Exploring tools and ideas
Students get their hands on cameras, tablets, drawing apps, and recording tools. They notice how pictures, sounds, and short videos can tell a story or share a feeling.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start treating photos, videos, drawings on a screen, and sounds as ways to tell their own stories. Students come up with simple ideas, try them out with help from a teacher, and share the finished piece with the class. They also start talking about what they see and hear in other people's work. By spring, students can make a short media piece, like a drawing or photo with a sound, and explain what it shows.
- Making media
- Sharing ideas
- Talking about art
- Personal stories
- Simple tools
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 first media projects
Students put their ideas into small projects like a photo, a short clip, or a simple animation. They practice planning before they make and fixing things they want to change.
- 3
Sharing work with others
Students pick a piece they want to show and get it ready for an audience. They think about what they want classmates to notice or feel when they watch or listen.
- 4
Looking at and talking about art
Students watch, listen to, and look at media made by classmates and others. They say what they see, guess what the maker meant, and share what they liked or would change.
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 what they know and what they've lived through to make something new. A drawing might come from a memory; a collage might come from a question they're curious about.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a piece of art and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the art means.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect what they know and what they've lived through to make something new. A drawing might come from a memory; a collage might come from a question they're curious about. | MA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a piece of art and talk about where it came from, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the art means. | MA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with simple ideas for media art projects, like drawing a picture to plan what they want to make with photos, video, or sounds.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students arrange simple images, sounds, or movements into a short piece of media art, like a drawing that tells a story or a series of photos put in order.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a media project, make small changes to improve it, and decide when the work is finished.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with simple ideas for media art projects, like drawing a picture to plan what they want to make with photos, video, or sounds. | MA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students arrange simple images, sounds, or movements into a short piece of media art, like a drawing that tells a story or a series of photos put in order. | MA:Cr2.k |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a media project, make small changes to improve it, and decide when the work is finished. | 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 art projects to share with others and explain why they picked it.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice and improve a media art project (like a photo, video, or drawing on a screen) until it is ready to share with others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students share a drawing, photo, or simple media project with classmates and explain what they made and why.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose which of their media art 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 and improve a media art project (like a photo, video, or drawing on a screen) until it is ready to share with others. | MA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students share a drawing, photo, or simple media project with classmates and explain what they made and why. | MA:Pr6.k |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at a piece of media art, like a photo or short video, and talk about what they notice in it.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a piece of media, like a photo or short video, and share what they think the creator was trying to say or show.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a piece of media art and say what they like, what works, and why. They practice using simple reasons to talk about what they see.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art, like a photo or short video, and talk about what they notice in it. | MA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a piece of media, like a photo or short video, and share what they think the creator was trying to say or show. | MA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art and say what they like, what works, and why. They practice using simple reasons to talk about what they see. | MA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What is media arts in kindergarten?
Media arts is the part of art class that uses tools like cameras, tablets, audio recorders, and computers to make things. Students take pictures, record short sounds, draw on a screen, or put images together to tell a small story. It looks more like play than a tech class.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to come up with a simple idea, make it using a tool like a tablet or camera, and share it with someone. They should also be able to look at what someone else made and say something they notice or like about it.
How can families support media arts at home?
Hand over a phone or tablet and let students take pictures of things they care about, record a short story, or make a quick video about a pet or a toy. Then sit with them and look at it together. Ten minutes of this once a week goes a long way.
Do students need to know how to use a computer already?
No. Most students start the year tapping, dragging, and pointing a camera, and that is plenty. The teacher will show them the rest. A little practice holding a tablet steady or pressing a record button at home helps.
How should the year be sequenced?
Start with looking and noticing, such as describing photos, sounds, and short clips. Move into making with one tool at a time, like a camera or a drawing app. Save sharing and giving feedback for the back half of the year, once students have made enough work to talk about.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Two things come back again and again: handling the device with care, and finishing a piece instead of starting a new one every minute. Short, repeated routines for picking up, using, and putting away tools save the most time later in the year.
What does a strong final project look like?
A short piece, often under a minute, where a student had an idea, made it with a tool, and can say what it is about. It does not need to look polished. It needs to be theirs, finished, and something they can talk about with a classmate.
How much screen time does this add at school?
Not much. Media arts sessions are usually short, often 10 to 20 minutes at a time, and a lot of the work happens away from the screen, such as planning a story, acting it out, or talking about what was made.
How do I know a student is ready for first grade in this subject?
A ready student can pick an idea, use a basic tool to make something about it, and share it with a partner. They can also point at a piece of media and say what they think it means or how it makes them feel.