This is the year students start making media projects with a real audience in mind. They plan out an idea, build it with video, sound, or images, and then go back to fix the parts that fall flat. Students also start talking about why a video or ad was made and how it lands with viewers. By spring, they can plan, finish, and share a short media project and explain the choices behind it.
Students start the year coming up with ideas for short videos, animations, podcasts, or digital images. They pull from their own lives and from things they have watched or listened to, then sketch out plans before building anything.
Students move from plans to real media. They shoot clips, record sound, draw frames, or arrange digital pieces, and learn to organize files and layers so a project stays workable as it grows.
Students revise their projects with feedback in mind. They trim clips, fix audio, adjust images, and practice techniques that make the final piece clearer and more polished.
Students choose which pieces to share and prepare them for others to watch or hear. They think about how the setting, order, and small choices change what an audience takes from the work.
Students look closely at their own projects and at media made by others. They describe what they notice, guess at the maker's intent, and use simple criteria to judge what works and what could be stronger.
Students connect their projects to life outside the classroom. They look at how media reflects communities, history, and culture, and notice how their own experiences shape the work they make.
Students connect something they already know or have lived through to a media arts project. The work reflects a real idea or experience, not just a technical exercise.
Students connect media art they study or create to the time period, place, or culture it came from. Understanding that context helps them read the meaning behind creative choices.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something they already know or have lived through to a media arts project. The work reflects a real idea or experience, not just a technical exercise. | MA:Cn10.5 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect media art they study or create to the time period, place, or culture it came from. Understanding that context helps them read the meaning behind creative choices. | MA:Cn11.5 |
Students brainstorm and develop original ideas for media art projects, deciding what story, image, or message they want to create before they start building it.
Students plan and refine a media project by making deliberate choices about images, sound, and layout before calling it finished.
Students review a media project they've made, fix what isn't working, and finish it to a standard they're satisfied with.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students brainstorm and develop original ideas for media art projects, deciding what story, image, or message they want to create before they start building it. | MA:Cr1.5 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students plan and refine a media project by making deliberate choices about images, sound, and layout before calling it finished. | MA:Cr2.5 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students review a media project they've made, fix what isn't working, and finish it to a standard they're satisfied with. | MA:Cr3.5 |
Students review a collection of media projects, decide which ones are worth sharing with an audience, and explain why those pieces work better than others.
Students practice and improve a media project, like a short video or digital image, until it is ready to share with an audience. The focus is on making deliberate choices about how the work looks, sounds, or moves.
Students choose how to share a finished piece so the audience understands the idea behind it. The way a project is presented is part of the message.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students review a collection of media projects, decide which ones are worth sharing with an audience, and explain why those pieces work better than others. | MA:Pr4.5 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice and improve a media project, like a short video or digital image, until it is ready to share with an audience. The focus is on making deliberate choices about how the work looks, sounds, or moves. | MA:Pr5.5 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students choose how to share a finished piece so the audience understands the idea behind it. The way a project is presented is part of the message. | MA:Pr6.5 |
Students look closely at a media artwork (a photo, video, or website) and explain what choices the creator made and why those choices work or don't work.
Students explain what a media artwork is trying to say and why the creator made specific choices, such as the colors, sounds, or images used.
Students review a piece of media art using a clear set of criteria, like whether the message comes through or whether the tools were used well. They explain what works, what doesn't, and why.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look closely at a media artwork (a photo, video, or website) and explain what choices the creator made and why those choices work or don't work. | MA:Re7.5 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students explain what a media artwork is trying to say and why the creator made specific choices, such as the colors, sounds, or images used. | MA:Re8.5 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students review a piece of media art using a clear set of criteria, like whether the message comes through or whether the tools were used well. They explain what works, what doesn't, and why. | MA:Re9.5 |
Media arts is making things like short videos, animations, podcasts, digital photos, and simple games. Students plan an idea, build it on a computer or tablet, and share the finished piece. It mixes art with technology.
By spring, students should be able to plan a short media project, build it with tools like a video editor or animation app, revise it after feedback, and present a polished version. The piece should have a clear message or story.
Let students film short videos on a phone, edit them with a free app, or build a slideshow with sound. Ask what they wanted the viewer to feel and what they would change next time. Ten minutes of tinkering counts.
No. A phone or tablet camera and a free editing app cover most projects. Built-in tools like iMovie, CapCut, Canva, or Scratch work well for this age.
Start with short, single-tool projects so students learn the software and the planning habits. Move into multi-step projects with storyboards and revision cycles. End the year with a longer piece that pulls together planning, production, and presentation.
Planning before production is the hardest habit. Students want to jump straight to filming or editing. Storyboards, shot lists, and quick pitches before they touch a device pay off all year.
Use a short, shared set of criteria such as clarity of message, craft, and use of the tool. Have students give feedback on each other's drafts, then revise once before the final share. Keep critique focused on the work, not the person.
Students are the makers, not the audience. They plan a message, choose images and sounds on purpose, and revise based on feedback. Screen time spent creating something is different from screen time spent scrolling.
Ask what the creator was trying to say, what choices stand out, and whether those choices worked. Connecting a video or song to its time, place, or culture is part of the work this year.
They can take a project from idea to finished piece on their own, explain the choices they made, and give useful feedback on a classmate's work. They should also be comfortable revising a draft instead of starting over.