while still following the criteria and instructions that will
allow them to pass the learning objective and standard in a fun and engaging way. It will also impact
student learning by letting them host their own podcast using an audio recording tool that will
promote engagement and universal design for learning by letting the students express their learning
in different ways (both writing the script and recording the podcast by collaborating with another
student). I think that the part of the lesson that I look forward to implementing with students the
most would be the part where the students get to present their podcasts and explain why they
chose that historical figure, allowing other students to ask questions about the historical figure after
presenting, as this will allow other students to learn more about another historical figure, while also
letting the students that are presenting get feedback from other students as well.

TFrazier, 2022