Lesson idea 9.
3
Writing a soundtrack
Type of Activity Whole lesson
Timing 50 min
Aim To watch a video and write the soundtrack, giving a commentary on what
happens in the video.
Preparation Find a video that helps you to (a) teach or (b) assess students’
understanding of a particular topic. YouTube has some useful videos, which
are easy to search by scientific key words.
Resources Video about a scientific topic
Asking students to write a soundtrack to a video is an engaging approach when introducing a topic. This
approach can also be used when assessing students’ understanding or asking them to apply prior learning.
You should ask students to work in groups of three, and either play the video to the whole class, or give
them the means of watching and rewatching it. However, the video should be played without sound so
that students have to work out between them what is going on, think about the main points, and then write
their own soundtrack to each part of the video. In order to cross-fertilise ideas, halfway through the
lesson, ask each group to send an envoy to a different group to explain what they are thinking.
Stage Aim Action Time Focus
1 Introduce the Explain the task to the students. Depending 10 min Teacher
task on your purpose in using the activity, they Whole class
may be familiar with the content of the
video or unfamiliar (see above). If you are
using it as an introduction to a topic, or to
promote their learning, do not give students
too much help. The task is designed to
make them think. Ask them some questions
to make them think of their own relevant
knowledge, but explain to them that they
have to make sense of the video
themselves. If you use it as an assessment
tool, you can provide more support, but
students’ finished soundtracks should
reflect their understanding.
© Cambridge University Press 2017 Lesson idea 9.3: Writing a soundtrack
2 Watch the video Play the video to the whole class, or give 5 min Watching
them the opportunity to watch it on their video
laptops or personal mobile devices. Ensure
the soundtrack is removed from the video
you provide, or that it is played in silence.
The video should be a maximum of 5
minutes long.
3 Construct a Students should work in groups of three to 15 min Discussion
soundtrack write a soundtrack to the video. They and writing in
should record their writing as a storyboard, groups
with a sketch of each scene accompanied
by writing underneath.
4 Envoying One student from each group should visit 5 min Discussion
another group to explain their storyline and between
listen to the other group’s storyline. groups
5 Revision of Envoys should return and share what they 5 min Discussion
soundtrack have learnt. Groups should decide whether and writing in
or how to revise their soundtrack. groups
7 Summary of key Students should write a bulleted list of key 10 min Discussion
points learning outcomes from the video, and write and writing in
a series of questions to ask, which other groups
students could answer when watching the
video.
8 Plenary With the whole class, watch the video with 5 min Watching
its original soundtrack. Students should try video and
to answer their own questions, while answering
listening to the original soundtrack. questions
© Cambridge University Press 2017 Lesson idea 9.3: Writing a soundtrack