V.T201

My Cool Place—Using Architectural Design to Express Your Personality

The way people design the space around them reflects their identities. In this task, students will create an architectural design that expresses and celebrates an aspect of their personalities.

First, students will use a bank of personality-trait descriptor words to assign meaning to architectural design examples. Then students will choose words to describe their own personalities. Through drawing and painting with watercolors, students will create architectural designs that show a selected aspect of their personalities. Finally, students will reflect on their choices. This item could be modified and students could create a shoe design that expresses an aspect of their personalities with personality-trait descriptors that are concrete and career-oriented.

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


These are analytic rubrics. 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–COOL PLACE DESIGN

  • Dimension
  • Architectural Place Design

  • Watercolor Painting

  • Selection of Personality Traits

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • The student did not draw anything or drew something other than a place. It is not clear that the drawing relates to an architectural design.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student drew a place that does not relate to the chosen personality traits. It isn’t clear if the drawing is finished.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student drew a place (interior or exterior) first in pencil and then went over pencil lines with black permanent marker. The student combined at least 2 ideas, symbols, and/or experiences that express the chosen personality traits.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student drew a place (interior or exterior) first in pencil and then went over pencil lines with black permanent marker. The student combined 3 or more ideas, symbols, and/or experiences that express the chosen personality traits.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student did not apply watercolor paint or did not complete the painting.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student selected colors that do not relate to his/her chosen personality traits and applied them in watercolor paint. It isn’t clear if the painting is finished.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student selected colors that somewhat express a chosen personality traits and applied them in watercolor paint. The design is complete.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student selected colors that clearly help express the chosen personality traits and applied them in watercolor paint. The design is complete.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student did not select any words or the words are illegible.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student wrote one or two unrelated words on the back of their painting.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student selected one or two descriptor words that aren’t necessarily personality traits and wrote them on the back of his or her painting. The words somewhat visually relate to the student’s painting.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student selected two personality traits and wrote them on the back of his or her painting. The personality traits chosen clearly guided the student’s design choices.

    N/A at this time.

TEACHER SCORING RUBRIC–REFLECTION

  • Dimension
  • Chosen Personality Traits

  • Explanation in Examples

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • The student did not write a word, or words are illegible.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student did write a word or description. The student’s idea is not communicated.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student selected a descriptor that does not readily translate into a personality trait.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student selected and wrote one or two descriptive personality traits.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student did not provide examples.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student’s example or examples did not clearly explain his or her design choices.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student clearly explained how his or her design choices reflected or showed the chosen personality traits with one or two examples. The explanation describes how lines, colors, shapes, and objects somewhat relate to the student’s intended meaning.

    N/A at this time.
  • The student clearly explains how his/her design choices reflect or show the student’s personality trait(s) with two separate examples. The explanation successfully describes how lines, colors, shapes, and objects somewhat relate to the student’s intended meaning.

    N/A at this time.
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