AS 91186 annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 495 KB]

TKI Art History assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to demonstrate critical understanding of art works in relation to their physical environments.

This involves evaluating the relationships between art works and their physical environments.

This student has examined Mary-Louise Browne’s sculpture, Body to Soul. The information was gathered during a class field trip in Wellington.

Evidence of critical understanding is provided in the discussion of Body to Soul that integrates references to the features of both the art work and its physical environment (1).

The discussion explains key aspects of the work’s relationships with its environment, including the influences and purposes of the work (2).

Evaluation leads to conclusions about the impact of the work on the public and the work’s place in Wellington. These conclusions provide further evidence of critical understanding (3).

For a more secure Excellence, the student could provide more evaluative discussion about the physical relationships between the sculpture and its environmental context in the Botanic Gardens.

For Merit, the student needs to demonstrate in-depth understanding of art works in relation to their physical environment.

This involves:

• explaining the relationships between art works and their physical environments
• referring to the art works’ environmental contexts and/or purposes and/or influences

This student has examined Mary-Louise Browne’s sculpture, Body to Soul. The information was gathered during a class field trip in Wellington.

The student has provided a brief description of the physical location of the art work (1) to explain relationships between Body to Soul and its physical environment (2). 

The student has provide fluency and detail in their explanation of the purposes and influences on the artist’s work (3).

To reach Excellence, the student could evaluate the relationships between art works and their physical environments.

For Merit, the student needs to demonstrate in-depth understanding of art works in relation to their physical environments

This involves:

• explaining the relationships between art works and their physical environments
• referring to the art works’ environmental contexts and/or purposes and/or influences.

This student discusses Halamoana by Filipe Tohi and Pathfinder by Paul Hartigan, using information gathered during a class field trip in New Plymouth.

The student has explained the relationships between Halamoana and its physical environment at an intersection on the way to the shore (1). 

The explanation includes references to the purpose and influences in the work (2).

For a more secure Merit, the student could incorporate more detail into their explanations, to clarify the features of the art work and its physical location.

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of art works in relation to their physical environments.

This involves:

• demonstrating links between the art works and the environmental contexts in which they are seen
• describing the features of art works and their physical environments.

This student discusses Pathfinder by Paul Hartigan, using information gathered during a class field trip in New Plymouth.

The student makes strong links between the art work and the environmental contexts in which it is seen (1).   

Sound understanding is also apparent in the detailed descriptions of features of Pathfinder (2) and the physical environment outside the Govett Brewster Gallery (3).

To reach Merit, the student could incorporate their ideas about the purposes and influences in the art work (4) to explain the relationships between Pathfinder, and its location outside the Govett Brewster Gallery.

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of art works in relation to their physical environments.

This involves:

• demonstrating links between the art works and the environmental contexts in which they are seen
• describing the features of art works and their physical environments.

This student has written about Anton Parsons’ Invisible City, a sculpture in Central Wellington.

The student has linked the art work to the city (1), by describing features of the art work (2) and by describing features of the physical environment of the art work (3).

For a more secure Achieved, the student could provide more detail in their description of the art work, its location, and the links between them.

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of art works in relation to their physical environments.

This involves:

• demonstrating links between the art works and the environmental contexts in which they are seen
• describing the features of art works and their physical environments.

This response is about the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

This student begins to demonstrate understanding by identifying the site of the museum (1) and by describing some features of the building (2). There is a brief comment about the physical environment (3).

To reach Achieved, the student could provide more information about the links between the building and its environmental context, for example with a description of the building’s isolated position at the top of the hill where it can be seen from many parts of Auckland city.