Exploring tools and ideas
Students get their hands on cameras, tablets, microphones, and simple drawing apps. They poke around to see what each tool does and start coming up with ideas for pictures, sounds, and short videos they want to make.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start playing with cameras, tablets, microphones, and other tools to tell little stories of their own. Students take pictures, record sounds, and put pieces together to share something they care about. They also look at what classmates made and talk about what they notice. By spring, students can use a simple device to capture an idea and explain what they were trying to show.
- Photos and video
- Sound recording
- Storytelling
- Using devices
- Sharing artwork
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 with media
Students start turning ideas into real projects. They take photos, record sounds, and put pieces together to tell a small story, often pulling from things they know like family, pets, or favorite books.
- 3
Practicing and polishing
Students go back to projects they started and try to make them better. They might re-record a sound, retake a blurry photo, or rearrange pictures so the story makes more sense.
- 4
Sharing and looking closely
Students pick a piece they want others to see and share it with the class or family. They also look at art and media other people made, talk about what they notice, and say what they like or would change.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Pre-Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students use things they already know and moments from their own lives as the starting point for making art.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at pictures, videos, and artwork and talk about where they came from and why someone made them. Connecting art to real life helps students understand both better.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students use things they already know and moments from their own lives as the starting point for making art. | MA:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at pictures, videos, and artwork and talk about where they came from and why someone made them. Connecting art to real life helps students understand both better. | MA:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students explore simple ideas for making art with pictures, sounds, or movement. This is the beginning of learning to imagine something and then create it.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick which colors, sounds, or images to use in a simple project and put them together in an order that makes sense to them.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students finish a media art project by looking it over and making small fixes before calling it done.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students explore simple ideas for making art with pictures, sounds, or movement. This is the beginning of learning to imagine something and then create it. | MA:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick which colors, sounds, or images to use in a simple project and put them together in an order that makes sense to them. | MA:Cr2.pk |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students finish a media art project by looking it over and making small fixes before calling it done. | MA:Cr3.pk |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students pick which drawing, story, or project they want to share with others. Choosing what to show is part of making art.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a media art project, like a drawing or simple animation, and keep working on it until it looks the way they want before sharing it with others.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students share a drawing, song, or simple creation and explain what it means to them or how it makes them feel.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick which drawing, story, or project they want to share with others. Choosing what to show is part of making art. | MA:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a media art project, like a drawing or simple animation, and keep working on it until it looks the way they want before sharing it with others. | MA:Pr5.pk |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students share a drawing, song, or simple creation and explain what it means to them or how it makes them feel. | MA:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look closely at a photo, video, or drawing and talk about what they notice, like colors, shapes, or what is happening in the scene.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a drawing, song, or video and share what they think it means or how it makes them feel.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a piece of art or a video and say what they like about it and why. They start learning to give a reason for their opinion, not just "I like it."
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look closely at a photo, video, or drawing and talk about what they notice, like colors, shapes, or what is happening in the scene. | MA:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a drawing, song, or video and share what they think it means or how it makes them feel. | MA:Re8.pk |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a piece of art or a video and say what they like about it and why. They start learning to give a reason for their opinion, not just "I like it." | MA:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What is media arts at this age?
Media arts means making and sharing stories with tools like cameras, tablets, microphones, and simple drawing apps. At this age, students play with photos, short videos, sounds, and digital pictures, and start to notice how those pieces tell a story.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students can come up with an idea for a picture, sound, or short video, make it with help, and share it with someone. They can also talk about what they made and what they notice in pictures and videos around them.
How can families support media arts at home?
Let students take photos of things they care about, record a short voice memo about a drawing, or pick the picture they want to send to grandma. Five minutes of choosing, recording, and talking about it is plenty.
Does a child need a tablet or fancy camera for this?
No. An old phone, a hand-me-down camera, or even cut-out paper and a flashlight will work. The point is that students make choices about what to show and how to show it, not which device they use.
How much screen time does this involve?
Very little. Most of the work is talking about ideas, acting things out, drawing, and recording short clips. The screen is a tool for a few minutes at a time, not the activity itself.
How should media arts be sequenced across the year?
Start with noticing: look at photos, picture books, and short clips and talk about what students see and hear. Then move to making simple pieces with one tool at a time, and end the year with small projects where students pick, refine, and share their work.
What does mastery look like at this age?
A student who is ready can name an idea, make something that shows it, change one thing to make it better, and tell a classmate what it is about. Fluency with the tool matters less than making clear choices.
Which parts usually need the most reteaching?
Refining work and explaining choices are the hardest. Many students want to keep making new things instead of improving one piece, and they need repeated practice picking a favorite, changing one part, and saying why.
How does this connect to reading, art, and play?
Looking closely at a photo is the same habit as looking closely at a picture book. Recording a story builds the same thinking as telling one at the easel or in the block corner, so media arts fits naturally into centers and read-aloud time.