V.T435

Curate a Design Exhibit

Students will “[c]urate a collection of objects, artifacts, or artwork to impact the viewer’s understanding of social, cultural, and/or political experiences” (National Core Arts Standard, HS Advanced: VA:Pr4.1.IIIa–Critique, justify, and present choices in the process of analyzing, selecting, curating, and presenting artwork for a specific exhibit).

Students will do this by developing a presentation board of a curator’s proposal for a design exhibit. They will research their choice of shoes or hats, develop selection criteria, find images, and create a visual display in the form of a posterboard with images and a written proposal. Hats and shoes are widely defined to fit any interests and hats could be tribal regalia, sports team designs, or helmets. Shoes could be skates or snowshoes–any footgear or headgear is valid. This assessment can connect to students’ interests in sports, fashion, music, science, dance, politics, or the cultures that are represented by these artifacts.

Students will develop a set of selection criteria based on three categories—design elements, function, and social significance or importance—in order to create an exhibition of the history or significance of selected designs. Images will be arranged in sets on a poster board that displays clearly-unified logical criteria for selections.

This item has not been field-tested by Michigan teachers.

Teacher Booklet

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Student Booklet

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This is an analytic rubric. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

Teacher Scoring Rubric

  • Dimension

  • Selection criteria

    Social significance or importance

  • Form

    Design elements: color, form, shape, pattern, texture, and creativity

  • Intended Use

    Function, fashion, or historic

  • Presentation

    Display board neatly arranged, all information present, and space well designed

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

  • Criteria are minimal. Most selections appear random or may be based on a lack of careful research, selection, or clarity of criteria; little unity is evident.

    N/A at this time.

  • Criteria are overly general. Many selections appear random; category may seem overly broad, lack unity, or is without clear social significance.

    N/A at this time.

  • Criteria are evident but not entirely clear and unified in all selections; a few don’t fit, or selection criteria are evident but somewhat broad or vague.

    N/A at this time.

  • Criteria are clear; fully unified selections are based on historical, social, or other significance of design.

    N/A at this time.

  • Minimal unity of design elements evident. The selection and/or arrangements look mostly random.

    N/A at this time.

  • Selection and/or arrangements are partly based on a unified continuum or progression of visual design elements.

    N/A at this time.

  • Selection and/or arrangements are clearly based on a mostly unified continuum or progression of visual design elements.

    N/A at this time.

  • Selection and/or arrangements are clearly based on a fully unified continuum or progression of visual design elements.

    N/A at this time.

  • Awareness of intended use is minimal in the selection and arrangements; presentation is random.

    N/A at this time.

  • Awareness of intended use is somewhat evident in the selection and arrangements to create a unified collection.

    N/A at this time.

  • Awareness of intended use is frequently evident in the selection and arrangements to create a unified collection.

    N/A at this time.

  • Awareness of intended use is fully evident in the selection and arrangements to create a unified collection.

    N/A at this time.

  • Display includes title, curator name, and 6 or fewer design examples. Descriptions for some or all images and board layout are somewhat arbitrary. Text may be hard to locate to relate to specific images. Use of space is less than ideal.

    N/A at this time.

  • Display includes title, curator name, and 6 or 7 design examples. All descriptions are present and clearly located. Board is well designed with a creative and attractive layout. Use of space is mostly good.

    N/A at this time.

  • Display includes title, curator name, and 8 or 9 design examples. All descriptions are present and clearly located. Layout is mostly effective in conveying all information. Use of space is good.

    N/A at this time.

  • Display includes title, curator name, and 10 to 12 design examples. All descriptions are present and clearly located. Layout is effective in conveying all information. Use of space is excellent.

    N/A at this time.
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