The Sustained Investigation
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| sustained investigation | 持续探究 | chí xù tàn jiū |
| coherence | 连贯性 | lián guàn xìng |
One idea explored deeply
- Big Idea 2 is about making. Its heart is the sustained investigation 持续探究.
- It is a body of work exploring one question or idea in depth over time.
- It is guided by questions or inquiry and develops as you make.
The 2-D portfolio's sustained investigation section contains how many images?
The sustained investigation is 15 images plus written evidence.
What it must show
- It shows practice, experimentation, and revision — not unrelated pieces.
- The 2-D portfolio's investigation section is 15 images plus written evidence.
- The works should connect, showing a real journey.
Part of a sustained investigation or not?
Sort each as fitting a sustained investigation or not.
A sustained investigation should show practice, experimentation, and revision.
It must show the journey, not just finished pieces.
Select all features of a strong sustained investigation.
Focus, experimentation, and coherence are strong; unrelated pieces are not.
Match each term to its meaning.
SI = deep study; coherence = one journey; 15 = section size.
Coherence
- A clear, focused inquiry gives the body of work coherence 连贯性.
- Coherence means the pieces feel like one investigation, not a random collection.
- The inquiry can change direction, and that evolution is valued.
When the pieces feel like one connected investigation, the body of work has ____.
Coherence ties the works into one investigation.
A sustained investigation is not a folder of your best unrelated pieces. It must show practice, experimentation, and revision around a focused inquiry, with coherence. A set of polished but disconnected works scores far lower than a connected journey — even a rougher one.
One student's 15 images all explore "how light changes a familiar room": early studies, bold experiments, a failed idea, and refined final pieces. They share a question and clearly build on each other — strong coherence and a real sustained investigation.
The sustained investigation is a body of work exploring one inquiry in depth over time, shown in 15 images plus writing. It must show practice, experimentation, and revision and have coherence — feeling like one connected journey, not a random collection.