This is the introduction to the GarageBand tutorial. It includes ideas for lesson plans and assessment suggestions.

1. Enrichment Lessons/Ideas Utilizing GarageBand
Michelle Whitehead
whiteheadm@wws.k12.in.us
Lessons Ideas
• The students read the book Phantom Tollbooth in their homeroom classes. For their projects, they
must choose one of the places the main character visits. Then using the pictures from the movie
they create a soundtrack to represent that section of the book. You could also include a summary
narrative (the student’s record themselves speaking) in the podcast.
• Have the students create public service announcements for Arbor Day, etc.
• Poetry Café: record the students reciting their poetry. You can include “mood” music and still
photography.
• Audio Books: Record the students reading a book. (Record in small sections at a time) Then alter
their voices using GarageBand, include sound effects, add some background music and you have a
“homemade” audio book. My students did this project several years ago and chose books that
appealed to our younger students (The Three Little Pigs, etc). Then we gifted the book and the CD
of their audio recording to someone in need. You could donate them to another class, the Boys
and Girls club, an after school program, etc.
Assessment Suggestions
• I have found it best (in the long run) to give the students a checklist of what they should
accomplish every day. They are welcome to work past it but I give them some minimums they
have to meet each day.
• For example, they have to have all their voice recording finished; 2 different tracks; 5 loops; 15
measures of music or 1 minute of sound.
• Below is an assessment of an audio only project. This project was a composition/arrangement for
music class; some of the content is more music focused!
For a podcast rubric, please go to:
http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/profdev/ru
brics/podcastrubric.html
This rubric is lengthy and detailed; great
resource!
Another option:
www.beaut.org.au/podcastrubric3.pdf
For podcasts, consider assessing: introduction,
content, delivery, graphic and musical
enhancements, technical production, and group
work.