Exploring tools and ideas
Students try out cameras, tablets, drawing apps, and recording tools. They share ideas from their own lives, like a favorite pet or family trip, and start turning those ideas into pictures and sounds.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students start making simple media projects like photos, drawings on a tablet, short videos, or sound recordings. Students come up with an idea, try it out with help, and share the finished piece with the class. They also talk about what they see and hear in their own work and in things others have made. By spring, they can take a picture or record a short clip on purpose and tell you what it is about.
- Making media
- Sharing ideas
- Using tools
- Talking about art
- Personal stories
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 short media pieces
Students put their ideas together into small projects like a photo, a short video, or a sound clip. They learn to plan a little before they start and to keep going until the piece feels finished.
- 3
Sharing work with others
Students pick which pieces to show and practice presenting them to the class or family. They learn small ways to polish a project so the message comes across clearly to the people watching or listening.
- 4
Looking at and talking about media
Students watch and listen to media made by classmates and others, then talk about what they notice and what the maker might have meant. They begin to say what makes a piece work well and what could be stronger.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect something from their own life, like a memory or a favorite thing, to a media art project they create.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a picture, video, or artwork and talk about where it came from or what was happening in the world when it was made.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life, like a memory or a favorite thing, to a media art project they create. | MA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a picture, video, or artwork and talk about where it came from or what was happening in the world when it was made. | MA:Cn11.k |
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 a short video or drawing on a screen could show. This is the starting point before any making happens.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick a simple idea, like a color, a sound, or a shape, and use it to make something. The goal is to plan a little before creating.
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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 a short video or drawing on a screen could show. This is the starting point before any making happens. | MA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick a simple idea, like a color, a sound, or a shape, and use it to make something. The goal is to plan a little before creating. | 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
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students pick which of their media projects to share with others and explain why they chose it.
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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 their media artwork with others and explain, in simple terms, what they made and why.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick which of their media projects to share with others and explain why they chose it. | MA:Pr4.k |
| 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.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students share their media artwork with others and explain, in simple terms, what they made and why. | MA:Pr6.k |
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. They practice paying attention to what they see and hear before deciding what they think.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a photo, video, or drawing and say what they think the artist was trying to show or how it makes them feel.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a piece of media, like a drawing or short video, and say what they like about it and why. They start to notice what makes something look or feel the way it does.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at photos, videos, and digital images and talk about what they notice. They practice paying attention to what they see and hear before deciding what they think. | MA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a photo, video, or drawing 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 piece of media, like a drawing or short video, and say what they like about it and why. They start to notice what makes something look or feel the way it does. | MA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What is media arts in kindergarten?
Media arts means making things with cameras, tablets, computers, sound recorders, and simple drawing tools. Students take pictures, record short videos, make digital drawings, and tell stories with images and sound. It is hands-on play with the kinds of tools families already use at home.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should be able to come up with an idea, use a simple tool like a camera or drawing app to make it, and share it with the class. They should also be able to talk about what they made, what they liked, and what they would change next time.
How can parents support media arts at home?
Hand over a phone or tablet for short, focused tasks. Ask students to take five pictures of round things in the kitchen, record a 20 second story about a stuffed animal, or draw a picture in a free art app. Then sit together and talk about what they made.
Do students need fancy devices or software?
No. A basic phone camera, a free drawing app, and paper for storyboards are plenty. The skills at this age are about noticing, choosing, and explaining, not about learning specific software.
How should media arts be sequenced across the year?
Start with looking and noticing. Ask students what they see in pictures, short clips, and picture books. Move into making with one tool at a time, such as a camera, then a drawing app, then simple sound. End the year with small projects that combine two tools and a short share-out.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Talking about choices is the hardest part. Students can press the button, but explaining why they picked that picture, that color, or that sound takes practice. Build in short sharing routines after every making activity, even if the answer is one sentence.
What does it mean to connect art to personal experience at this age?
It means students draw or photograph things from their own life, such as family, pets, food, or a favorite place. The goal is for students to see that their own world is worth making art about, not to produce a polished piece.
How do students learn to evaluate artistic work in kindergarten?
They use simple criteria like clear or fuzzy, loud or quiet, happy or sad. Show two versions of the same picture or clip and ask which one tells the story better and why. Over time, students start using these same questions on their own work.
How do parents know students are ready for first grade in this subject?
Students can take a picture or make a drawing on purpose, say what it is about, and point to one thing they would change. They can also sit with a short video or picture and answer questions about what they notice. That is the foundation first grade builds on.