Computer Science
Grade 3
20 min
Adding Audio: Recording and Importing Sounds
Learn how to record and import audio clips for use in multimedia projects.
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the difference between recording a new sound and importing an existing sound file.
Use a computer's microphone to record a short audio clip for their digital story.
Save their recorded audio with a descriptive name.
Import a pre-made sound file from a computer or a sound library into their project.
Use an event block (like 'when a character is clicked') to trigger a sound to play.
Explain that sounds are a type of data that computers can store and play.
Have you ever wanted to make your cartoon character talk with YOUR voice or make a spaceship sound 'WHOOSH'? 🚀 Let's learn how to add amazing sounds to our stories!
Today, we will become sound designers! We will learn two ways to add audio to our digital stories: by...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
AudioAudio is just a fancy word for sound that a computer can understand and play, like music, talking, or sound effects.When you listen to a song on a tablet, you are listening to audio.
RecordTo record means to use a microphone to capture a new sound and turn it into a computer file.Using the 'Record' button to capture the sound of you saying 'Hello!' for your character.
ImportTo import means to bring a sound file that is already saved on the computer into your project.Choosing a 'cheering.mp3' sound file from a folder and adding it to your story's victory screen.
MicrophoneA microphone is a tool that listens to sounds in the real world and helps the computer hear them.The tiny hole on a laptop or tablet that you speak into is a m...
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Core Syntax & Patterns
The Recording Recipe
1. Go to the Sound Tab. 2. Click 'Record'. 3. Click the red circle to start. 4. Make your sound! 5. Click the square to stop. 6. Save your sound.
Use this step-by-step recipe whenever you want to create a brand new sound using your own voice or things around you.
The Importing Pattern
1. Go to the Sound Tab. 2. Click 'Choose a Sound' or 'Upload Sound'. 3. Find the sound file you want. 4. Select it to add it to your project.
Follow this pattern when you want to use a sound that is already made and saved on the computer or in a sound library.
The 'Play Sound on Event' Pattern
WHEN [some event happens] -> PLAY SOUND [your chosen sound]
This is the most important pattern for making sounds happen at the right...
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
Your story has background music and a character talking (narration) at the same time. The music is so loud you can't hear the words. What is the BEST solution?
A.Delete the narration and just use the music.
B.Make the narration much louder, which might make it sound fuzzy.
C.Lower the volume of the background music track only.
D.Delete the music and just use the narration.
Challenging
In your story, a cat character has a 'happiness' variable. If happiness is greater than 5, you want a 'purr' sound to play. If it is 5 or less, you want a 'sad meow' sound to play. What kind of programming structure is needed?
A.'forever' loop that plays both sounds.
B.An 'if/else' conditional statement that checks the variable.
C.'play sound and wait' sequence.
D.single 'on click' event for the cat.
Challenging
You are making a story about a farm. You need sounds for a cow, a tractor, and wind. What is the FASTEST way to get all these sounds for your project?
A.Go to a farm and record the real cow, tractor, and wind with a microphone.
B.Try to make all the sounds yourself with your own voice and record them.
C.Import the sounds from a pre-made sound library on the computer.
D.Ask a friend to make the sounds for you.
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