V.T301

Exploring the Principles through Multiples

Students will create black-and-white pencil drawings of 15 images of the sun. Each sun must be different from all the others. The drawings will be done on a 12″ x 18″ sheet of white drawing paper. The drawings will be evaluated for creativity (unique, unexpected, unusual, and/or original solutions) and for the use of a wide and dynamic range of elements and principles of art to solve the problem.

NOTE: This activity could be modified in several ways. It could be repeated in a course at the beginning, middle, and end to assess progress in creativity. The subject could be varied, as long as it is a common object, one familiar to all students, such as a shoe, a handbag, and a clock. The number of repetitions could also be varied, or students could be instructed to come up with as many ideas as possible within a shorter time limit, with quantity counting in scoring as well as quality.

This item has been voluntarily field-tested by Michigan teachers with a non-representative sample of students.

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—CREATIVE DESIGNS

  • Dimension

  • Composition

    The successful completion of a work of art that includes 15 varied drawings of the sun

  • Craftsmanship

    The successful handling of materials to demonstrate purposeful technique and manipulation of media

  • Creativity

    The successful use of problem solving to invent new and interesting adaptations of material, style, and content to reveal something new

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

  • There is no evidence of planning through the use of the elements and principles of design to complete the composition.

    There are very limited variations in design structures.

    Fewer than five suns were included in the drawing.

    View Exemplar

  • There is some evidence of planning through the use of the elements and principles of design to complete the composition.

    More than half of the sun figures employ similar strategies of line and shape with slight variations.

    10 suns or less were included in the drawing.

    View Exemplar

  • Planning and refinement of ideas is evident through the strong use of the elements and principles of design to complete the composition.

    Fifteen or more suns were included in the drawing.

    Student uses a wide range of knowledge, including overlap, size, and shape variation.

    View Exemplar

  • Novice or beginning skills and technique are evident in the manipulation of the media selected.

    There are very limited variations in design structures.

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  • Emergent or competent skills and technique are evident in the manipulation of the media selected.

    More than half of the sun figures employ similar strategies of line and shape with slight variations.

    View Exemplars
    View Exemplars
    View Exemplars

  • Proficient skills and technique are evident in the manipulation of the media selected.

    Student uses a wide range of knowledge, including overlap, size, and shape variation.

    View Exemplar

  • Artwork created proposes clichéd or formulaic solutions that show little to no evidence of creativity.

    Layout is a basic grid structure or random placement of images.

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  • Artwork created proposes solutions that are adapted or predetermined with little evidence of creativity.

    There is little or no integration of elements to create a whole. Size variation is evident but limited. There is no cropping at edges.

    View Exemplar

  • Artwork created proposes interesting solutions that are imaginative and show profound evidence of creativity.

    View Exemplar
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