Exploring everyday media
Students notice the photos, videos, sounds, and drawings around them. They start sharing what they see and hear, and they try out simple tools like a tablet or camera with help.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students first treat photos, drawings, sounds, and short videos as things they can make on purpose. Students share ideas from their own lives, try simple tools with a teacher's help, and put pieces together to tell a small story or send a message. They also look at what classmates made and say what they notice. By spring, students can make a short picture or sound piece and explain what it is about.
- Making media
- Photos and video
- Sound and music
- Sharing ideas
- Talking about art
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
Coming up with ideas
Students think up their own ideas for pictures, sounds, or short videos. They pull from what they know, like a favorite story or a family memory, and turn it into something they want to make.
- 3
Making and shaping projects
Students put their ideas together into small media projects. They arrange pictures, record sounds, or draw on a screen, then change things until the piece feels right to them.
- 4
Sharing and talking about work
Students show their projects to classmates and family. They practice saying what their piece is about, and they talk about what they like in other students' work and why.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect something from their own life to a media arts project, using a memory, feeling, or everyday experience as the starting point for what they make.
-
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a photo, video, or other media work and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That 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 to a media arts project, using a memory, feeling, or everyday experience as the starting point for what they make. | MA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a photo, video, or other media work and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That helps them understand what the work means. | MA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with ideas for simple media projects, like drawing a picture to share on a screen or deciding what a short video or photo should show.
-
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students arrange pictures, sounds, or simple digital tools to build a media project, then make small choices to improve it before sharing.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students pick a favorite piece of their artwork and decide if anything needs fixing before it's finished. They practice the idea that making something good often means looking at it again and making small changes.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with ideas for simple media projects, like drawing a picture to share on a screen or deciding what a short video or photo should show. | MA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students arrange pictures, sounds, or simple digital tools to build a media project, then make small choices to improve it before sharing. | MA:Cr2.k |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students pick a favorite piece of their artwork and decide if anything needs fixing before it's finished. They practice the idea that making something good often means looking at it again and making small changes. | MA:Cr3.k |
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 with others and explain why they picked it.
-
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a media art project (like a photo or short video) more than once to make it better before sharing it with others.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students share their media art (a drawing, photo, or short video) and explain what they were trying to show. The goal is for the audience to understand the idea or feeling behind the work.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose which of their media projects to share with others and explain why they picked it. | MA:Pr4.k |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a media art project (like a photo or short video) more than once to make it better before sharing it with others. | MA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students share their media art (a drawing, photo, or short video) and explain what they were trying to show. The goal is for the audience to understand the idea or feeling behind the work. | MA:Pr6.k |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at photos, videos, or drawings and talk about what they notice. They practice paying attention to details before jumping to what they think it means.
-
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a photo, video, or drawing and explain what they think the creator was trying to say or show.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a drawing, photo, or video and say what they like about it and why. They practice giving a reason for their opinion instead of just saying "good" or "bad."
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at photos, videos, or drawings and talk about what they notice. They practice paying attention to details before jumping to what they think it means. | MA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a photo, video, or drawing and explain what they think the creator was trying to say or show. | MA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a drawing, photo, or video and say what they like about it and why. They practice giving a reason for their opinion instead of just saying "good" or "bad." | MA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What is media arts in kindergarten?
Media arts is making things with cameras, tablets, computers, sound recorders, and simple video tools. Students take photos, record short sounds or videos, draw on a screen, and put pictures together to tell a small story. It is art made with everyday tech.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should come up with a small idea, capture or create it using a camera or drawing app, and share it with the class. They should be able to say what their piece is about and notice what they like in someone else's work.
How can families support this at home?
Let students take photos or short videos of things they care about, like a pet, a snack, or a drawing. Look at the pictures together and ask what they wanted to show. Five minutes of talking about their choices does more than any app.
Do families need fancy equipment for this?
No. A phone camera, a free drawing app, or even paper cutouts arranged like a comic strip are plenty. The goal is making and talking about ideas, not the gear.
How much screen time does this involve?
At school, media arts work happens in short bursts, usually ten to fifteen minutes at a time. Most of the thinking happens off the screen, when students plan an idea or talk about what they made.
How should media arts be sequenced across the year?
Start with looking and noticing: photos, short clips, picture books read aloud. Move into capturing simple images and sounds. By spring, students can plan a tiny project, like a three-photo story, and talk about why they chose what they chose.
What usually needs the most reteaching?
Two things: slowing down to plan before grabbing the device, and using words to describe what a piece is about. Short routines like a planning sketch before recording, and a one-sentence share after, help both stick.
How can responding and evaluating work at this age?
Keep criteria to one or two things students can see, such as whether the picture shows the main idea or whether the sound is clear. Use simple prompts like what do you notice, what do you wonder, and what would you try next time.
How do I know students are ready for first grade media arts?
Students are ready when they can pitch a small idea, use a basic tool to capture or create it, and talk about their choices and a classmate's work. Finished products matter less than the thinking behind them.