All course maps

Complete work and standards map

Live Sound Reinforcement for Schools

25 assessed work items are mapped below. Use the lesson title or activity ID to find the work, the evidence to keep, and the criteria used to assess it.

Suggested learner fit

About 14–18; use the planning lessons earlier with supervision.

Priority skills: Event planning; safe setup; input and output lists; intelligibility and crew roles.

Prior skills: Can follow a signal path and a written safety instruction.

Equipment: Room plans, cables, microphones, mixer, loudspeakers, and supervised playback; paper alternatives are provided.

Expected time: 20 planned hours.

Teacher guidance: Teacher or qualified adult required for setup, power, volume, and witnessed operation.

Find a lesson or activity
  1. Who needs to hear what?
  2. The stop button is part of the job
  3. A stage plot people can use
  4. Patch it on paper first
  5. Inspect, label, connect
  6. Microphone or DI?
  7. Distance changes more than level
  8. Place it to prevent feedback
  9. Gain is not the audience volume knob
  10. One input, one destination
  11. Audience mix and performer mix
  12. A soundcheck that respects performers
  13. Listen around the audience
  14. EQ with a reason
  15. Compression without crushing the words
  16. Effects that leave space for words
  17. Silence: follow the evidence
  18. Hum, crackle and the right handoff
  19. A cue sheet is a shared promise
  20. Mix for the moment
  21. The rehearsal that finds problems
  22. A change without a scramble
  23. Pack down for the next class
  24. Show what you can do
  25. Final event portfolio and practical review

LSR-L01 · LSR-L01

Who needs to hear what?

1.4.b · ISTE Standards for Students
Plan within project limits

Work to do

  1. Use this brief: 30 seated classmates, one presenter, one keyboard performance and one recorded music cue in a classroom. No public audience yet.
  2. Write the three messages or sounds the audience must hear. Identify performer, audience and crew needs separately.
  3. Assign the four rotating jobs and name the supervising adult. Agree on a visible stop signal and a spoken stop word.
  4. Draw the audience area and identify one place where hearing might be harder. Propose an observation to test that prediction.
  5. Rewrite the brief for a drama scene: what changes when performers move?

Assignment

One-page event brief, crew rotation, stop signal and two listening observations.

Evidence to keep

Keep the plan in a digital document. Include the intended result, resources, timing and a response to one likely change.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Use a digital plan to connect the intended result to available time, equipment, people and a workable fallback.

LSR-L02 · LSR-L02

The stop button is part of the job

1.3 · Tennessee A/V Production I — C11H01
Inspect a working environment

Work to do

  1. Sort these cards into student task, adult task or stop-and-report: label an unplugged mic cable; repair a cracked mains plug; move a raised speaker; lower a fader; report a burning smell; plan a clear aisle.
  2. Rehearse the stop signal with outputs muted. Point to the approved mute without changing unrelated controls.
  3. Inspect a disconnected training cable and its connector exterior. Tag a photographed or teacher-marked fault; never create a damaged cable.
  4. Write the adult handoff: what you observed, where, what you stopped and who was told.
  5. Explain why an audio meter and a calibrated sound-level meter answer different questions.

Assignment

Sorted scenario sheet and a teacher-witnessed stop drill.

Evidence to keep

Use the actual room or a teacher-provided hazard scenario. Submit a marked plan and inspection checklist; have the teacher observe the applicable stop procedure.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Identify hazards in the actual space, document the controls and demonstrate when work must stop or be referred.

LSR-L03 · LSR-L03

A stage plot people can use

1.6.c · ISTE Standards for Students
Explain a complex idea visually

Work to do

  1. Draw the classroom event from L01. Mark exits and aisles before equipment.
  2. Add presenter, keyboard, playback station, console and teacher-positioned loudspeaker. Use symbols and a legend.
  3. Number the sources and draw audio routes. Keep power planning as an adult responsibility on the map.
  4. Exchange maps with a partner. Ask them to trace the route to an exit and locate input 2. Revise any ambiguity.
  5. Plan a location for an audience observer who needs accessible seating and a clear view.

Assignment

Version 1 and revised stage plot with a legend and partner comments.

Evidence to keep

Prepare the diagram digitally, or photograph a legible drawing and label it digitally. Check that another learner can follow its connections.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Create a legible digital diagram with accurate labels and a clear relationship between its parts.

LSR-L04 · LSR-L04

Patch it on paper first

1.5.c · ISTE Standards for Students
Break down a system

Work to do

  1. On the signal-path worksheet, arrange source, compatible input, channel, main bus, main output and powered loudspeaker input.
  2. Read the station labels and write the actual connector and signal purpose for each audio link.
  3. Add a second route from the same channel to a monitor auxiliary output.
  4. Circle the places where a fault could leave an input meter moving while the room is silent. Predict one test for each.
  5. Draw the alternative passive loudspeaker chain and identify where amplification moves.

Assignment

Two labeled signal paths and a station-specific connection list.

Evidence to keep

Label the parts, connections and direction of flow. Use the model to explain one result or predict the effect of a specific change.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Identify the parts and connections, then use the diagram or sequence to explain or isolate a problem.

LSR-L05 · LSR-L05

Inspect, label, connect

1.1.d · ISTE Standards for Students
Operate and explain technology

Work to do

  1. Find the source and destination approved on your patch list. Confirm the path is muted with the teacher.
  2. Inspect a suitable disconnected cable, label both ends and connect it without force.
  3. Ask the teacher to enable the approved low-level check. Confirm the expected channel and destination.
  4. Mute again, disconnect by the connector and record the cable ID and result. Rotate so every student handles one cable.
  5. Explain why a passive loudspeaker cable and a microphone cable are not substitutes.

Assignment

Connection log naming endpoints, signal purpose, cable ID and observed result; teacher practical signoff.

Evidence to keep

Demonstrate the operation yourself where equipment is available. Identify the controls used and verify the result; keep proposed operations separate from completed demonstrations.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Demonstrate the relevant controls or file operations and explain what changes at the input and output.

LSR-L06 · LSR-L06

Microphone or DI?

1.5.c · ISTE Standards for Students
Break down a system

Work to do

  1. For voice, keyboard and electric guitar, propose microphone, DI or specified line input and give one reason.
  2. Inspect the approved DI labels without changing power or ground controls. Trace input, output and any thru route.
  3. Complete one supervised connection from the station plan, or annotate a demonstrated connection.
  4. Record mono or stereo, channel count, power approval and what you actually verified.
  5. Compare mono compatibility and channel needs for a keyboard feeding two audience loudspeakers.

Assignment

Three-source connection choices and one verified or explicitly observed route.

Evidence to keep

Label the parts, connections and direction of flow. Use the model to explain one result or predict the effect of a specific change.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Identify the parts and connections, then use the diagram or sequence to explain or isolate a problem.

LSR-L07 · LSR-L07

Distance changes more than level

6.7 · Tennessee A/V Production I — C11H01
Choose and position microphones

Work to do

  1. Teacher sets a conservative input reference using the nearest position and checks headroom. Disable automatic gain only where the device safely permits.
  2. Record or observe the same phrase at the three marked distances without moving the gain control.
  3. Write raw observations before any playback matching. Note changing delivery, automatic processing or background noise as limits.
  4. Choose a practical speaking distance and explain the tradeoff. Rehearse staying consistent at that distance.
  5. Compare raw and level-matched results and explain why both views matter.

Assignment

Three-position observation sheet, reference-gain note and a justified mic-use recommendation.

Evidence to keep

Include a labeled placement sketch and microphone information from its manufacturer. Record whether you made the capture yourself, observed a demonstration, or analyzed supplied audio. Practical microphone operation requires a witnessed capture.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Compare microphone behavior, justify placement and connections, and check the result against the recording purpose.

LSR-L08 · LSR-L08

Place it to prevent feedback

6.7 · Tennessee A/V Production I — C11H01
Choose and position microphones

Work to do

  1. Mark the microphone’s front and its documented low-sensitivity direction on a stage sketch.
  2. Show the path from the main speaker back to the microphone. Revise positions on paper to reduce that path.
  3. Add one monitor using the actual pattern and teacher-approved placement; consider the performer’s position too.
  4. Rehearse an unexpected-ring cue with playback muted: communicate, mute or reduce the affected path, pause, investigate.
  5. Explain how lowering stage sound or closing unused microphones can help before EQ is considered.

Assignment

Before/after stage sketch, pattern source and witnessed response drill.

Evidence to keep

Include a labeled placement sketch and microphone information from its manufacturer. Record whether you made the capture yourself, observed a demonstration, or analyzed supplied audio. Practical microphone operation requires a witnessed capture.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Compare microphone behavior, justify placement and connections, and check the result against the recording purpose.

LSR-L09 · LSR-L09

Gain is not the audience volume knob

1.1.d · ISTE Standards for Students
Operate and explain technology

Work to do

  1. Name the console model, input meter scale and teacher-selected working reference.
  2. With the affected output controlled, ask for a realistic strong source and set input gain under supervision.
  3. Check the input and output for overload indications. If the minimum input setting is still too hot, stop and ask about a compatible input/pad.
  4. Make a small channel-fader change and describe which meter or destination changes. Restore the reference.
  5. Explain why a quiet rehearsal voice may produce misleading gain settings for an excited presenter.

Assignment

Gain log with source, reference, observed peak indication, output condition and practical signoff.

Evidence to keep

Demonstrate the operation yourself where equipment is available. Identify the controls used and verify the result; keep proposed operations separate from completed demonstrations.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Demonstrate the relevant controls or file operations and explain what changes at the input and output.

LSR-L10 · LSR-L10

One input, one destination

1.4.a · ISTE Standards for Students
Test a proposed solution

Work to do

  1. Read the input/output worksheet and agree on call-and-response language.
  2. Check each source separately at a controlled level. Mark pass only after the intended destination is observed.
  3. For a simulated missing input, identify the last point with evidence of signal. Ask permission before changing one compatible audio connection.
  4. Retest the corrected input and mark the revision. Rotate caller, operator and observer.
  5. Add a recording destination and explain why it needs a separate verification entry.

Assignment

Completed line-check log including one simulated fault and retest.

Evidence to keep

Retain the starting state, the proposed change and its result. Explain what the test established and what you would try next.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: State the problem and expected result, test a controlled change, and use the result to choose the next action.

LSR-L11 · LSR-L11

Audience mix and performer mix

1.5.c · ISTE Standards for Students
Break down a system

Work to do

  1. Trace channel-to-main and channel-to-aux routes on the worksheet.
  2. Set a teacher-approved pre-fader monitor feed. Test a small main fader change and note monitor behavior.
  3. Check the mute behavior with the teacher and document whether both paths stop.
  4. Write a performer request precisely: “More presenter in monitor A,” not “turn it up.” Respond with a small approved adjustment and confirmation.
  5. Predict the effect-return balance when a post-fader source is faded down.

Assignment

Two-route diagram, observed fader/mute behavior and performer-request log.

Evidence to keep

Label the parts, connections and direction of flow. Use the model to explain one result or predict the effect of a specific change.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Identify the parts and connections, then use the diagram or sequence to explain or isolate a problem.

LSR-L12 · LSR-L12

A soundcheck that respects performers

1.7.c · ISTE Standards for Students
Contribute to a project team

Work to do

  1. Write a five-step soundcheck order for presenter, keyboard and playback cue.
  2. Assign operator, performer liaison, audience observer and logger.
  3. Run one short check per source, one monitor request if equipped, then a combined passage.
  4. Ask the audience observer about word clarity. Record one useful change and one unresolved need. End with a clear stop and reset.
  5. Plan the soundcheck when a performer arrives late without restarting every completed check.

Assignment

Soundcheck script, crew rotation and change log with a performer confirmation.

Evidence to keep

Keep an individual role record alongside the shared project. Describe one contribution, one handoff and how the group checked the result.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Record each person’s responsibility and contribution and show how the group completed the shared task.

LSR-L13 · LSR-L13

Listen around the audience

1.5.b · ISTE Standards for Students
Analyze evidence with digital tools

Work to do

  1. Mark three positions on the stage plan. Predict which may have a problem and why.
  2. Gather observations using the identical short script and unchanged system settings.
  3. Classify likely causes as obstruction/coverage, competing room sound, source/mic technique or route/level.
  4. Propose one change. Teacher approves and implements any physical adjustment. Repeat the same test and compare.
  5. Discuss why one stereo side must still carry essential speech for listeners nearer that side.

Assignment

Audience-position table, one justified proposal and before/after results.

Evidence to keep

Keep the figures or observations in a spreadsheet or other digital table. Show each calculation or comparison and explain the decision it supports.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Show the input data, calculations or comparisons, and a conclusion that can be reproduced from the records.

LSR-L14 · LSR-L14

EQ with a reason

1.4.a · ISTE Standards for Students
Test a proposed solution

Work to do

  1. Describe one audible problem using ordinary words before naming a control.
  2. Save or write the baseline. Select one teacher-approved EQ adjustment that addresses that problem.
  3. Compare baseline and change, controlling listening level. Ask a listener whether the words became clearer.
  4. Keep or reject the change and explain why. Restore the baseline if uncertain.
  5. Explain why deep cancellation at one location is a poor target for a large boost.

Assignment

Baseline/change log with control, listening evidence and keep/reject decision.

Evidence to keep

Retain the starting state, the proposed change and its result. Explain what the test established and what you would try next.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: State the problem and expected result, test a controlled change, and use the result to choose the next action.

LSR-L15 · LSR-L15

Compression without crushing the words

1.4.a · ISTE Standards for Students
Test a proposed solution

Work to do

  1. Sketch input gain before processing and the output after processing. Mark where input clipping would occur.
  2. Observe threshold and gain-reduction changes while the teacher holds the source steady.
  3. Change one approved attack or release setting, compare, and restore. Do not raise makeup gain to chase loudness.
  4. Write one situation where you would leave compression bypassed.
  5. Compare a slow and faster attack on a short percussive source while preserving listening level.

Assignment

Comparison notes naming the changed parameter and a justified bypass/keep choice.

Evidence to keep

Retain the starting state, the proposed change and its result. Explain what the test established and what you would try next.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: State the problem and expected result, test a controlled change, and use the result to choose the next action.

LSR-L16 · LSR-L16

Effects that leave space for words

1.5.c · ISTE Standards for Students
Break down a system

Work to do

  1. Trace dry signal, effect send and effect return on paper. Confirm the return is not sent to itself.
  2. Teacher demonstrates one modest effect; identify which fader changes dry signal and which changes effect.
  3. Rehearse a transition from music to announcement by reducing the effect return, not muting the whole microphone.
  4. If the event benefits from no added effect, document that decision and demonstrate the dry route.
  5. At 120 quarter-note beats per minute, calculate a quarter-note delay: 60,000/120 = 500 milliseconds. Explain the tempo assumption.

Assignment

Effect-route sketch and a verified or simulated dry-announcement transition.

Evidence to keep

Label the parts, connections and direction of flow. Use the model to explain one result or predict the effect of a specific change.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Identify the parts and connections, then use the diagram or sequence to explain or isolate a problem.

LSR-L17 · LSR-L17

Silence: follow the evidence

1.4.a · ISTE Standards for Students
Test a proposed solution

Work to do

  1. Write expected versus observed results and the last confirmed signal point.
  2. List two plausible causes consistent with the evidence. Choose one low-risk test that distinguishes them.
  3. Teacher sets a benign muted/unassigned training fault, or uses the case worksheet. Make one approved correction.
  4. Retest the entire affected route at controlled level. Record cause, correction and result; restore the station.
  5. Create a second case with main meters moving but one destination silent; explain how the next test changes.

Assignment

Fault log with hypothesis, single test, observation, correction and retest.

Evidence to keep

Retain the starting state, the proposed change and its result. Explain what the test established and what you would try next.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: State the problem and expected result, test a controlled change, and use the result to choose the next action.

LSR-L18 · LSR-L18

Hum, crackle and the right handoff

1.3 · Tennessee A/V Production I — C11H01
Inspect a working environment

Work to do

  1. Classify four cases: muted channel, cracked mains plug, noisy detachable audio cable, smoke from a powered device. Name the student action and adult handoff.
  2. For the audio-cable case, write a muted known-good substitution sequence without opening anything.
  3. Inspect a harmless photographed fault and complete a quarantine tag with equipment ID and symptom.
  4. Rehearse a concise report that states observations without pretending to have certified the repair.
  5. Explain why a result from one cable substitution is evidence about that path, not a certification of the entire system.

Assignment

Case decisions, one audio substitution plan and a fault/quarantine report.

Evidence to keep

Use the actual room or a teacher-provided hazard scenario. Submit a marked plan and inspection checklist; have the teacher observe the applicable stop procedure.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Identify hazards in the actual space, document the controls and demonstrate when work must stop or be referred.

LSR-L19 · LSR-L19

A cue sheet is a shared promise

4.2 · Tennessee A/V Production I — C11H01
Research permissions and attribution

Work to do

  1. Fill five rows of the cue-sheet template with exact sources and triggers.
  2. Add standby/go language and a visible alternative for a noisy room.
  3. Check each playback item, start point and permission status using school-approved storage.
  4. Walk through the sequence with outputs muted. Add a fallback for one missing file and one absent performer.
  5. Add a last-minute guest introduction and show which documents and people must be updated.

Assignment

Versioned cue sheet, media permission note and two fallbacks.

Evidence to keep

Keep a permissions and credit record with the assignment. Cite the relevant source, identify who can approve the intended use, and name any missing permission before sharing.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Identify the material, rights, permitted use, credits and unresolved permissions; support the clearance decision with sources.

LSR-L20 · LSR-L20

Mix for the moment

1.4.a · ISTE Standards for Students
Test a proposed solution

Work to do

  1. Mark the featured source for every cue. Record the baseline fader positions.
  2. Run a two-minute rehearsal with operator, caller and observer. Make at most one justified change at a time.
  3. Log a moment where supporting sound masked the featured part. Try reducing the supporting path before adding level everywhere.
  4. Repeat that moment, compare observations and restore the agreed baseline for the next crew.
  5. Plan a mono-compatible announcement when different audience seats hear different proportions of the left and right mains.

Assignment

Annotated cue sheet, one mix revision and audience-observer evidence.

Evidence to keep

Retain the starting state, the proposed change and its result. Explain what the test established and what you would try next.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: State the problem and expected result, test a controlled change, and use the result to choose the next action.

LSR-L21 · LSR-L21

The rehearsal that finds problems

1.7.c · ISTE Standards for Students
Contribute to a project team

Work to do

  1. Assemble the current documents and have another crew verify matching source IDs.
  2. Teacher approves routes, listening plan and equipment. Run the line check and brief soundcheck.
  3. Run the five-minute sequence and rotate operator roles on a repeat so every learner has a practical turn.
  4. Choose one observed issue, propose a correction and repeat the affected cue. Retain both versions of the evidence.
  5. Design a handoff so a substitute crew can understand the current state without guessing.

Assignment

Rehearsal packet, individual role log, observer notes and one verified revision.

Evidence to keep

Keep an individual role record alongside the shared project. Describe one contribution, one handoff and how the group checked the result.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Record each person’s responsibility and contribution and show how the group completed the shared task.

LSR-L22 · LSR-L22

A change without a scramble

1.4.b · ISTE Standards for Students
Plan within project limits

Work to do

  1. Draw one change card: guest presenter, absent keyboard player or failed playback file.
  2. State the effect on stage plot, input/output list and cue sheet. Ask for adult approval of equipment changes.
  3. Rehearse the changed plan with outputs controlled; verify any new route before the event resumes.
  4. Tell the performer, caller and observer what changed. Record the decision and whether the original plan can be restored.
  5. Describe which checks remain valid after a small change and which must be repeated.

Assignment

Change card, revised documents, communication record and verification result.

Evidence to keep

Keep the plan in a digital document. Include the intended result, resources, timing and a response to one likely change.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Use a digital plan to connect the intended result to available time, equipment, people and a workable fallback.

LSR-L23 · LSR-L23

Pack down for the next class

1.1.d · ISTE Standards for Students
Operate and explain technology

Work to do

  1. Confirm end-of-event and teacher shutdown authorization. Use the pack-down checklist.
  2. Disconnect one approved audio cable by its connector and inspect it.
  3. Coil, secure with a reusable tie, then lay it out to check for twists. Repeat slowly if needed.
  4. Return equipment by ID, reconcile the inventory and separate a teacher-marked faulty item with a report. Leave routes clear.
  5. Write a short handoff note that lets the next teacher distinguish ready, missing and quarantined items.

Assignment

Practical cable-handling signoff, inventory and one sample fault entry.

Evidence to keep

Demonstrate the operation yourself where equipment is available. Identify the controls used and verify the result; keep proposed operations separate from completed demonstrations.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Demonstrate the relevant controls or file operations and explain what changes at the input and output.

LSR-L24 · LSR-L24

Show what you can do

11.2 · Tennessee A/V Production I — C11H01
Document skills in a portfolio

Work to do

  1. Use the portfolio checklist to locate evidence for every required practical skill.
  2. Run or reference the final five-minute supervised event and identify your own operations.
  3. Give a two-minute handoff: current setup, one problem solved, one remaining limit and next step.
  4. Receive criterion-specific feedback, revise any incomplete evidence and submit the final portfolio record after all lessons have been reviewed. Final review time is included in this lesson.
  5. Propose the next supervised event with one added complexity and the checks it would require.

Assignment

Indexed individual portfolio, teacher-witnessed practical record and a revised handoff.

Evidence to keep

Add a brief annotation to each selected item: your role, the task, a decision you made, the result and one skill to develop next.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Select relevant work, identify individual contributions, and explain the process, result and next learning step.

LSR-FINAL · LSR-FINAL

Final event portfolio and practical review

11.2 · Tennessee A/V Production I — C11H01
Document skills in a portfolio

Assignment

Indexed portfolio with six required practical signoffs, event documents, revision and handoff.

Evidence to keep

Add a brief annotation to each selected item: your role, the task, a decision you made, the result and one skill to develop next.

Assessment criteria

Standard-specific check: Select relevant work, identify individual contributions, and explain the process, result and next learning step.

Teacher assessment guide

Assess the work named in each row. Record the file or portfolio entry, the criterion, the result and the next action. Use a practical observation for equipment operation. Give feedback on the learner’s decisions as well as the finished result.

ScoreEvidence
3Criterion met, with independent verification or a successful application in another situation.
2Criterion met: the required work is complete, accurate and supported by evidence.
1Some relevant work is present, but the intended result has not been demonstrated.
0The required evidence has not been submitted or demonstrated.

Record each criterion and the next action. Practical equipment work needs an observed demonstration. Use the course grading plan for the final result.

Self-guided completion

Read the evidence requirement before starting. Save the work, check each criterion and revise any missing or unsuccessful part. Use a peer or instructor for tasks that require feedback or a witnessed practical demonstration.

Open the accompanying teacher edition for lesson delivery and educator materials.

Teaching practice

2.5.b · ISTE Standards for Educators
Design a practical technology lesson

Prepare and teach “Who needs to hear what?.” Demonstrate the task, then have learners complete it independently.

Submit: A teaching plan, demonstration or teach-back, and learner work showing the result.

Assess: State the learning objective, teach a workable activity and show how the resulting student work demonstrates the objective.

2.5.a · ISTE Standards for Educators
Adapt a lesson for learner needs

Adapt one practical assignment for a learner with limited equipment, a different way of accessing instructions, or a different way of presenting the result.

Submit: The original task, the adapted route and the shared assessment criteria.

Assess: Name a specific access or learning need and provide a usable alternative that preserves the intended skill.

2.7.c · ISTE Standards for Educators
Use assessment to guide teaching

Use “Final event portfolio and practical review” to assess the learner’s decisions and finished work. Plan feedback and a second attempt for one unmet criterion.

Submit: An annotated rubric, specific feedback, revised work and a brief comparison.

Assess: Score the work against stated criteria, identify the misconception and provide feedback and a suitable next activity.

Framework sources

The map identifies the assessed portion of each standard. Local schools decide course credit and professional-learning acceptance.