Lesson video

Hi, everybody.

It's Mrs. Dodds here.

Welcome back.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson.

Let's get started and find out what this lesson is all about.

So let's start by looking at the outcome of this lesson.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to recognise the features of a podcast and plan your very own podcast.

So as we know, we will be looking at keywords over the lesson.

So let's have a look at what they might be this time.

So our keywords, I'm going to do exactly the same thing, which is I will say them, and then I'm gonna ask you to repeat them.

So let's have a look.

The first one, layering.

You Try.

Brilliant.

This is playing tracks at the same time.

Let's look at the next one, import.

You try.

Excellent.

This is to include data from an existing source.

Import, to bring it in.

Let's look at the final one.

Podcast.

You try it.

Excellent.

A spoken word series of audio episodes.

So that's what we're going to be creating and planning today.

Let's move on.

So the first part of our lesson today is going to be looking at how we layer tracks.

Let's get started.

Layering sound lets you record multiple tracks.

So as you can see in that picture, we've got track one and we've got track two.

You can set Audacity to play one track at a time or both at the same time if you need to.

So it depends what that second track is.

Okay.

You might layer tracks if you want to include voices, or a sound effect, or some music.

So it might be voices speaking.

It could be music or it could be sound effects.

So let's look at how this track has been layered.

Track one captures the speaker's voice.

Track two captures the music.

Track three captures a sound effect.

So look very closely at those different tracks and look at how they are different to one another.

You might have even spotted a few differences already.

Let's move on.

So it's now time for a check for understanding.

Which of the following tracks shows a recording of a person speaking.

Is it A, is it B, or is it C? I want you to pause the video now so that you've got time to discuss your answer, and I want you to really try and explain your thoughts.

Pause the video now.

Excellent.

You're back.

Right, let's see if you've got that.

Hopefully you did.

Let's have a look and reveal the answer.

The answer is it is B.

B shows the recording of a person speaking, and you can see that because.

You can see the waves of the audio track on B going up and down a lot.

This is probably the clue that this track is probably a recording of somebody speaking.

So you can see when they're speaking and when they're not, when they're speaking, and when they're not.

Let's move on.

So you can import audio files to create a second track on your podcast.

Import, bringing something in.

When using audios, it's important to consider who owns the content.

Look for a licence, which is a set of rules on how it can be used.

This is really crucial.

Give credit to the creator.

You must not try and pass off imported content as your own.

So look really carefully where you get those music tracks from.

So when you are importing an audio file, you need to think about the purpose of your podcast, listen to the different audio files below, and we're gonna find out which type of audios you want to use.

Let's take a look at what we've got.

So we've got melancholy.

We've got breaking news.

we've got forest.

And finally, we've got inspiring.

So it's now time to listen to all of these audios and we make a decision over which one you would like to use when you start creating your podcast.

Let's take a listen.

First one we're gonna look at is the melancholy.

Let's try it and see what it sounds like.

(melancholic music) Brilliant, I hope you enjoyed that one.

Let's look at the next one.

We're gonna look at breaking news.

Let's take a look.

(dramatic music) Brilliant.

You're back.

Let's take a look at forest.

(gentle music) And brilliant, you're back.

Let me see.

Let's have a look at inspiring.

This is our final one.

(inspiring music) Great.

It's really important to play a good chunk of that track just so that you can hear what it's about and see if it's what you want when you're planning your podcast.

Let's find out what we need to do next.

So let's have a look at how we layer tracks.

Audio files can be imported from the computer laptop or Chromebook.

So as you can see, I've got a picture there where I've gone up to the menu and clicked on file.

I've just gone all the way down until I can see that word import, and it gives me the option of an audio file.

Let's watch this video now and take a look at how we might do that.

So now it's time to have a look at this video about how we import a music audio file onto a project that we've created.

What I'm gonna do first is just create my track one, which is going to be the track that records my voice.

So as I pop onto the record button, you can just see that it's starting to record my voice.

I'm gonna let it go a little bit longer, so my track is a little bit longer.

When I'm happy, I'm going to press stop.

So track one is the audio of my voice.

I'm going to add a second track at the bottom here.

I'm going to add in a track two, which is the music background that I would like.

So if I pop up to file and I move all the way down to the import button, you can see a menu popup, which is an option, and I'm going to click that audio option.

Now this is tracked to a folder with all of the different music in that I have got that I'm okay to use.

You will have to track to your folder with all of your different music in.

I'm going to choose the innovation option and click Open.

And as you can see, it's populated that second track with the music.

Now, I can see there's a big difference between the length of these different tracks.

So just using the skill that we've already learned, I'm going to click where I would like to cut it.

I'm going to highlight all of the track that I do not need.

And on my keyboard, I'm gonna press delete.

Now, I can see that the one is slightly longer than the other.

So I'm going to use my Zoom in button just to make it a little bit longer so I can select the bit of track I don't want, and then they're the same length.

So let's listen back to it.

So if I press, I'm gonna click on my top audio track, and press play.

You can just see that it's starting to record my voice.

I'm gonna let it go.

And you can hear both my audio track of my voice playing and my track which is my music at the same time.

Brilliant.

You're back.

I hope that made sense.

Let's move on and find out what we need to do next.

So the volume of a track is important, but why do you need to adjust the volume of a track? I want you to pause the video now and spend some time talking to somebody about that and discussing your thoughts.

Pause the video now.

Right, let's find out, why do we need to be able to adjust the volume of our track? So the main focus is the speaker, so we need to make sure that they can be heard by turning the volume of the music down.

I've just put a little black box on the screen there to show you where you would be looking on your screen to adjust the volume.

Let's take a closer look at how we might do that.

So to find out how to adjust the volume of your music track, look very closely at that track.

In that top corner there, you can see just below Mute and Solo that there is a bar which can be adjusted with a positive and negative symbol.

So if you're holding onto that little dot, moving it back and forth, it will allow you to adjust the volume, either making it louder or making it quieter.

Let's watch this video now to take a closer look at how we might do that.

So, in this video, we're going to look at how we're going to adjust the volume of the music track.

So when I press play, you're going to listen to the audio track again where you'll hear me speaking, but you'll also hear the music in the background.

You can just see that it's starting to record my voice.

Although the music's fantastic, it's slightly louder than I would like it to be.

So I'm going to click down here on the music track, which is track two.

Just where it's got Mute, Solo, and Effects, you'll see that there's this little bar here, which is the volume.

The volume is measured in decibel.

So if we look at it, we've got the positive and the negative or plus and takeaway.

If I move this bar down, I'm gonna try negative.

I'll try negative 10 first of all.

I'm gonna press play, and just have a listen to how that sounds now.

You can just see that it's starting to record my voice.

Again, it might still be a little bit louder than I'd like it to be.

So I'm going to bring that down to negative 15 and listen again.

You can just see that it's starting to record my voice.

I'm gonna let it go a little bit longer.

So you need to adjust that to the level that you are happy with.

You might even decide to click on your audio for your voice and increase the volume here as I'm doing.

So let's listen again.

You can just see that it's starting to record my voice.

Depending on where you've recorded your audios and the microphone that you've used, you will need to adjust these to suit the project that you are creating.

Brilliant, you're back.

Let's move on.

So now it's time for task A.

It's time for you to practise layering your tracks.

You may wish to use a previous planning sheet to help you with your voice recording.

It gives you an idea of what you might want to say.

Let's take a closer look.

So step one, you need to record your own voice track.

Step two, import a music track.

Step three, adjust the volume of the music track.

So you may need to adjust the volume of your voice recording and your music track when you're creating your project.

So investigate the correct volume needed for your music.

What volume do you think the music track should be set at? Okay.

So where I put those two black boxes, one will be for your spoken track, your voice, and the second one will be for your music track.

So just adjust those so that you can be heard.

Good luck.

Spend some time now creating that podcast, and I'll see you in a moment.

Pause the video now.

Brilliant, you're back.

I hope that went well and I hope you managed to adjust that volume to that perfect fit for your project.

Let's move on.

So what volume did you set your music track at? You should have had time to pop that on your worksheet to give me an idea of where that perfect fit was.

Remember, volume is measured in decibels or DB for short.

So Aisha has said, "I use the inspiring music and set the volume at negative 21 decibels." Jun has said, "I used the breaking news music and I set the volume at negative 14 decibels." So remember, depending on the music you, you'll set the music volume at a different level.

So let's have a look now at how you save your project.

So the picture that I've just popped onto the screen shows you how to go onto the menu and click on file.

And as you track down, you'll see an option for save project.

If we go along, it says Save Project As.

this gives you the opportunity to save your project on the computer.

It will save your project as an Audacity project.

So when you come back to this later, you'll have to open the Audacity software to get back into it.

Remember to save your project with a name that is familiar to you.

So it might be the name of your podcast followed by your name.

Always save it with something that you will recognise at a later date.

Pause the video now so you can go away and save your project so far.

Brilliant, you're back.

I hope you were successful and I hope you managed to save your project.

Let's move on and find out what we're going to be doing next.

So this is part two of the lesson.

Let's have a look at what we are going to be doing.

This is where we plan a podcast.

Let's take a look at the steps needed to help us do that.

So it's time to begin planning your own podcast.

Let's look at the steps needed to do this.

So first you will need to write a plan.

Two, you'll decide what is going to be said.

And three, you're going to think about additional music or sound effects that you might want.

Remember, your podcast should be about two minutes long, so it is not writing a lot.

It's just planning out about two minutes of content.

So let's start by looking at some features of a podcast.

You will need to decide what you want to include and the topic you want to focus on.

So take some time now to look at the following questions and some time to discuss them.

What sounds will you include? What voices, jingles, sound effects or music might you use? What information will you include? Like the presenter's name, podcast name, and introduction or the topic of the podcast.

I want you to pause a video now to have some time to discuss that with either a partner or in the classroom or by yourself where you can just think about what you want to include in your podcast.

Pause the video now.

Brilliant, you're back.

I hope you've had time to discuss that, and you've got some good ideas about what you might want to include.

Let's move on.

So we're gonna take a look now at how we plan a podcast.

We're gonna look at the introduction first, and we're gonna look at some sentence starters that might help you when you're planning your idea.

So, hello, my name is.

Welcome to my podcast.

Today I am or we are going to.

In this podcast, I am or we are going to tell you about.

Let's look at a possible answer written by Lucas.

Hello, my name is Lucas.

Welcome to my podcast all about the planets and the solar system.

Today I am, or it could be, we are going to tell you about some interesting facts that you probably didn't know about the planets.

In this podcast, I am or we are going to tell you about the order of the planets and the facts about the soda system.

So using those sentence starters just to finish them off and give an idea of what your podcast is going to be about.

Let's move on and take a look at what's next.

So now it's time for a check for understanding.

I'm going to read out a question and I want you to look at the possible answers and tell me what you think that possible answer might be.

So what are some of the important things a host presenter should include in the introduction of a podcast? Should they, A, say hello and tell people what the podcast is about, B, play loud music the whole time, C, tell a joke and then end the show, or D, say your name and what fun things will be included.

I want you to pause the video now and have a look at the possible answers, and then in a moment we'll come back and find out what the answers are.

Pause the video now.

Great, you're back.

Let's reveal the answers and see if you are correct.

So, A, say hello and tell people what the podcast is about.

Ah, D, say your name and what fun things will be included.

That's really important to give an idea of what's going to happen next in your podcast.

Let's move on and find out what's next.

So now it's time to plan the main section of the podcast.

So the main section can include key facts and questions, who is saying the different parts of the podcast, key words about the topic, and musical sound effects.

So let's take a look at Lucas's plan.

Lucas has been very busy.

What has he written? "Let's begin learning about the planets and our solar systems. It is strange to think that we could look up at the sky and there is so much we cannot see.

One of the most interesting things about space that I've learned is that the great red spot on Jupiter is a storm bigger than Earth, and it's been raging for over 300 years.

Did you know that there are eight planets in our solar system, also that our solar system is called the Milky Way? All the planets in the Milky Way have their own unique features." So obviously Lucas has gone into detail about the facts he wanted to make sure that he put into his podcast.

Let's continue to look at Lucas's plan.

So now it's time I taught you the order of the planets.

You can use a fun way to remember their order.

You can use the first letter of each planet to make a silly sentence.

For example, my very educated mother just served us noodles, helps you remember Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

So if Lucas worked with his friend Aisha, they would have to split the talking up between them.

Let's have a look at what that might look like.

So Lucas has said, "Let's begin learning about the planets and our solar system.

Isn't it strange to think that when we look up the sky there is so much we cannot see?" Aisha then says, "I agree.

One of the most interesting things about space that I have learned is that the great red spot on Jupiter is a storm bigger than Earth, and it has been raging for over 300 years.

Did you know that there are eight planets in our solar system, also that our solar system is called the Milky Way.

All the planets in the Milky Way have their own unique features." So now that information has been split between the two of them.

So it sounds like they're having a conversation.

So Lucas has continued here.

"I know, it's crazy.

So now it's time our listeners learnt the order of the planet.

You can use a fun way to remember their order.

You can use the first letter of each planet to make a silly sentence.

For example, my very educated mother just served us noodles, helps you remember Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune." So the final part of a podcast is called the outro.

There's an introduction, the main section, and the outro or the ending.

This section is where you need to bring the podcast to a close, say your goodbyes, and thank the listener for listening.

What will you say to bring your podcast to a close? Discuss your ideas and thoughts with the person next to you, or just have a think for yourself.

Pause a video now.

Brilliant, you're back.

I hope you managed to think of a really fun way to close your podcast and bring it to an ending.

Let's move on and find out what we need to do.

So now it's time for task B, plan a podcast.

It's time for us to begin thinking about what you're going to include in your podcast.

You will have access to a worksheet that looks like this, that helps you plan out all the sections of your podcast.

So we've got the introduction, the main section, and the outro and ending.

In the middle, you are going to think about what is going to be said and by who, and then a sound effect or any music that you want to include.

So it is time now to pause this video to spend some time having a think and planning out what you want to include in your podcast.

Remember, if you're working with a partner, it's really important to identify who it is that is speaking or what they need to say.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy doing this task.

See you in a moment when you have managed to plan the podcast.

Pause the video now.

Great, you're back.

I'm really interested to find out what it is you've decided to write your podcast about.

Let's take a look at a completed version just to give you an idea of what it should look like.

So let's look at this possible answer.

This has been completed by Lucas and Aisha working as a pair together.

So this is their introduction.

Lucas has said, "Hello, my name is Lucas." And Aisha said, "My name is Aisha.

Welcome to our podcast all about the planets and the solar system." Lucas has said, "Today we are going to tell you some interesting facts that you probably didn't know about the planets." Aisha said, "In this podcast, we are going to tell you about the order of the planets and facts about the solar system." And they've decided that they're going to use some uplifting music.

Volume needs to go down when Lucas begins speaking.

So they might have a bit of their music.

Then they're going to bring the volume down, and then Lucas is going to start speaking.

Let's look at the main section.

So Lucas has said, "Let's begin learning about the planets and our solar system.

Isn't it strange to think that when we look up at the sky, there is so much we cannot see?" Aisha said, "I agree.

One of the most interesting things about space that I've learned is the great red spot on Jupiter is a storm bigger than Earth, and it's been raging for over 300 years.

Did you know that there are eight planets in our solar system, also that our solar system is called the Milky Way? All the planets in the Milky Way have their own unique features." So again, we've used uplifting music, and it's quiet in the background because there's going to be a lot of speaking here.

Let's move on to have a look at the ending or outro.

What is being said? Aisha has said, "Thank you for joining us.

In our podcast today." Lucas has said, "I hope you have had a great time learning about the wonders of our solar system and the order of the planets." Aisha has followed, "Join us next time on our podcast where we can tell you more facts and wonders about the solar system." So uplifting music, again, the volume is gonna go up when Aisha finishes talking.

So hopefully that gives you an idea of what your plan should look like.

If you need to spend time going back through your plan to make sure that you've got it ready for your podcast, that's great.

Pause the video now to do that.

Brilliant, I hope those finishing touches just brought that plan to where it needs to be ready for you to start.

So now we're going to have a look at a summary of our lesson.

So podcasts are an opportunity for you to share topics you are interested in or have learned about.

When there's more than one podcast needed to present a topic, they are called episodes.

Layering gives you the opportunity to add music and sound effects to engage the audience.

It is important that when you import audios, you consider who owns that content.

I hope you've enjoyed the lesson today, and I hope you have got a really, really detailed and interesting podcast planned.

I look forward to finding out what your podcast is about.

So good luck when you start recording them.

Goodbye for now.