Exploring tools and ideas
Students try out cameras, drawing apps, and recording tools for the first time. They play with sounds and pictures to see what each tool can do.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students discover that pictures, sounds, and videos are things they can make, not just watch. Students come up with simple ideas, try them out with tools like cameras, drawings, or recordings, and share the results with classmates. They also start talking about what they see and hear, saying what they like and what a piece might mean. By spring, students can make a short media project and explain the idea behind it.
- Making media
- Sharing ideas
- Talking about art
- Trying tools
- Telling stories
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Making a first project
Students put their ideas together into a short video, picture story, or sound clip. They learn that a project has a start, middle, and finish.
- 3
Polishing and presenting
Students pick a favorite piece and clean it up to show the class. They practice choosing what to share and saying a few words about it.
- 4
Looking at media together
Students watch and listen to work made by classmates and others. They notice what they like, what feels familiar from home, and what a piece might mean.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Connecting
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Using your own life to make art | Students connect something from their own life to a media arts project, like using a memory or a feeling to decide what to make. | CA-MA:Cn10.k.K |
| Art reflects the world around us | Students look at pictures, videos, and other media and talk about where they come from and what they mean to the people who made them. | CA-MA:Cn11.k.K |
Creating
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Coming up with ideas for media art | Students come up with ideas for a simple media project, like drawing a picture to photograph or picking sounds to record. | CA-MA:Cr1.k.K |
| Putting art ideas together | Students arrange images, sounds, or simple digital tools to build a short media project, then adjust pieces until the work feels finished. | CA-MA:Cr2.k.K |
| Finish and improve your artwork | Students look at their media project one more time, fix anything that feels off, and decide when it's done. | CA-MA:Cr3.k.K |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Picking art to share with others | Students pick which of their media projects (a drawing, a photo, a short video) is ready to show others and explain why they chose it. | CA-MA:Pr4.k.K |
| Making art ready to share | Students practice and improve a media project (like a photo, video, or drawing) until it is ready to share with others. | CA-MA:Pr5.k.K |
| Share art to show what you mean | Students share a drawing, video, or digital image they made and explain what it means to them or what idea they wanted to show. | CA-MA:Pr6.k.K |
Responding
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Noticing what makes art interesting | Students look at simple media like photos, videos, or drawings and talk about what they notice, what they like, and what they think the creator was trying to show. | CA-MA:Re7.k.K |
| What art is trying to say | Students look at a photo, video, or other media and say what they think the creator was trying to show or how it makes them feel. | CA-MA:Re8.k.K |
| Decide what makes art good | Students look at a drawing, video, or photo and say what they like about it and why. They practice using simple reasons to explain whether something worked. | CA-MA:Re9.k.K |
Common Questions
What is media arts in kindergarten?
Media arts means making things with cameras, recordings, drawings on a screen, and simple video or audio tools. Students take photos, record short voice clips, make slideshows, or draw digital pictures. The focus is on play and choice, not technical skill.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to come up with an idea, make something simple like a photo, drawing, or short recording, and share it with someone. They should also be able to say what they made and why. Polish is not the goal at this age.
How can families support media arts at home?
Let students take photos with a phone, record a short story in a voice memo, or draw on a tablet. Ask them to tell the story of what they made. Five to ten minutes of free creating beats any app or lesson.
Does a child need a tablet or computer to do this work?
No. A borrowed phone for photos and voice recordings covers most of what students need. Crayons, paper, and a cardboard box also count when students use them to plan or act out a story they later record.
How should media arts be sequenced across the year?
Start with looking and talking about pictures, videos, and sounds so students build vocabulary. Move into guided making with one tool at a time, such as a camera or a drawing app. End the year with small projects where students plan, make, and share.
What does mastery actually look like at this age?
Mastery is a student who can pick an idea, make something simple to show it, and say a sentence or two about what they made. The work will be rough. The thinking behind it is what matters.
Which parts of this usually need the most reteaching?
Talking about a finished piece is often the hardest part. Students will make something quickly and then freeze when asked what it means or how they would change it. Build in short sharing routines from the first week so this becomes normal.
How can a parent help if a child gets frustrated making something?
Slow down and ask what they were trying to show. Suggest one small change, like a different angle for the photo or a louder voice in the recording. Then let them try again or stop and come back later.
How do families know a child is ready for first grade in this subject?
A ready student can pick an idea, use a simple tool to make something about it, and share it with a grownup or a friend. They can also point to something they like in another person's work. That is enough.