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YVIP Course Introduction & 'At a Glance'

Course Overview

Through these 8 modules, students will learn the EarSketch skills to create a song to submit to the competition. Consider it the skill-building phase! So, the activities throughout the modules should be done with that in mind. It may be challenging to complete a submission-ready song simply by doing the EarSketch activities in the modules only once. (See the Song requirements for the competition.)

Song submission for the competition is optional! Students might only wish to learn about the social issues and coding a song with EarSketch - that's perfectly fine!

The curriculum contained in this project is similar to—yet different from—the EarSketch curriculum online. That EarSketch curriculum is a wonderful additional resource for you. Feel free to go to it and search for topics you want to know more about.

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At A Glance

This list will help you to see the whole YVIP curriculum at a glance. It may be useful to find a topic easily.

Note: The Activities that are bold and italicized are EarSketch skill-building activities. The Activities not bolded and italicized are the Indigenous learnings.

Module 1 - Intro to EarSketch

Activity 1:  Coding and Music - What is the Connection?

Activity 2: Intro to Coding

Activity 3: Creating an Account

Activity 4: EarSketch DAW

Activity 5: Let's Play with Tempo

Activity 6: Build Your Toolbox 

Extension A: "Why is coding important to the future of the music industry?"

Extension B: Introduction to coding activity

Extension C: Producing from Your Laptop

Extension D: Optional Large Group Tempo Activity

Module 2 - Layers of Injustice & Creating a Script with Comments

Activity 1: The History of Hip-Hop

Activity 2: Exploring Types of Racism/Injustice

Activity 3: Identifying Types of Racism

Activity 4: Creating a Script

Activity 5: Using Comments

Activity 6: Build Your Toolbox

Module 3 - Layers of Music (Activism and Equity)

Activity 1: Know and Want to Know

Activity 2: Analyze Song “PEUPLE INVINCIBLE” by Samian 

Activity 3: Defining Activism and Equity

Activity 4: Music - Add Sound Clips to Your Script

Activity 5: Debugging

Activity 6: Build Your Toolbox

Module 4 - Creating Your Soundbank, Variables, & Tracks

Activity 1: Introduction to Layering Music

Activity 2: Creating Your SoundBank

Activity 3: Assigning Variables to Your Sound Clips

Activity 4: Adding Sound Clips to your Tracks

Activity 5: Recording and Adding a Sound to EarSketch

Extension A: Adding Sounds to Favourites

Extension B; Other Functions to Try

Module 5 - Song Structure—Every Song (and Person) Plays a Part

Activity 1: What are Decolonization and Indigenization

Activity 2: Understand the Four R's Framework

Activity 3: Analyze the song Freedom by Dakota Bear

Activity 4: Introducing Song Structure

Activity 5: Determining the Structure of Dakota Bear’s song “Freedom”

Activity 6: Build Your Toolbox 

Module 6 - Messages, Chorus, & Custom Functions

Activity 1: What is an Ally? What is an Activist? Indigenous Music! 

Activity 2: Indigenous Role Model Gallery Walk

Activity 3: Learn about Measures

Activity 4: Introduction to Custom Functions

Activity 5: Coding Custom Functions in EarSketch

Activity 6: Comparing 'Hard-Coded' vs 'Coded-with-Variables' Custom Functions

Activity 7: Building Your Toolbox

Extension A: Invite a Guest

Extension B: Learn About Staggered Start and End Measures

Extension C: Functions with Staggered Start and End Measures

Extension D: Participate in a Sharing Circle

Module 7 - Spirit Bear Guide & Calls to Action

Activity 1: Meet Jayli Wolf and Analyze her Song

Activity 2: Understanding the Spirit Bear Guide to TRC

Activity 3: Your Song and the Four R's 

Activity 4: Choose Calls To Action

Activity 5: I used to think…now I think…

Extension A: Watch "Indigenous & Canadian Histories 101" Video

Extension B: “Tanya Talaga” Article Analysis

Extension C: Other sources describing Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples

Module 8 - Code Your Voice

Activity 1: Understanding Reconciliation

Activity 2: Prepare the Final Song

Activity 3: Add Voice to Your Code

Activity 4: Debugging Your Song

Activity 5: Do Your Song’s Characteristics Meet the Requirements

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Course Requirements

  • A desktop or laptop computer (or Chromebook)
  • Internet connection
  • A keyboard, mouse, or trackpad
  • Headphones or speakers

Note

  • EarSketch will not work on mobile devices. 
  • Your school district may need to approve the EarSketch website
  • If students are in a classroom environment, we recommend headphones.

Course Resources

Note: The following are VIEW ONLY. ('Make a Copy' if you wish to edit in any way.)

Get started

General Teacher Preparation

  1. Ensure each student can access the EarSketch website, earsketch.gatech.edu from their device.
    Note: EarSketch will not work on a mobile device (iPad, phone) or offline, so each student must have access to a computer or Chromebook and reliable internet.
  2.  Preview all student work assignments in the Modules.
  3. There are 3 sets of instructional materials. As mentioned, they are VIEW ONLY. ('Make a Copy' if you wish to edit in any way.)

The Course Guide is comprehensive and contains Instructor Dialogue, Instructor Cues, Resource materials, detailed Extension activities, and links to the slides. 

The Slides allow you to present effectively to the students.  They contain most of the Instructor Dialogue and Instructor Cues in the Notes section, BUT not all. So, please, always check the Course Guide for the module.

The Student Notebook is a digital resource where students can 'keep track' of their learning and respond to some questions related to module topics. (Each student needs to 'Make a Copy' in order to use it digitally.)

NOTE: The students will have access to the Slides and the Course Guide from this website as learning resources. This respects and honours their independence in learning. 

A Note About Extensions

In many of the modules, there are optional EXTENSIONS. These are activities for teachers/students who want to dig deeper or spend additional time on a particular topic.