Getting started with media
Students explore how photos, videos, sound, and animations send a message. They start gathering ideas from their own lives and from the world around them to plan small projects.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start treating media projects like real stories with a point. Students plan a short video, animation, or audio piece, then revise it based on what works. They also watch other people's media and say what the maker was trying to do. By spring, students can share a finished media project and explain the choices they made to get the message across.
- Planning a project
- Video and audio
- Revising work
- Sharing media
- Analyzing media
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
Planning and building projects
Students organize their ideas into something they can actually make, like a short video, a slideshow, or a drawing on a tablet. They learn to sketch a plan before they start building.
- 3
Editing and polishing the work
Students go back into their projects to fix what is not working. They trim a clip, swap an image, or rerecord a line so the final piece is clearer for the people who will see it.
- 4
Sharing and looking closely
Students present finished projects and talk about what they were trying to say. They also look at media made by others, ask what the maker meant, and use simple checklists to judge what works.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect something from their own life to a media art project, using that personal experience to shape the choices they make while creating it.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a piece of media art and figure out when it was made, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the work means.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life to a media art project, using that personal experience to shape the choices they make while creating it. | MA:Cn10.3 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a piece of media art and figure out when it was made, who made it, and why. That context helps them understand what the work means. | MA:Cn11.3 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students brainstorm and sketch out ideas for a media project before making it, deciding what story or message they want their video, photo, or digital image to share.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students plan and arrange their media art project before making it, deciding how different images, sounds, or text will work together to tell a story or share an idea.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a media project, fix what isn't working, and finish it to the best of their ability.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students brainstorm and sketch out ideas for a media project before making it, deciding what story or message they want their video, photo, or digital image to share. | MA:Cr1.3 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students plan and arrange their media art project before making it, deciding how different images, sounds, or text will work together to tell a story or share an idea. | MA:Cr2.3 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a media project, fix what isn't working, and finish it to the best of their ability. | MA:Cr3.3 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose which of their media art projects to share and explain why that piece best shows what they were trying to create.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice and improve a media art project (like a short video or photo slideshow) until it is ready to share with an audience.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students choose how to share a finished piece of media, like a photo, animation, or short video, so the audience understands the message behind it.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose which of their media art projects to share and explain why that piece best shows what they were trying to create. | MA:Pr4.3 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice and improve a media art project (like a short video or photo slideshow) until it is ready to share with an audience. | MA:Pr5.3 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students choose how to share a finished piece of media, like a photo, animation, or short video, so the audience understands the message behind it. | MA:Pr6.3 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look closely at a media artwork (a photo, video, or animation) and describe what they notice about the choices the creator made.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a piece of media art and explain what the creator was trying to say. They use what they see, hear, or read to back up their thinking.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a piece of media art and decide what makes it work well or fall flat, using a clear set of criteria like purpose, message, and visual choices.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look closely at a media artwork (a photo, video, or animation) and describe what they notice about the choices the creator made. | MA:Re7.3 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art and explain what the creator was trying to say. They use what they see, hear, or read to back up their thinking. | MA:Re8.3 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art and decide what makes it work well or fall flat, using a clear set of criteria like purpose, message, and visual choices. | MA:Re9.3 |
Common Questions
What is media arts in third grade?
Media arts is making things like short videos, slideshows, simple animations, audio recordings, and digital drawings. Third graders learn to plan an idea, put the pieces together on a device or with a camera, and share the finished piece with an audience.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
By spring, students should be able to come up with an idea, plan it out with a simple sketch or storyboard, record or build it, and clean it up before sharing. They should also be able to talk about what someone else made and say what they liked or would change.
How can families support media arts at home?
Let students use a phone or tablet to record a short video, take photos for a story, or make a quick stop-motion with toys. Ask them to plan it first on paper, then watch it together and talk about what worked.
Does a family need fancy equipment or software?
No. A phone camera, a free drawing app, or even paper and a voice recorder is plenty at this age. The point is the thinking behind the project, not the tools.
How should media arts be sequenced across the year?
Start with short, single-tool projects like a photo story or a 15-second video so students get comfortable planning before recording. Move into projects that combine images, sound, and text in the middle of the year, and finish with pieces students revise based on feedback.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Planning before recording is the big one. Third graders want to grab the camera and go, so storyboards and shot lists need real practice. Giving useful feedback to a classmate, beyond saying it was good, is the other skill that takes repeated modeling.
How do students connect projects to their own lives and the wider world?
Projects work best when the topic comes from something students care about: a family tradition, a neighborhood place, a book they love. Ask them why they chose it and what they want viewers to feel or learn.
What does a strong third-grade project look like?
A strong piece has a clear idea, a beginning and an end, and shows the student made choices about what to include and what to cut. The student should be able to explain those choices and point to one thing they fixed after a first try.
How do families help when a student gets stuck on a project?
Ask three questions: What are you trying to show? Who is going to watch it? What part is hardest right now? Most blocks at this age are about an idea being too big, so help shrink the project to one small moment.