Exploring tools and ideas
Students get their first chances to make art with simple media like crayons, paint, a tablet, or a camera. They try out tools, share what they notice, and start to see themselves as makers.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students first play with cameras, tablets, and recorders as tools for telling their own stories. Students take pictures, record sounds, and arrange simple images to share an idea from their own life. They look at what they made, talk about what they like, and try it again. By spring, they can use a device to capture a photo or short video and explain what it means to them.
- Photos and video
- Sounds and recording
- Storytelling
- Sharing your work
- 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
Telling stories with pictures and sound
Students start putting ideas together into small projects, like a drawing series, a short video, or a sound recording. They connect their work to things they know from home, books, and the people around them.
- 3
Shaping and finishing a piece
Students pick a project to keep working on. They add details, change what isn't working, and decide when it feels done. Parents may hear them talk about what they want their art to show.
- 4
Sharing and talking about art
Students present finished pieces to classmates and family. They talk about what they made, listen to others, and notice what they like or would change. This is when small portfolios and class shows often happen.
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 they know or have lived through to a media art project. A memory, a feeling, or a familiar object becomes the starting point for what they make.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students notice how pictures, videos, and sounds can show what life looks like for different people in different places. Connecting art to everyday life helps students make sense of the world around them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something they know or have lived through to a media art project. A memory, a feeling, or a familiar object becomes the starting point for what they make. | MA:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students notice how pictures, videos, and sounds can show what life looks like for different people in different places. Connecting art to everyday life helps students make sense of the world around them. | MA:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students explore simple ideas for making art with pictures, sounds, or movement. They try things out and see what they can create.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick how to arrange images, sounds, or materials to tell a simple story or share an idea. This is early practice in making choices about how a piece of media looks or sounds.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students finish a media arts project, like a drawing made on a screen or a photo they took, by looking it over and deciding it is done.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students explore simple ideas for making art with pictures, sounds, or movement. They try things out and see what they can create. | MA:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick how to arrange images, sounds, or materials to tell a simple story or share an idea. This is early practice in making choices about how a piece of media looks or sounds. | MA:Cr2.pk |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students finish a media arts project, like a drawing made on a screen or a photo they took, by looking it over and deciding it is 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 drawing, story, or project they want to share with the class. Choosing what to show is the first step in learning how to present their own work.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a media art project (like a drawing or photo) 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, song, or story to show what they mean or how they feel. The work itself does the talking.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick which drawing, story, or project they want to share with the class. Choosing what to show is the first step in learning how to present their own work. | MA:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a media art project (like a drawing or photo) 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, song, or story to show what they mean or how they feel. The work itself does the talking. | MA:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at photos, videos, and digital images and talk about what they notice. This is the beginning of learning to read pictures the way readers learn to read words.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a picture, 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 about it and why. They start learning to notice what makes something work well.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at photos, videos, and digital images and talk about what they notice. This is the beginning of learning to read pictures the way readers learn to read words. | MA:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a picture, 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 about it and why. They start learning to notice what makes something work well. | MA:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What is media arts at this age?
Media arts means making things with pictures, sound, and simple tools. Think snapping photos on a phone, recording a short voice message, drawing on a tablet, or making a silly video. The focus is on play and trying ideas out, not finished projects.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to share an idea using a picture, sound, or short video, and talk about what they made. They should also be able to look at someone else's picture or video and say what they notice or what it reminds them of.
How can families practice this at home?
Hand over the phone or camera for five minutes and let students take photos of things they love. Then look at the pictures together and ask what they wanted to show. Recording a short story or song on a voice memo works just as well.
Do students need a tablet or fancy app to do this?
No. A phone camera, a voice recorder, paper, crayons, and a few household objects are plenty. The goal is for students to play with ideas and tell little stories, not to learn software.
How much screen time does this involve?
Very little. Most of the work happens with hands, voices, and simple props. When a screen is used, it is for short bursts like snapping a photo or watching back a ten second video together.
How should this be sequenced across the year?
Start with looking and noticing. Move into making simple pictures and sounds with one tool at a time. By spring, students can combine two ideas, like a drawing plus a spoken sentence about it, and share the result with the class.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Talking about intent is the hardest part. Students can make something quickly but freeze when asked what it is about. Short daily routines where students name one thing they made and one thing they noticed in a classmate's work tend to help most.
How do I know a student is ready for kindergarten media arts?
Look for students who can pick a tool, make something on purpose, and say a sentence or two about it. They should also be able to point at a picture or video and share something they like or wonder about it.
How do I connect this to students' lives and cultures?
Invite students to bring in a family photo, a favorite song, or a story from home, and build small projects around those. Pair each making session with a quick share so students hear how others see the world. This is the easiest way to meet the connecting goals.