What is media arts in first grade?

Media arts means making and sharing art with tools like cameras, tablets, drawing apps, voice recorders, and simple video. Students try out ideas, put pictures and sounds together, and share what they made with the class.

How can I support media arts at home?

Let students take photos, record short voice messages, or draw on a phone or tablet. Ask what they were trying to show and why they picked that picture or sound. Five minutes of talking about their choices is more useful than buying any app.

Does my child need a fancy device or special software?

No. A basic phone camera, a free drawing app, or even paper photos cut and arranged on a table work fine. The point is making choices about pictures and sounds, not the tool.

What should a finished project look like at this age?

Expect something short and simple: a few photos in order, a 20 second video, a drawing with a recorded voice, or a slideshow with three or four pictures. Students should be able to say what it is about.

How should media arts be sequenced across the year?

Start with looking and talking about pictures, sounds, and short videos. Move into making single images and short recordings, then combining a few pieces into one project by spring. Save sharing and feedback routines for the whole year, not just the end.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Framing a photo so the subject is actually in it, recording audio without background noise, and putting pictures in an order that tells something. Plan to revisit these every few weeks rather than teaching them once.

How do I know students are ready for second grade in this subject?

By spring, students should be able to plan a short project, make it with a tool they have used before, share it with the class, and say one thing they would change. They should also be able to give a kind, specific comment on a classmate's work.

What does it mean to connect art to personal experiences?

Students make art about things they know: their family, a pet, a favorite place, a holiday, a feeling. At home, point out when a song, a movie, or a drawing reminds them of something real, and ask why.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year students start using cameras, drawings, sounds, and simple computer tools to tell their own stories. Students come up with an idea, put the pieces together, and share the finished project with classmates. They also talk about what they made and what they notice in other people's work. By spring, students can plan a short photo, video, or sound project, share it with the class, and explain what it means.

Storytelling with media
Photos and video
Sound projects
Sharing artwork
Talking about art

Source: Ohio Ohio's Learning Standards

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
Trying out media tools
Students explore how to make simple media like photos, drawings on a tablet, short videos, or sounds. They get comfortable with the tools and start sharing ideas they want to bring to life.
2
Building a media project
Students plan and put together a short piece, like a slideshow, a recorded story, or a cartoon. They pick images, sounds, or clips that fit the idea and arrange them in an order that makes sense.
3
Looking at media around us
Students notice the cartoons, ads, and videos in their lives and talk about who made them and why. They connect what they see to their own families, holidays, and experiences.
4
Polishing and sharing work
Students go back to their projects to fix and improve them, then show their work to classmates or family. They talk about what they liked in their own and others' pieces and what could be better next time.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.

Connecting

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

MA:Cn10.1

Students connect something from their own life, like a memory or a feeling, to a media arts project they create. Personal experience becomes the starting point for the work.
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

MA:Cn11.1

Students look at a photo, video, or artwork and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the work means.

Standard	Definition	Code
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art	Students connect something from their own life, like a memory or a feeling, to a media arts project they create. Personal experience becomes the starting point for the work.	MA:Cn10.1
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural	Students look at a photo, video, or artwork and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the work means.	MA:Cn11.1

Connecting

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

MA:Cn10.1

Students connect something from their own life, like a memory or a feeling, to a media arts project they create. Personal experience becomes the starting point for the work.
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

MA:Cn11.1

Students look at a photo, video, or artwork and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the work means.

Standard	Definition	Code
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art	Students connect something from their own life, like a memory or a feeling, to a media arts project they create. Personal experience becomes the starting point for the work.	MA:Cn10.1
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural	Students look at a photo, video, or artwork and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the work means.	MA:Cn11.1

Creating

Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

MA:Cr1.1

Students come up with ideas for a media project, like a drawing, photo, or short video, and start thinking about how to make it.
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

MA:Cr2.1

Students arrange images, sounds, or simple animations into a short media project. They make choices about what to include and what order things go in.
Refine and complete artistic work

MA:Cr3.1

Students review their media art project, make small changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished.

Standard	Definition	Code
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work	Students come up with ideas for a media project, like a drawing, photo, or short video, and start thinking about how to make it.	MA:Cr1.1
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work	Students arrange images, sounds, or simple animations into a short media project. They make choices about what to include and what order things go in.	MA:Cr2.1
Refine and complete artistic work	Students review their media art project, make small changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished.	MA:Cr3.1

Creating

Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

MA:Cr1.1

Students come up with ideas for a media project, like a drawing, photo, or short video, and start thinking about how to make it.
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

MA:Cr2.1

Students arrange images, sounds, or simple animations into a short media project. They make choices about what to include and what order things go in.
Refine and complete artistic work

MA:Cr3.1

Students review their media art project, make small changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished.

Standard	Definition	Code
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work	Students come up with ideas for a media project, like a drawing, photo, or short video, and start thinking about how to make it.	MA:Cr1.1
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work	Students arrange images, sounds, or simple animations into a short media project. They make choices about what to include and what order things go in.	MA:Cr2.1
Refine and complete artistic work	Students review their media art project, make small changes to improve it, and decide when it is finished.	MA:Cr3.1

Performing/Presenting/Producing

Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

MA:Pr4.1

Students choose which of their media art projects to share and explain why they picked it.
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

MA:Pr5.1

Students practice and improve a media project (like a drawing, video, or photo) until it is ready to share with others.
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

MA:Pr6.1

Students share their media art project with an audience and explain what they were trying to say with it.

Standard	Definition	Code
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation	Students choose which of their media art projects to share and explain why they picked it.	MA:Pr4.1
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation	Students practice and improve a media project (like a drawing, video, or photo) until it is ready to share with others.	MA:Pr5.1
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work	Students share their media art project with an audience and explain what they were trying to say with it.	MA:Pr6.1

Performing/Presenting/Producing

Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

MA:Pr4.1

Students choose which of their media art projects to share and explain why they picked it.
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

MA:Pr5.1

Students practice and improve a media project (like a drawing, video, or photo) until it is ready to share with others.
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

MA:Pr6.1

Students share their media art project with an audience and explain what they were trying to say with it.

Standard	Definition	Code
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation	Students choose which of their media art projects to share and explain why they picked it.	MA:Pr4.1
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation	Students practice and improve a media project (like a drawing, video, or photo) until it is ready to share with others.	MA:Pr5.1
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work	Students share their media art project with an audience and explain what they were trying to say with it.	MA:Pr6.1

Responding

Perceive and analyze artistic work

MA:Re7.1

Students look at a piece of media art, like a photo, video, or digital image, and talk about what they notice and what they think the creator was trying to show.
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

MA:Re8.1

Students look at a photo, video, or other media artwork and explain what they think the creator was trying to say. They use what they see to back up their thinking.
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

MA:Re9.1

Students look at a piece of media art and explain what they like or what could be better, using simple reasons like color, sound, or how the story feels.

Standard	Definition	Code
Perceive and analyze artistic work	Students look at a piece of media art, like a photo, video, or digital image, and talk about what they notice and what they think the creator was trying to show.	MA:Re7.1
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work	Students look at a photo, video, or other media artwork and explain what they think the creator was trying to say. They use what they see to back up their thinking.	MA:Re8.1
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work	Students look at a piece of media art and explain what they like or what could be better, using simple reasons like color, sound, or how the story feels.	MA:Re9.1

Responding

Perceive and analyze artistic work

MA:Re7.1

Students look at a piece of media art, like a photo, video, or digital image, and talk about what they notice and what they think the creator was trying to show.
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

MA:Re8.1

Students look at a photo, video, or other media artwork and explain what they think the creator was trying to say. They use what they see to back up their thinking.
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

MA:Re9.1

Students look at a piece of media art and explain what they like or what could be better, using simple reasons like color, sound, or how the story feels.

Standard	Definition	Code
Perceive and analyze artistic work	Students look at a piece of media art, like a photo, video, or digital image, and talk about what they notice and what they think the creator was trying to show.	MA:Re7.1
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work	Students look at a photo, video, or other media artwork and explain what they think the creator was trying to say. They use what they see to back up their thinking.	MA:Re8.1
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work	Students look at a piece of media art and explain what they like or what could be better, using simple reasons like color, sound, or how the story feels.	MA:Re9.1

Common Questions

What is media arts in first grade?
Media arts means making and sharing art with tools like cameras, tablets, drawing apps, voice recorders, and simple video. Students try out ideas, put pictures and sounds together, and share what they made with the class.
How can I support media arts at home?
Let students take photos, record short voice messages, or draw on a phone or tablet. Ask what they were trying to show and why they picked that picture or sound. Five minutes of talking about their choices is more useful than buying any app.
Does my child need a fancy device or special software?
No. A basic phone camera, a free drawing app, or even paper photos cut and arranged on a table work fine. The point is making choices about pictures and sounds, not the tool.
What should a finished project look like at this age?
Expect something short and simple: a few photos in order, a 20 second video, a drawing with a recorded voice, or a slideshow with three or four pictures. Students should be able to say what it is about.
How should media arts be sequenced across the year?
Start with looking and talking about pictures, sounds, and short videos. Move into making single images and short recordings, then combining a few pieces into one project by spring. Save sharing and feedback routines for the whole year, not just the end.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Framing a photo so the subject is actually in it, recording audio without background noise, and putting pictures in an order that tells something. Plan to revisit these every few weeks rather than teaching them once.
How do I know students are ready for second grade in this subject?
By spring, students should be able to plan a short project, make it with a tool they have used before, share it with the class, and say one thing they would change. They should also be able to give a kind, specific comment on a classmate's work.
What does it mean to connect art to personal experiences?
Students make art about things they know: their family, a pet, a favorite place, a holiday, a feeling. At home, point out when a song, a movie, or a drawing reminds them of something real, and ask why.