As a class, make a slideshow that defines the whole class. Each class member will contribute a slide showing animated shapes, the words that define them and their first name.
Work collaboratively to develop the slideshow including a soundscape to accompany it.
Make decisions about which features will stay the same in each class member’s slide. This will help to unify the class slideshow.
What things does Stevens keep the same throughout Macaroni? Consider things such as colour, shape, font, sound, speed and movement. Why do you think he does this?
What things will your class keep the same throughout your slideshow? In Microsoft PowerPoint, explore possibilities for the following:
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the background colour (Design tab>Background Style>Format Background)
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the font type, size and colour (Home tab)
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a way to make your name and most important word stand out (Home tab)
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shape, colour and number of shapes on a slide (Insert tab>Shapes)
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animation entrance for words and shapes (Animations tab>Add Animation>Entrance)
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the speed of animation (Animations tab>Timing).
Make a list of your class decisions. These specifications will be applied to the individual slides.
Make a PowerPoint slide that displays the shapes, your chosen words and your first name. Be sure that your slide meets the class specifications.
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Create a blank slide in a new PowerPoint document.
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Click Text Box on the Insert tab
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Click on the slide to create the text box and type your first word.
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Repeat until you have entered all words and your first name in their own text boxes.
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Format your name and your most important word in the style decided by your class.
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Click Shapes on the Insert tab, choose the shape and insert it on the slide. Add more shapes as outlined in the specifications.
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Move the shapes and words to the position where you want them to appear.
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Select the first word or shape you want to appear and apply the entrance animation that was decided.
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Repeat until you have applied entrance animations to all the words and shapes in the order you want them to appear.
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Click Animation Pane on the Animation tab to display the Animation Pane if it isn’t already visible.
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In the Animation Pane click on the first slide and select Start After Previous from the drop-down menu. Repeat for each slide.
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Click Play in the Animation Pane to review your work and check that it meets the agreed specifications.
Decide how the slides will be ordered. Stevens organised his word groups in alphabetical order. The class slides could be alphabetically ordered by student name.
Paste each individual slide into one PowerPoint slideshow.
As a class, experiment with and make decisions about:
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how the slides will transition from one to another (Transition tab)
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the timing for the transition (Transition tab>Duration)
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the timing for each slide to advance (Transition tab>Advance Slide)
When you have made and entered your decisions, click Apply to All on the Transitions tab.
Watch Macaroni and listen to the soundscape. Play the video again but this time mute the sound while you watch.
Why do you think Stevens has included a soundscape in Macaroni?
What does the Macaroni soundscape add to the meaning of the work?
Listen to the Macaroni soundscape and discuss the points below.
Discuss what a soundscape might add to your class slideshow. Consider how sounds might contribute to the:
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meaning
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viewers’ enjoyment of and involvement with the work.
Play the class slideshow and experiment with instruments, body percussion and other sound sources that you think could enhance the work.
Create an ostinato to accompany your class slideshow. Use instruments, body percussion or any other sound sources to create it.
Your class ostinato could:
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repeat a rhythm pattern or a melody
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be varied by sometimes adding other sounds or sound effects.
Play your ostinato composition by repeating the pattern at least eight times.
Make a digital recording when you are confident about performing it. Listen to the recording and consider whether there are any changes that you could make so that the soundscape enhances the slideshow.
Make any changes you wish to make and rehearse and record the soundscape again.
Follow these instructions to attach the soundscape to the slideshow:
Copy or move your sound file to the same location as your slideshow.
Go to the first slide of your slideshow.
Display the Insert tab and select Audio from file from the Audio tab.
In the Insert Audio dialogue box, locate the soundscape (in the same folder as your slideshow).
Click Insert (or choose Insert from the drop-down menu).
Select the sound icon that appears on the slide.
Display the Playback tab and set the Start option to ‘Play across slides’ and check the ‘Hide During Show’ and ‘Loop until
Stopped’ boxes.
Save your PowerPoint file.
Play your slideshow; your soundscape automatically plays with it.
Make any changes to your slideshow after reviewing it and save the final file.
Review the slideshow as a class and decide on a title for the work.