AS 91912 Annotated exemplars

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

Download all written exemplars and commentary [PDF, 9.1 MB]

Level 1 Visual Arts assessment resources (external link) - NCEA.education

For Achieved, the student needs to identify and record visual imagery and information about Māori and another cultural context using practice-based research methods.

This typically involves drawing, photography, annotations, and other gathering and processing strategies for the purpose of supporting practical investigations.

The first page involves a series of identity topic-setting activities that establish the scope and focus of the investigation. Practice-based research begins on page 2 with photography, notes, and annotations related to the Marae context.

Invited speakers provide information about histories and customs related to the context, which is documented on pages 3-7. The annotations are accompanied by a variety of visual research modes including textural rubbings (p3) observation drawing (p4), and structural diagrams (p6). Pages 2-7 present a sustained investigation of the Māori context.

Page 8 involves a study of the student’s own cultural context (Niue), with similarities and differences identified through the Venn diagram on page 9. 

Holistically, the strength of the Māori context investigation can be balanced with the less convincing personal context material in order for the evidence to reach Achieved.

For a more secure Achieved, the evidence needs to present a more sustained investigation of the second context and make stronger connections between contexts and the student’s own identity. This may involve more detailed maps, information, and photography, or drawings of Niuean geography, buildings, artefacts, flora, and fauna.

To show the examination needed for Merit, the evidence could include more detailed contextual information about the second contexts and relationships between contexts, and more skilled use of media to record visual information. For example, greater drawing precision and tonal modulation in the observation drawings on pages 4 and 8 would enhance awareness of specific visual features.

For Merit, the student needs to use practice-based inquiry methods to examine Māori and another cultural context, and make links between contexts, or between the student and the contexts.

This involves using a range of appropriate visual strategies and information gathering techniques to process and respond to each context.

A variety of practice-based research strategies such as collage, line drawing, photographs, and annotations are used to document objects and information related to geographic, personal, and cultural contexts.

The variety of media and the visual density of pages 1-4 indicates a sound level of engagement with personal and cultural contexts.

Photography is used on page 5 to gather imagery. While the figure photo-shoots (bottom left) tend towards formal image making and application of photography conventions, the setting images (bottom right) gather useful resource material for subsequent art making purposes.

Pages 6-9 present independent image gathering from specific locations. A range of visual elements and information related to the significance and key characteristics of objects have been documented. 

The final collages on page 10 present visual responses to the cultural concepts of Kaitiakitanga, Mana Motuhake, Tūrangawaewae, and Whanaungatanga.

For a more secure Merit, the evidence could use additional drawing strategies to record information from the subject matter, including observational details such as form, tonal value, texture, and colour.

To reach Excellence, the evidence could include more sustained reflection on the Māori cultural values, and greater consideration of the relationships between cultural contexts. For example, more detailed explanations of how the selection and arrangement of imagery in the collages relates to the conceptual intentions may show a deeper understanding of the cultural principles.

For Excellence, the student needs to use practice-based inquiry methods to reflect upon Māori and another cultural context.

This involves sustained review of cultural information and using the findings to inform visual and/or annotated responses to relationships between different contexts, and/or between the contexts and the student.

The sustained investigation of Māori cultural and historical information on pages 2-6 shows the depth of contextual inquiry needed for Excellence. While the own context investigation on pages 9-11 is not quite as sustained, there is sufficient information overall for Excellence at New Zealand Curriculum level 6.

Visual Arts practice-based inquiry methods are applied in the observation drawings and photographic research. The drawings record visual elements of form, structure, pattern, texture, and colour. The photography documents objects and spaces relevant to the student’s significant place.

The mind-map on page 9 presents reflection about the student’s ahurea tuakiri in response to the concept of Tūrangawaewae. Greater explanations of connections on this page and in the Venn diagram on page 12, rather than listing items, would place the evidence more securely at Excellence in terms of showing more critical reflection on relationships.

The final page presents a visual response of Māori cultural elements from page 2 and the specific geographic location from page 5. While this shows reflection on the context, inclusion of the student’s own personal relationship with the context (visually or through annotations) would place the evidence more convincingly within the Excellence grade range.

Overall, the consistent skills with practice-based research methods, and sustained engagement with personal and cultural contexts, are sufficient for Excellence at New Zealand Curriculum Level 6.