- Definition
A soundscape is like a picture made of sounds, where different noises and music come together to create a feeling, a scene, or tell a story.
A recording that layers the sounds of chirping crickets, a crackling fire, and a gentle wind creates a soundscape of a quiet night camping.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A soundscape is like closing your eyes and listening to all the sounds around you to paint a picture of a place in your mind.
Ask your child: If we made a soundscape of our kitchen, what sounds would we include?
Common mix-up: Kids may think a soundscape is just random noise. It's actually a careful arrangement of sounds, like a story told without words, to create a specific feeling or place.
Examples
- Combining sounds of car horns, distant sirens, and people talking to create a busy city soundscape.
- Layering the sounds of waves crashing, seagulls calling, and children playing to create a beach soundscape.
soundscape is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
