COURSE SKILLS
The AP Art and Design course framework is composed of course skills, big ideas, essential questions and enduring understandings, learning objectives, and essential knowledge statements.
Course Skills
AP Art and Design skill categories delineate overarching understandings central to the study and practice of art and design. Each of the three skill categories consists of skills that encompass foundational to advanced learning over the span of the course. Students need to develop, practice, and apply these skills in a variety of contexts.
Although skill categories and skills are presented in a sequential order, all the course skills on the following page are intended to be taught, developed, and assessed throughout the course. While some skills are not directly assessed within the portfolio exams, they are essential for supporting students’ success with the portfolio.
All 15 skills of the course framework should be taught, practiced, developed, and assessed from the beginning of the course until its conclusion. These skills are long-term learning goals addressed throughout the course as students develop knowledge and abilities specified in the learning objectives and accompanying essential knowledge statements.
Big Ideas
Big ideas structure students’ development of understanding and skills, enabling them to connect what they learn with prior knowledge and experiences. The three big ideas of AP Art and Design are:
1. Investigate materials, processes, and ideas.
2. Make art and design.
3. Present art and design.
As with the course skills, all the big ideas should be sustained throughout the course.
Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings
Essential questions are open-ended queries intended to provoke thought, inquiry, discussion, and understanding related to the big ideas. Essential questions offer opportunities for students to consider evidence, challenge assumptions, and support their ideas. Enduring understandings are long-term understandings related to the big ideas. They are responses (but not answers) to essential questions. Students develop enduring understandings over time by learning, applying, and connecting knowledge and skills throughout the year.
Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge
Learning objectives define what students need to know and do to develop enduring understandings and course skills. Students’ achievement of the course learning objectives is essential for success with the AP Portfolio Exams. Essential knowledge statements accompany each learning objective and describe the specific information students need in order to demonstrate each learning objective.
Note: While some skills are not directly assessed on the AP Portfolio Exams, they are essential for supporting students’ success.
Course Skills
AP Art and Design skill categories delineate overarching understandings central to the study and practice of art and design. Each of the three skill categories consists of skills that encompass foundational to advanced learning over the span of the course. Students need to develop, practice, and apply these skills in a variety of contexts.
Although skill categories and skills are presented in a sequential order, all the course skills on the following page are intended to be taught, developed, and assessed throughout the course. While some skills are not directly assessed within the portfolio exams, they are essential for supporting students’ success with the portfolio.
All 15 skills of the course framework should be taught, practiced, developed, and assessed from the beginning of the course until its conclusion. These skills are long-term learning goals addressed throughout the course as students develop knowledge and abilities specified in the learning objectives and accompanying essential knowledge statements.
Big Ideas
Big ideas structure students’ development of understanding and skills, enabling them to connect what they learn with prior knowledge and experiences. The three big ideas of AP Art and Design are:
1. Investigate materials, processes, and ideas.
2. Make art and design.
3. Present art and design.
As with the course skills, all the big ideas should be sustained throughout the course.
Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings
Essential questions are open-ended queries intended to provoke thought, inquiry, discussion, and understanding related to the big ideas. Essential questions offer opportunities for students to consider evidence, challenge assumptions, and support their ideas. Enduring understandings are long-term understandings related to the big ideas. They are responses (but not answers) to essential questions. Students develop enduring understandings over time by learning, applying, and connecting knowledge and skills throughout the year.
Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge
Learning objectives define what students need to know and do to develop enduring understandings and course skills. Students’ achievement of the course learning objectives is essential for success with the AP Portfolio Exams. Essential knowledge statements accompany each learning objective and describe the specific information students need in order to demonstrate each learning objective.
Note: While some skills are not directly assessed on the AP Portfolio Exams, they are essential for supporting students’ success.
