Exploring ideas with media
Students start the year noticing how pictures, sounds, and videos can tell a story. They share ideas from their own lives and try out simple tools like cameras, drawing apps, or recorders.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students discover that pictures, sounds, and videos are things people make on purpose. Students come up with their own ideas and try out simple tools like cameras, drawings, and recorded sounds to bring those ideas to life. They share their work with classmates and start to notice what they like about what other kids made. By spring, students can plan a small project, finish it, and explain what it is about.
- Making media
- Sharing ideas
- Cameras and sound
- Talking about art
- Finishing a project
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 and shaping projects
Students plan and put together small media projects, such as a photo, a short recording, or a digital drawing. They learn to pick what goes in and try again when something does not work.
- 3
Sharing work with others
Students choose a piece they are proud of and get it ready to show classmates or family. They practice presenting and talk about what they want others to see or feel.
- 4
Looking at and talking about media
Students look closely at pictures, songs, and videos made by others. They say what they notice, guess what the maker meant, and tell what they liked and why.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
-
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect something from their own life to make a piece of media art, like turning a memory or feeling into a drawing, photo, or short video.
-
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a piece of media art and talk about where it came from. A photo, video, or drawing can tell you something about the people and places that made it.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life to make a piece of media art, like turning a memory or feeling into a drawing, photo, or short video. | MA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a piece of media art and talk about where it came from. A photo, video, or drawing can tell you something about the people and places that made it. | MA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
-
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own ideas for media art projects, like deciding what story to tell or what image to make before they start creating.
-
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick which colors, sounds, or images to use in a simple media project, then put them together into something they made on purpose.
-
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 their own ideas for media art projects, like deciding what story to tell or what image to make before they start creating. | MA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick which colors, sounds, or images to use in a simple media project, then put them together into something they made on purpose. | MA:Cr2.k |
| 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.k |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
-
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose which of their media art pieces to share with others, and explain why they picked it.
-
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a media project multiple times before sharing it, making small improvements until it is ready to show others.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students share a drawing, animation, or sound they made and explain what it means to them. The work itself tells a story or feeling.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose which of their media art pieces to share with others, and explain why they picked it. | MA:Pr4.k |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a media project multiple times before sharing it, making small improvements until it is ready to show others. | MA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students share a drawing, animation, or sound they made and explain what it means to them. The work itself tells a story or feeling. | MA:Pr6.k |
Responding
Responding
-
Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at a piece of media art, such as a photo or short video, and talk about what they notice and what they think it means.
-
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a piece of art, a photo, or a short video and say what they think the artist was trying to show or how it makes them feel.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a drawing, video, or other media work and explain what they like about it and why. They start learning to have reasons for their opinions, not just feelings.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art, such as a photo or short video, and talk about what they notice and what they think it means. | MA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a piece of art, a photo, or a short video and say what they think the artist was trying to show or how it makes them feel. | MA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a drawing, video, or other media work and explain what they like about it and why. They start learning to have reasons for their opinions, not just feelings. | MA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What is media arts in kindergarten?
Media arts means making things with cameras, tablets, sound recorders, and simple drawing apps. Students take photos, record short videos or sounds, and put pictures together to tell a small story. It is hands-on play with everyday tools, not screen time at a desk.
How can families support this at home?
Let students take photos of a walk, then talk about what they chose to capture and why. Record a short voice memo of a story they made up. Ten minutes of noticing and recording goes a long way at this age.
Do students need a tablet or fancy camera?
No. An old phone, a basic camera, or a borrowed tablet works fine. The point is choosing what to record and talking about it after, not the device.
What does a year of media arts usually look like?
Start with exploring tools: how to hold a camera, tap record, and frame a picture. Move into making short pieces with a clear idea, such as a photo of something they love or a recorded retelling of a story. End the year with small shared presentations and simple talk about what worked.
How much screen time does this involve?
Less than parents often expect. Most lessons use a device for a few minutes to capture or arrange something, then move back to talking, drawing, or acting it out. The device is a tool, not the lesson.
How do students respond to other students' work at this age?
Keep it simple. Ask what they notice, what they like, and what the maker might have been trying to show. Two or three sentences of honest noticing is plenty for a five year old.
What should mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can come up with an idea, use a basic tool to capture or build it, and share it with the class while saying what it is about. They can also point at someone else's piece and say something they notice. That is the bar.
How does this connect to other subjects?
A lot. Students can photograph shapes for math, record themselves reading a sentence, or take pictures of plants for science. Tying media arts to what the class is already studying saves planning time and makes the work stick.