Pre-Assessment: Memories (Summer)

Assignment:
Create a well-designed drawing that illustrates your memories about your summer or any part of your life during the past two years. Include multiple events/scenes. 

Did you hang out with friends, visit family, work, read or relax, take care of siblings, play sports, travel, help around the house, watch movies, attend cookouts, daydream, or something else?

Combine as many moments and memories as you can. Design the page to be as visually interesting as possible and clearly illustrate your ideas. Do your best to make this a thoughtful and idea-filled artwork.

Suggestions: 
Brainstorm, write thoughtfully, come up with several events and ideas, and develop the composition by drawing a number of thumbnail sketches.

Project Length: 
One week

Size: 
Any size between 11 x 14” and 18 x 24”

Media: 
Drawing in pencil, then black ink and color (watercolor, color markers, color pencils, or a combination)

Style: 
Any

Objectives:

• Represent multiple memories/moments/events in a single, strong design
• Express/Communicate mood and meaning
• Show off your strongest art skills

First Steps:

1. Brainstorm, write thoughtfully, come up with several events and ideas, and develop the composition by drawing a number of thumbnail sketches.
2. In your sketchbook or journal, write about your summer. The more detailed content you develop, the better.

Some things to consider:

• What are your most vivid memories of that time? Go into as much detail as you can remember.
• What physical/visual details do you remember?
• Describe an emotional or dramatic moment.
• What important things happened to you during that time?
• In what way(s) have you grown or changed?
• What have you learned from that time? What have you discovered about yourself?

Grading Criteria

• Creativity
• Content - Ideas, Expression
• Design
• Technical Quality / Craftsmanship (“Finished”)
• Studio Work Habits

This is a pre-assessment to find out what you already know and art skills you already have. By observing how you approach the project, I will gain a better sense of your strengths and of how you could grow throughout the year.

As the measuring tool, I will be using this rubric:
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Rubric: Art Studio Habits of Mind
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Self-Assessment:
Answer these questions after you've completed your artwork:

1. Remember that the objective was to illustrate multiple events. What multiple memorable events did you include and how did you arrange them into a single composition?
2. How detailed and thoughtful was your written journal entry? Did you come up with more or better ideas by writing?
3. In what ways did you express feelings/mood in your work?
4. What are some of the deeper meanings you've tried to convey in your piece? How is this a thoughtful, idea-filled artwork?
5. How did you design the page? That is, why did you place the items where you did?
6. Did you draw thumbnail sketches to test out ideas and develop the composition before you began your larger image?
7. Which of your skills and strengths did you show off in this piece?
8. When did you know this was finished? How does this fit your idea of a high-quality, finished artwork?
9. What do you like best about your final piece?
10. What do you think needs further work?