This is the year students start treating media like photos, videos, and sounds as something they make on purpose, not just play with. Students come up with ideas, try them out on a camera or tablet, and then go back to fix what isn't working. They also learn to talk about why a piece feels happy, scary, or silly. By spring, students can plan a short video or slideshow, share it with the class, and explain what they wanted people to feel.
Students start the year by coming up with their own ideas for short videos, photos, drawings on a tablet, or sound recordings. They pull from things they know, like family stories, favorite books, and what they see around them.
Students plan a simple media project and put the pieces together, such as a slideshow, a stop-motion clip, or a recorded story. They learn that a first try is a draft and that small changes can make it better.
Students watch, listen to, and talk about short pieces of media made by classmates and by others. They notice choices like music, color, and pacing, and start to say what the maker might have meant.
Students polish a project and present it to classmates or family. They practice picking the best version to show, explain why they made certain choices, and give kind, useful comments on each other's work.
Students think about how their projects link to their own lives and to the wider world, including stories from different places and times. They begin to see media as a way to share what matters to them.
Students connect something from their own life to a media arts project, using a personal memory or experience as the starting point for what they create.
Students look at a piece of media art, such as a photo or short video, and talk about where it came from, who made it, and what was happening in the world at that time.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life to a media arts project, using a personal memory or experience as the starting point for what they create. | MA:Cn10.2 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a piece of media art, such as a photo or short video, and talk about where it came from, who made it, and what was happening in the world at that time. | MA:Cn11.2 |
Students come up with original ideas for a media project, like a short video, a drawing made on a computer, or a photo, before they start making it.
Students pick the best images, sounds, or movements for a media project and arrange them so the piece makes sense from start to finish.
Students revisit a media project, make changes to improve it, and decide when the work is ready to share.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with original ideas for a media project, like a short video, a drawing made on a computer, or a photo, before they start making it. | MA:Cr1.2 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick the best images, sounds, or movements for a media project and arrange them so the piece makes sense from start to finish. | MA:Cr2.2 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a media project, make changes to improve it, and decide when the work is ready to share. | MA:Cr3.2 |
Students choose a piece of their own media work to share and explain why they picked it over others.
Students practice and improve a media arts project (like a photo, video, or digital artwork) until it's ready to share with an audience.
Students choose how to share a piece of media work and explain what they want it to mean to the audience.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a piece of their own media work to share and explain why they picked it over others. | MA:Pr4.2 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice and improve a media arts project (like a photo, video, or digital artwork) until it's ready to share with an audience. | MA:Pr5.2 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students choose how to share a piece of media work and explain what they want it to mean to the audience. | MA:Pr6.2 |
Students look closely at a media artwork, such as a photo, video, or digital image, and describe what they notice about how it was made and what it shows.
Students look at a piece of media art, such as a photo, animation, or video, and explain what they think the creator was trying to say or show.
Students look at a piece of media art and explain what makes it work well or fall short, using simple criteria like clarity, color, or how the message comes across.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look closely at a media artwork, such as a photo, video, or digital image, and describe what they notice about how it was made and what it shows. | MA:Re7.2 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art, such as a photo, animation, or video, and explain what they think the creator was trying to say or show. | MA:Re8.2 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a piece of media art and explain what makes it work well or fall short, using simple criteria like clarity, color, or how the message comes across. | MA:Re9.2 |
Media arts means making things like short videos, photos, simple animations, drawings on a tablet, audio recordings, and slideshows. Students learn that these count as art too, and that someone made choices to put them together.
Let students use a phone or tablet to take photos, record a short story, or make a quick stop-motion with toys. Ask what they wanted the viewer to feel or notice. Five minutes of talking about their choices does more than buying any app.
No. A basic phone camera, free drawing apps, and a voice recorder are plenty. The point is making choices and telling a story, not the gear.
Expect short pieces: a 30-second video, a few photos with captions, a small comic, or a recorded retelling of a story. Projects should have a clear beginning and end and show that students picked what to keep and what to cut.
Start with generating ideas and simple capture, like photos and short recordings. Move into organizing those pieces into a sequence, then into revising and presenting. Save reflection and critique routines for after students have made a few pieces of their own.
Refining work tends to be the hardest. Students want to call the first take done. Build short revision routines where students watch their own piece, name one thing to change, and try again before sharing.
Give them two questions: what do you notice, and what do you think the maker wanted you to feel? Use short clips, picture books, ads, or classmates' work. Keep responses to a sentence or two so every student gets a turn.
Ask what they want a viewer to know or feel by the end. Then ask what one small change would get them closer. Avoid taking over the device, even when it would be faster.
By spring, students should be able to plan a small media project, make it, change at least one thing based on feedback, and share it with a reason. They should also be able to say something specific about another person's work beyond liking it.