Weekly Task Brief: 2–3 Minute Audio Story
This week you will create and submit a 2–3 minute audio story that uses:
✅ Your voice narration (main)
✅ Ambient sound (background atmosphere)
✅ Optional: 1 short interview clip (only if you have consent)
Your audio should feel clear, respectful, and meaningful — not perfect.
What you will create
Final Deliverable
A 2–3 minute audio story (MP3 or M4A) with:
- A strong hook
- A clear middle
- A clear ending
- Clean sound (as best as possible)
You will also submit
- Your script (text) OR a screenshot of your script
- A short sentence: “My message is: ________”
Learning targets (what you’ll practice)
By completing this task, you will practice:
- Story structure (Hook–Middle–Ending)
- Recording clean voice on your phone
- Using ambient sound to add emotion and realism
- Using consent and privacy rules every week
- Editing and exporting a simple audio file
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Choose ONE story seed (5 minutes)
Pick one story you can tell honestly and safely:
- A moment that changed me
- A challenge I overcame
- A person who inspired me
- A place that shaped me
- A small moment with a big meaning
✅ Keep it simple: one main idea.
Step 2: Write your short script (15–25 minutes)
Use this structure:
Hook (10 seconds)
Grab attention with a question, feeling, or strong line.
Middle (1.5–2 minutes)
Tell the main moment + what it meant.
Ending (15–25 seconds)
Close with a lesson, reflection, or final line.
✅ Script tip: If your script is longer than 350–450 words, it may go beyond 3 minutes.
Step 3: Do the Consent + Privacy Checklist (2 minutes)
Before recording, confirm:
✅ Consent & Privacy Checklist (use every week)
- I am not sharing someone’s private details (phone numbers, exact home location, etc.)
- If I mention someone by name, they agreed OR I changed the name.
- If I recorded someone’s voice, I have clear permission.
- If the story includes a sensitive situation, I removed identifying details.
- I am not recording anyone secretly.
- I am respectful (no mocking, shame, hate, or humiliation).
- I feel safe to share this story publicly in class.
If you cannot tick these boxes, adjust your story (change names, remove details, or choose another story).
Step 4: Record your audio (20–40 minutes)
You need two recordings (minimum):
- A) Voice narration (main track)
Record in a quiet place:
- Close windows if possible
- Put phone on airplane mode (reduces interruptions)
- Hold phone 15–20 cm from your mouth
- Speak slowly and clearly
✅ Record 2 takes if you can. Choose the best.
- B) Ambient sound (10–20 seconds)
Record a short “background atmosphere” from your story location, for example:
- market sounds
- school compound
- birds / morning sounds
- footsteps, cooking, water, rain, etc.
✅ Keep it realistic and not too loud.
Optional C) Interview clip (5–15 seconds)
If you add an interview clip:
- Ask permission clearly
- Record in a quiet place
- Ask 1–2 short questions only
Suggested interview questions
- “What does this situation mean to you?”
- “What do you wish people understood?”
- “How did it affect you?”
- “What gives you hope?”
Step 5: Edit (simple) (15–30 minutes)
You can edit in any app you have (basic is fine).
Minimum editing steps
- Trim silence at the beginning and end
- Place ambient sound under your voice (optional but recommended)
- Make sure your voice is louder than ambience
- Remove any accidental private info
✅ If editing is hard: submit a clean voice recording + ambient sound separately and we’ll guide you.
Step 6: Export settings (important)
Export your final audio as:
- MP3 (best) OR M4A
- Quality: 128 kbps or higher
- File name format:
Week4_FirstName_LastName_AudioStory.mp3
Example: Week4_Amina_Nsubuga_AudioStory.mp3
Submission Instructions
Submit the following in the assignment upload area:
Required uploads
- Final Audio File (MP3/M4A)
- Script file (text / doc / pdf) OR screenshot
- A short line (typed into the submission notes if available):
- My message is: __________
If you can’t upload MP3/M4A
Upload:
- a Google Drive link / Dropbox link (set to “Anyone with link can view”)
- OR upload the audio as a video (MP4) with a blank image