Case study – The sound of the Iron Age

An interdisciplinary teaching case focusing on sound, history and creative writing was developed for the first edition of Sound of Stories and tested with 3 classes.

 

Subjects and focus

This case integrates several subjects:

  • History – The Scandinavian Iron Age
  • Danish – Storytelling and creative writing
  • Natural Science (Geo/Bio) – Sounds from nature and surroundings
  • Music / Sound – Listening, identifying and working with sound types

 

Learning objectives

The students will be able to:

  • Understand historical periods through audio experiences
  • Putting words to objects and environments from the Iron Age
  • Writing and developing a creative narrative
  • Distinguish and work with:
  • Geophony (nature sounds – e.g. wind, water)
  • Biophony (animals – e.g., birds)
  • Anthropony (human-made sounds – e.g. tools, speech)

👧👦 Target group:

Students’ age 9–12 years

⏱ Time required (approx. 90 minutes)

  1. Build a Time Machine – 45 min
  2. Time travel with sound – 30 min
  3. Rounding up and story – 15 min

 

The Teaching course

1. Construction of a time machine (Creative + Technology Understanding)

  • The students draw their own time machine.

Figure 1 Photo showing the design of a time machine. Photo: Vesthimmerlands Museum

 

 👉 Reflection questions:

  • How does it work?
  • Do you sit inside it?
  • How can you communicate with people from the past?

👉 Interdisciplinary focus:

English (Danish): Description

Nature/technology: Function and construction

 

2. Time Travel Through Sound (History + Sound Analysis)

The students listen to an audio story from the Iron Age.

Along the way, the sound is paused, and the students are asked:

  • What do we hear?
  • Where are we?
  • Who makes the sound?
  • What do you think will happen afterwards?

👉 The teacher writes keywords on the board.

Focus on sound types:

Is it nature, animals or people?

👉 Interdisciplinary focus:

  • History: Living conditions in the Iron Age
  • Music: Sound understanding
  • Natural sciences: Environment and surroundings

Example of a sound of a Celtic war trumpet from the Iron Age. 

 

3. Completion (Danish + Creativity)

The students complete the story:

  • Writing an inference or drawing the end of the story

Finally, Students share their stories

👉 Interdisciplinary focus:

Danish: Narrative structure

Creative communication

💡 Extra ideas

  • Build a physical model of the time machine
  • Record students’ own audio stories
  • Create an “Iron Age sound scene” with voices and sounds
  • Work with simple audio recordings (e.g. mobile/tablet)

🎓 Didactic perspective:

This case supports:

  • Aesthetic learning processes (sound and creativity)
  • Exploratory learning (listening and reflection)
  • Interdisciplinary understanding (linking history, nature and language)

 

Key outcomes 

  • Integration of language, history, science and music through soundscaping
  • Creative interdisciplinary teaching with a high level of student involvement
  • Use of sound as a tool of motivation.

 

Resources

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