Exploring tools and ideas
Students try out cameras, tablets, microphones, and other simple tools to see what they can make. They start noticing how a picture, sound, or short video can tell something about them.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students discover that pictures, sounds, and videos are things they can make, not just watch. Students play with cameras, drawing apps, and recorded sounds to share an idea or a story from their own life. They talk about what they notice in a photo or short video and what it makes them feel. By spring, they can create a simple media piece, like a photo or recorded sound, and tell someone what it means.
- Making media
- Telling stories
- Using cameras
- Talking about art
- Sharing ideas
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 simple media projects
Students put their ideas together into small projects like a photo, a recorded song, or a short clip. They make choices about what to include and what to leave out.
- 3
Polishing and sharing work
Students go back to a project and make it better before showing it to others. They practice presenting their work to family or classmates and talking about what it means.
- 4
Looking at and talking about media
Students notice details in pictures, songs, and videos made by other people. They share what they like, what they think it means, and how it connects to their own lives.
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 connect something from their own life, like a pet, a trip, or a feeling, to make a piece of media art. Personal experience is the starting point for what they create.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at pictures, songs, and stories made by people from different places and talk about what those people's lives were like.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life, like a pet, a trip, or a feeling, to make a piece of media art. Personal experience is the starting point for what they create. | MA:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at pictures, songs, and stories made by people from different places and talk about what those people's lives were like. | MA:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students explore their own ideas and make choices about what to create, whether through drawing, movement, sound, or play.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick colors, shapes, and materials to make something they imagined. This is early practice in turning an idea into actual art.
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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 their own ideas and make choices about what to create, whether through drawing, movement, sound, or play. | MA:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick colors, shapes, and materials to make something they imagined. This is early practice in turning an idea into actual art. | 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 of their media art projects (a drawing, a photo, a short video) to share with others and start to explain why they chose it.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a media art project (like a photo or drawing on a screen) more than once to make it better before sharing it with others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students share a drawing, a song, or a short performance and show what they were thinking or feeling when they made it.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick which of their media art projects (a drawing, a photo, a short video) to share with others and start to explain why they chose it. | MA:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a media art project (like a photo or drawing on a screen) more than once to make it better before sharing it with others. | MA:Pr5.pk |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students share a drawing, a song, or a short performance and show what they were thinking or feeling when they made it. | MA:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at images, videos, or sounds made by people and talk about what they notice. This is the beginning of learning to pay attention to art and explain what they see or hear.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a drawing, song, or short video and say 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 drawing or song and say what they like and why. They start learning that opinions about art can be backed up with a reason.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at images, videos, or sounds made by people and talk about what they notice. This is the beginning of learning to pay attention to art and explain what they see or hear. | MA:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a drawing, song, or short video and say what they think it means or how it makes them feel. | MA:Re8.pk |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a drawing or song and say what they like and why. They start learning that opinions about art can be backed up with a reason. | MA:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What is media arts at this age?
Media arts means making and sharing things with cameras, microphones, simple drawing apps, photos, and short videos. At this age, it looks like playful exploration. Students might take pictures of a block tower, record themselves telling a story, or arrange pictures on a tablet.
How can families support media arts at home?
Hand over a phone or tablet for a few minutes and let students take photos of things they care about, like a pet or a drawing. Ask them to tell the story behind the pictures. That simple back and forth builds the same skills practiced at school.
Does a child need a lot of screen time to learn this?
No. Short bursts of five to ten minutes are plenty. The goal is for students to make something on purpose and talk about it, not to sit and watch. A single photo or a ten-second video is enough to start a great conversation.
What should media arts look like across the year?
Start with exploring tools, like pressing record, snapping a photo, or tapping a drawing app. Move into making small projects tied to themes from class, such as family, weather, or favorite books. By spring, students should be able to share a finished piece and say a sentence about it.
How do students share their work at this age?
Sharing can be as simple as showing a photo on the rug, playing a recorded voice clip, or projecting a class slideshow. The point is that students pick a piece they like and say something about it. That builds confidence and early presentation skills.
What skills usually need the most practice?
Holding the device steady, choosing what to point the camera at, and stopping the recording when finished. Talking about choices is also tricky. Build in short routines where students answer one question about their work, such as why they picked that picture.
How do students respond to media made by others?
Students look at a photo, short video, or piece of art and say what they notice and how it makes them feel. At home, watch a short clip together and ask what they liked and why. Two or three sentences is plenty.
How do I know a student is ready for kindergarten media arts?
Students can use a simple tool to make something on purpose, share it with the class, and say a sentence about what it is or why they made it. They can also notice details in someone else's work and respond with a thought or feeling.