Sparking ideas from real life
Students start the year gathering ideas for media projects like short videos, digital drawings, or simple animations. They pull from their own experiences and the shows, games, and images they already know.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start making media projects with a real point of view. Students plan a short video, slideshow, or audio piece by sketching ideas first, then choosing the shots, sounds, and words that fit the message. They also watch other people's work and say what makes it strong or weak using clear reasons. By spring, students can finish a small media project and explain the choices they made to tell their story.
- Video projects
- Storyboarding
- Sound and images
- Sharing work
- Giving feedback
- Creative choices
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
Planning and building projects
Students move from ideas to actual work. They sketch storyboards, organize clips or images, and learn to build a project in steps instead of all at once.
- 3
Practicing tools and techniques
Students get hands-on with cameras, recording apps, and editing tools. They practice the small skills that make a project look and sound clearer, like steady framing, lighting, and clean audio.
- 4
Polishing work to share
Students choose which projects are ready for an audience and fix what is not working yet. They learn to revise based on feedback before showing a piece to classmates or family.
- 5
Looking closely at media
Students study videos, ads, and images from other artists and from different times and places. They talk about what the maker was trying to say and whether it worked.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 4.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the media art they make. A personal memory, a strong opinion, or something learned in another class can shape the final piece.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a piece of media art and explain what was happening in the world when it was made. They practice connecting what they see to the time, place, or community it came from.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the media art they make. A personal memory, a strong opinion, or something learned in another class can shape the final piece. | MA:Cn10.4 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a piece of media art and explain what was happening in the world when it was made. They practice connecting what they see to the time, place, or community it came from. | MA:Cn11.4 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students brainstorm and develop original ideas for media art projects, such as short videos, digital images, or animations, before they start making them.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students plan and arrange their media art project, making choices about images, sounds, or text before the work is finished.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a media art project, make changes based on feedback or their own review, and finish it to a level they feel good about.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students brainstorm and develop original ideas for media art projects, such as short videos, digital images, or animations, before they start making them. | MA:Cr1.4 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students plan and arrange their media art project, making choices about images, sounds, or text before the work is finished. | MA:Cr2.4 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a media art project, make changes based on feedback or their own review, and finish it to a level they feel good about. | MA:Cr3.4 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose which of their media projects to share and explain why that work best shows what they were trying to make.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice and improve a media arts project until it is ready to share with an audience. They make choices about how images, sound, or text work together before presenting the finished piece.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students choose how to share a finished piece, thinking about what it should make the audience feel or understand. The presentation itself is part of the message.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose which of their media projects to share and explain why that work best shows what they were trying to make. | MA:Pr4.4 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice and improve a media arts project until it is ready to share with an audience. They make choices about how images, sound, or text work together before presenting the finished piece. | MA:Pr5.4 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students choose how to share a finished piece, thinking about what it should make the audience feel or understand. The presentation itself is part of the message. | MA:Pr6.4 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look closely at a media artwork, such as a photo, video, or digital image, and explain what choices the creator made and why those choices matter.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a piece of media art and explain what the creator was trying to say. They back up their thinking with details from the work itself.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a piece of media art and judge it using a checklist or set of rules. They explain why the work does or doesn't meet each standard.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look closely at a media artwork, such as a photo, video, or digital image, and explain what choices the creator made and why those choices matter. | MA:Re7.4 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art and explain what the creator was trying to say. They back up their thinking with details from the work itself. | MA:Re8.4 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art and judge it using a checklist or set of rules. They explain why the work does or doesn't meet each standard. | MA:Re9.4 |