Sustained Investigation: Inquiry and Development: every key term you need (+ practice quiz)
36 flashcard terms for AP 3-D Art & Design Unit 3, written to match the course framework. Study them here, then drill them as interactive flashcards, or test yourself with the 20-question quiz — free, no account needed.
The 60 percent portfolio section: 15 digital images plus written evidence showing an in-depth inquiry pursued through practice, experimentation, and revision.
Inquiry
A driving question or set of questions that guides the investigation; strong inquiries are open-ended and generate visual problems, not one answer.
Written Evidence: Two Prompts
Students answer (1) Identify the questions that guided your investigation (up to 600 characters) and (2) Describe how it evolved through practice, experimentation, and revision (up to 600 characters).
Practice
Repeated making that builds skill and understanding; the CED expects images to show work produced over time, not one weekend.
Experimentation
Trying materials, processes, scales, or ideas whose outcomes are unknown; documented tests are valid images even if they 'failed'.
Revision
Changing a work or approach in response to what was learned; the SI should visibly show a work or idea being reconsidered.
Image Requirements (SI)
15 images may include finished works, details, and process; each needs height, width, depth, materials, processes, and citation of any referenced source.
Scoring Rows
SI is scored on three rows: Inquiry (written evidence and images), Practice/Experimentation/Revision, and Materials-Processes-Ideas plus 3-D Skills, each 1-3.
Row A: Inquiry
Do the written statement and images show an investigation guided by questions? Score 3 requires clear questions visibly explored in the work.
Row B: Practice, Experimentation, Revision
Is there evidence of sustained practice, of experimentation, AND of revision? A 3 needs all three, visible in the images and described in writing.
Row C: Materials, Processes, Ideas
Are material and process decisions synthesized with ideas so that the how supports the what? Score 3 = visual and written evidence align.
Row D: 3-D Art and Design Skills
Do images show good use of 3-D elements and principles? Ranges from rudimentary (1) through moderate (2) to good (3).
Synthesis
When materials, processes, and ideas reinforce one another so the viewer can see the reason for each choice; the hallmark of top-score SI.
Idea Generation
Brainstorming, mind maps, sketchbooks, and research that produce many possible directions before committing.
Sketchbook / Process Journal
Where drawings, notes, tests, and photographs of stages live; select images from it as process evidence.
Process Images
Photos of maquettes, tests, armatures, molds, or works in progress; they prove practice and revision that finished shots cannot.
Detail Images
Close views that show surface, joinery, or a component; help scorers see craft and material handling.
Sequencing Images
The 15 images should be ordered to tell the story of the investigation, often chronological or grouped by sub-question.
Concrete and specific: name materials, describe what changed and why; avoid vague claims like 'I explored my feelings.'
Character Limits
600 characters per prompt (about 100 words); every sentence must earn its place, so cut generalities and cite specifics.
Artist Statement vs. Written Evidence
AP writing is not a poetic statement; it is evidence that connects the images to inquiry, experimentation, and revision.
Sustained Over Time
An SI usually spans months; scorers look for development, meaning later work should differ from earlier work because of what was learned.
Depth vs. Breadth
Fifteen unrelated pieces is breadth; fifteen images tracing one line of questions is depth, and depth is what SI rewards.
Materials Documentation
Every image lists materials used, for example 'stoneware, iron oxide wash, steel wire'; missing or vague entries hurt Row C.
Processes Documentation
Every image lists processes such as 'coil built, carved at leather-hard, raku fired'; be as precise as a recipe.
Citations
Any image, artist, or source that a work references must be credited; unacknowledged copying is a plagiarism violation that voids scores.
Original Work Requirement
Work must be the student's own; using another artist's image or design without transformation and citation is prohibited.
Working from Observation vs. Imagination
Both are valid; the point is that the source of the form is transformed into the student's inquiry.
Feedback and Critique in SI
Peer and teacher critique feed revision; noting 'after critique I lowered the center of gravity' is strong written evidence.
Iteration
Producing multiple versions of an idea (series of vessels, variations of a joint); shows practice and lets revision be seen side by side.
Constraint as Generator
Limiting yourself (one material, one module, one size) often deepens inquiry more than unlimited options.
Conceptual vs. Formal Inquiry
Inquiries may be about ideas (memory, identity, ecology) or about form (how planes hold tension); either can score 3 if pursued in depth.
Risk-Taking
Attempting unfamiliar processes or scales; scorers value visible risk more than safe repetition of a known skill.
Timeline Planning
Backward-plan from the May submission deadline: leave weeks for photography, editing, and writing so late work is not rushed.
Selecting the 15
Choose images that together prove inquiry, practice, experimentation, revision, and skill; a weak but revealing process shot may beat a fifth glamour shot.
Common SI Weakness
Fifteen finished works with no process, or a written statement that describes feelings instead of visible decisions.