Exploring tools and ideas
Students start the year getting comfortable with cameras, tablets, microphones, and drawing apps. They try out buttons, take pictures, and record sounds to see what each tool can do.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start playing with cameras, tablets, and sound to tell little stories of their own. They take pictures, record their voices, and arrange pictures or clips to share something they care about. Students also look at videos and photos made by others and say what they notice. By spring, they can record a short story or slideshow about themselves and explain what it means.
- Taking photos
- Recording sounds
- Telling a story
- Using a tablet
- Sharing creations
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 turn their ideas into small projects like photo collages, short recordings, or stop-motion clips. They learn that a project takes a few steps from start to finish.
- 3
Sharing work with others
Students pick favorite projects to show classmates and family. They practice pressing play, holding up a picture, or telling a short story about what they made and why.
- 4
Looking at and talking about media
Students watch short videos, listen to songs, and look at pictures together. They say what they notice, what they like, and what the maker might have been trying to show.
- 5
Connecting art to their world
Students make media that reflects their families, home languages, and favorite places. They start to see that pictures, sounds, and stories come from real people with real 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 draw on what they know and what they've lived through to make art. A drawing of a pet, a memory of a birthday, or a feeling about home can all become part of the work.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students connect art they make or see to their own life, family, and community. They notice how stories, images, and sounds reflect the world around them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students draw on what they know and what they've lived through to make art. A drawing of a pet, a memory of a birthday, or a feeling about home can all become part of the work. | MA:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect art they make or see to their own life, family, and community. They notice how stories, images, and sounds reflect the world around them. | MA:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with ideas for a media project, like deciding what to draw, photograph, or record before they make it.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick which colors, sounds, or materials to use and put their ideas together to make something new.
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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 come up with ideas for a media project, like deciding what to draw, photograph, or record before they make it. | MA:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick which colors, sounds, or materials to use and put their ideas together to make something new. | 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 a drawing, photo, or project they made and decide if it is ready to share with others.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a media art project 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 drawings, sounds, or movements to express an idea or feeling. What they make is meant to say something to someone else.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick a drawing, photo, or project they made and decide if it is ready to share with others. | MA:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a media art project 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 drawings, sounds, or movements to express an idea or feeling. What they make is meant to say something to someone else. | MA:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at and talk about images, videos, and sounds made by people. They share what they notice and what the work makes them think or feel.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a painting, a photo, or a short video and say what they think it shows or how it makes them feel. There are no wrong answers, just practice noticing and talking about what they see.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a piece of artwork and say what they like about it and why. They start learning to have reasons for their opinions.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at and talk about images, videos, and sounds made by people. They share what they notice and what the work makes them think or feel. | MA:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a painting, a photo, or a short video and say what they think it shows or how it makes them feel. There are no wrong answers, just practice noticing and talking about what they see. | MA:Re8.pk |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a piece of artwork and say what they like about it and why. They start learning to have reasons for their opinions. | MA:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What is media arts at this age?
Media arts means making things with cameras, tablets, audio recorders, and simple drawing or photo apps. At this age, students explore by taking pictures, recording their voices, making short videos, and combining drawings with sound. The focus is on play and trying ideas, not on finished projects.
How can families support media arts at home?
Hand a phone or tablet to a student and ask them to take pictures of things that show their day. Record a short story they tell out loud. Look at what they made together and ask what they like best about it.
Do students need fancy equipment or apps?
No. A phone camera, a voice memo app, and paper are enough. The goal is for students to notice that pictures, sound, and drawings can carry a message, not to learn any specific tool.
How much screen time does this involve?
Very little. Most activities are short, often five to ten minutes, and many happen away from the screen. Students might act out a scene, draw a storyboard on paper, or collect small objects before anything is recorded.
What does a year of media arts look like in the classroom?
Early on, students explore one tool at a time, such as a camera or a recorder. By winter, they start combining pieces, like adding a drawing to a recorded story. By spring, they share short pieces with classmates and talk about what they noticed in each other's work.
Which skills usually need the most practice?
Holding a camera steady, speaking clearly into a recorder, and finishing a piece instead of starting a new one all take repeated practice. Build in short, low-pressure chances to redo a recording or retake a picture so students see that revision is part of the work.
How does media arts connect to what students already know?
Students draw on their families, pets, meals, and favorite stories when they choose what to record or photograph. Asking about a piece at home, such as why they picked that picture, helps them link personal experience to the choices they made.
How do I know a student is ready for next year?
By the end of the year, a student can pick a tool, make something simple with it, share it with someone, and say a sentence about what it means. They can also say one thing they like about a classmate's piece. That is the bar.