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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year students start treating media projects like real productions, not just one-off assignments. Students plan a video, podcast, or digital piece by sketching ideas, drafting a storyboard, and revising before it goes out. They also learn to talk about media with more care, asking what the maker intended and whether it worked. By spring, students can take a project from rough idea to finished piece and explain the choices behind it.

  • Planning a project
  • Storyboarding
  • Video and audio
  • Editing and revising
  • Sharing finished work
  • Critiquing media
Source: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Core 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

    Getting ideas on screen

    Students start the year by turning their own experiences and interests into ideas for short videos, podcasts, animations, or digital images. They sketch plans and try out tools before committing to a full project.

  2. 2

    Building and shaping projects

    Students organize their ideas into real media work. They record, edit, layer sound and images, and rework drafts based on what is and is not coming through to a viewer.

  3. 3

    Looking at media with a sharper eye

    Students study finished work from other artists, advertisers, and creators. They notice the choices behind a clip or image, talk about what it means, and use simple criteria to judge how well it works.

  4. 4

    Polishing and presenting work

    Students pick their strongest pieces, sharpen the technical details, and prepare them for an audience. They also think about how setting and context shape the message a viewer walks away with.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.
Connecting

  • Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

    MA:Cn10.6

    Students connect something they already know or have lived through to a media arts project, using that personal knowledge to shape their creative choices.

  • Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

    MA:Cn11.6

    Students look at a piece of media art and connect it to the time, place, or culture it came from. That context helps explain the choices the artist made and what the work meant to its audience.

Creating

  • Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

    MA:Cr1.6

    Students brainstorm ideas for a media project, like a short video, a photo series, or a digital image, and begin shaping those ideas into a plan they can actually make.

  • Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

    MA:Cr2.6

    Students take a media arts idea (a short film, a photo series, a poster) and plan it out before making it, deciding what to keep, cut, or change so the final piece says what they meant it to say.

  • Refine and complete artistic work

    MA:Cr3.6

    Students review their media art project, make edits based on feedback or their own judgment, and bring the work to a finished state.

Performing/Presenting/Producing

  • Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

    MA:Pr4.6

    Students choose which media projects to share and explain why each piece best shows their creative intent.

  • Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

    MA:Pr5.6

    Students practice and improve their media art projects before sharing them with an audience. That might mean editing a video, adjusting audio, or reworking a design until it's ready to present.

  • Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

    MA:Pr6.6

    Students present a media project to an audience with a clear purpose in mind, making choices about how the piece looks, sounds, or moves so the viewer walks away with a specific feeling or idea.

Responding

  • Perceive and analyze artistic work

    MA:Re7.6

    Students look closely at a media piece, such as a short film or digital image, and explain what choices the creator made and why those choices matter.

  • Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

    MA:Re8.6

    Students explain what a media artwork is trying to say and why the creator made the choices they did, from the images and sounds chosen to the way the piece is put together.

  • Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

    MA:Re9.6

    Students judge a piece of media art by applying a clear set of criteria, explaining what works, what doesn't, and why. It's the difference between "I like it" and "here's what makes it effective."

Common Questions
  • What is media arts in sixth grade?

    Students make things like short videos, podcasts, animations, digital images, and simple games. They learn to plan a project, build it on a computer or phone, and share it with an audience. The focus is on telling a story or sending a message, not just using the tools.

  • How can I help with media projects at home?

    Ask students to explain what they are making and who it is for. Watch or listen to the finished piece and ask one specific question, like why they chose that music or that opening shot. Five minutes of real attention helps more than tips about the software.

  • Does my child need fancy equipment or software?

    No. A phone camera, free editing apps, and a quiet corner are enough for most projects at this age. Schools usually provide what students need, and the thinking behind a project matters more than the gear used to make it.

  • How should I sequence projects across the year?

    Start with short, single-tool projects so students get comfortable planning, drafting, and revising. Move to projects that combine media, such as image plus sound or video plus text. End with a longer project where students pick the form that fits their idea.

  • What does mastery look like by the end of sixth grade?

    Students can take an idea from a rough sketch or storyboard to a finished piece, make changes based on feedback, and explain the choices they made. They can also look at someone else's work and say what is working and what is not, using clear reasons.

  • Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Planning before producing is the big one. Many students want to jump straight to filming or editing, so storyboarding, scripting, and setting a goal for the piece often need a second pass. Giving useful feedback to classmates also takes practice.

  • How do I help if my child gets stuck on a project?

    Ask what the piece is supposed to do for the viewer or listener. Then ask which part is closest to working and which part feels off. Naming the problem out loud usually points to the next small step, without anyone needing to know the software.

  • How is media arts connected to other subjects?

    Students pull from reading, writing, history, and their own lives to decide what a project is about. A short documentary might grow out of a social studies unit, and a podcast might start from a book. The media work gives them a real reason to research and revise.