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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year students start making short videos, slideshows, and sound recordings with a real idea behind them. Students plan a project, try out tools like a camera or simple editing app, and pick which version to share. They also talk about what they see in other kids' work and what they like about their own. By spring, students can put together a short media piece that tells a clear story.

  • Making videos
  • Telling a story
  • Using simple tools
  • Sharing work
  • Talking about media
Source: Illinois Illinois Learning Standards
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. 1

    Sparking ideas for media projects

    Students come up with ideas for short videos, drawings on a tablet, simple animations, or sound pieces. They pull from things they care about at home and at school.

  2. 2

    Building and organizing the work

    Students start making the project. They put pictures, sounds, and words in an order that makes sense and try out tools like a camera, a tablet, or a recorder.

  3. 3

    Polishing and presenting

    Students go back through their work and clean it up before sharing. They pick the best version, add finishing touches, and think about what they want the audience to feel or learn.

  4. 4

    Looking at media with a closer eye

    Students watch and listen to media made by others and by classmates. They talk about what the maker was trying to say and what worked well, using simple criteria the class agrees on.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 2.
Connecting

  • Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

    MA:Cn10.2

    Students connect something from their own life to a media arts project, using a personal memory, feeling, or observation as the starting point for what they make.

  • Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

    MA:Cn11.2

    Students look at a photo, video, or other media artwork and think about when and where it was made. They explain what it tells them about the people or place behind it.

Creating

  • Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

    MA:Cr1.2

    Students brainstorm ideas for a media project, like a short video, a digital drawing, or a photo story, before they start making it.

  • Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

    MA:Cr2.2

    Students arrange images, sounds, or simple animations into a sequence that tells a clear story or shares an idea. They make choices about what to include and what to leave out.

  • Refine and complete artistic work

    MA:Cr3.2

    Students revisit a media project, make changes to improve it, and finish it to share with others.

Performing/Presenting/Producing

  • Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

    MA:Pr4.2

    Students choose which of their media projects to share and explain why they picked it. They practice looking at their own work and deciding what's worth showing to others.

  • Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

    MA:Pr5.2

    Students practice and improve a media project (a short video, photo story, or digital image) until it's ready to share with an audience.

  • Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

    MA:Pr6.2

    Students choose how to share a piece of media work, like a drawing, photo, or short video, so the viewer understands the idea behind it.

Responding

  • Perceive and analyze artistic work

    MA:Re7.2

    Students look closely at a media artwork, such as a photo, video, or animation, and describe what they notice about how it was made and what it makes them think or feel.

  • Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

    MA:Re8.2

    Students describe what a photo, video, or artwork is trying to say and explain why the creator may have made it that way.

  • Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

    MA:Re9.2

    Students look at a piece of media art and decide if it works. They explain what they liked, what could be stronger, and why, using simple criteria like clarity, color, or message.

Common Questions
  • What is media arts in second grade?

    Media arts is making things with cameras, computers, drawings, and sound. Students might make a short video, a slideshow, a digital drawing, or a simple animation. It is about telling a story or sharing an idea using pictures, sounds, and words together.

  • How can I support media arts at home?

    Let students take photos or short videos of things they care about, then ask them to explain why they chose each shot. Drawing a comic, recording a voice memo of a story, or making a slideshow about a pet all count. Five minutes of talking about their choices matters more than fancy tools.

  • Do students need a tablet or special software?

    No. A phone camera, paper, crayons, and a free slideshow tool are plenty. Students at this age care more about the story and the pictures than the program.

  • How should the year be sequenced?

    Start with looking and noticing. Talk about pictures and short videos and what makes them interesting. Then move into making simple pieces, one element at a time: a photo, a drawing, a sound, a short sequence. End the year with small projects that combine two or three of those elements around a single idea.

  • What does mastery look like by the end of the year?

    Students can come up with an idea, make a short piece using pictures or sound, and explain what they were trying to show. They can also look at someone else's work and say one thing they liked and one thing they would change.

  • Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Planning before making is the hardest part. Students want to jump straight to recording or drawing. Short sketches or storyboards on paper, even just three boxes, help them slow down and think about what comes first, next, and last.

  • How do students learn to talk about their work?

    Give them two or three simple questions every time: What was your idea? What did you change while making it? What do you want people to notice? Repeating the same questions builds the habit of reflecting without making it feel like a test.

  • How does media arts connect to other subjects?

    A short video about a science experiment, a slideshow about a family tradition, or a drawing that retells a story all pull in reading, writing, and content from other lessons. Ask students to share what they made and what they learned at the same time.

  • What should students be ready for next year?

    Students should be comfortable making a short piece from start to finish, sharing it with others, and giving kind feedback to a classmate. They should also know that art has a purpose and an audience, not just a finished look.