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Students Record and Mix their own World War II Radio Broadcast in this Social Studies / Technology lesson
Computers & Internet, Social Studies
9, 10, 11, 12
Title – WWII Radio Broadcast
By – Molly Brown
Primary Subject – Social Studies
Secondary Subjects – Computers / Internet
Grade Level – 9th-12th
The students will produce a radio show that is set in Britain during WWII.
Materials Needed: Multitrack recording program such as Cakewalk, Vegas Audio, or ACID
Computers with microphones
Resources on CD such as music and speeches made during WWII
Preparation for Activity
Goal 1: The students will gain knowledge of important radio broadcasts and speeches by listening to speeches done by Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Adolph Hitler. (20 minutes)
Goal 2: The students will interpret how these radio broadcasts were used to promote the political stance of the speaker through class discussion. (10 minutes)
Goal 3: The students will gain knowledge of popular radio shows and war advertisements. (20 minutes)
Sources: Note: bring in definitions of War Bonds, Rosie the Riveter, rationing and related radio programs and advertisements. NPR is a good resource.
Goal 4: Students will interpret how these shows reflected war society and how these shows encouraged homeland participation in the war effort through class discussion. (10 minutes)
Goal 1: Students will assess their interests and decide which of the four grouped they want to be a part of. (15 minutes)
Group 1: Will create a news segment that discusses the advances of the Nazis.
Group 2: Will create two advertisements one for war bonds and one to promote women in the workplace.
Group 3: Will create a comedy centering around the issue of rationing
Group 4: Will research period music from Britain and Germany. Will download two songs from the internet popular in Britain and create an introduction for them.
Will also listen to the classic German Composers and do a segment focusing on how Hitler is using music to promote the Third Reich.
Goal 2: Each group will be given background information on their subjects along with pictures and CDs they will then apply their knowledge of WWII by writing an outline or script for their radio show. (45 minutes)
Goal 1: Students will learn to use the computer to record audio and produce a recording of their script using the program ACID.
Goal 1: Students will listen to all of the group’s recordings, and be given a copy of the recording on CD. (Time Depends)
Goal 2: Students will assess the process of creating their program through a discussion of how they relayed photographic or written information into the audio format. (10 minutes)
Goal 3: Students will analyze how radio is different from other media, by discussing the differences between radio and television and between media and multi media (10 minutes)
Goal 4: Students will synthesize what it would be like to live in a society that primarily received their information through radio through class discussion and a two paragraph homework assignment. (10 minutes)
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