Advanced 3-D Art and Design homeschool curriculum.
Your student tests materials, builds three-dimensional work, and documents how each piece changes.
A personalized lesson from the course
Three-dimensional work asks the viewer to move around a form, so material, balance, scale, and empty space all become part of the meaning.
- Lesson
- Weight, Void, and Meaning
- Goal
- Connect a material experiment to a spatial intention and document how fabrication choices change the viewer's experience.
How a lesson works
A 10-minute reading
This example lesson comes from the unit on form, space, structure, and fabrication. It moves from “Material carries decisions” to “A prototype reveals the unseen” and builds to one idea: in three dimensions, the space around an object is part of the object the audience encounters.
Help inside the reading
Any line of “Weight, Void, and Meaning” can go to our Always-On Mentor: your child highlights it to ask a question, and the mentor can draw the idea step by step on its board or, after a missed answer, explain it another way.
A check halfway through
Your child answers “Why can the empty space around a sculpture be treated as a design element?” before reading on, and the Reading Check at the end asks new questions.
A project your child hands in
Investigate one material at two scales and document how structure changes its meaning and stability.
- Task
- Use a prototype and critique to revise one fabrication decision
- Hand in
- Prototype photo sheet, material notes, and a 150-word fabrication reflection
Build the portfolio as the work develops
Materials and fabrication can add cost. A clear inquiry and a realistic plan help your student budget, prototype, and revise the work. Advanced 3-D Art and Design runs through 19 units and 95 skills, starting with inquiry and sustained investigation, three-dimensional design principles, and form and volume.
- Maquettes, prototypes, and process photographs
- Material and structural decisions explained in writing
- A curated portfolio of resolved three-dimensional work
The AP portfolio has two sections
- Sustained Investigation60% of AP score
- 15 digital images, with written evidence explaining the inquiry, experimentation, and revisions.
- Selected Works40% of AP score
- 5 artworks, photographed from 2 views each (10 images), with written descriptions.
Units and skills
Advanced 3-D Art and Design19 units · 95 skills
Inquiry and sustained investigation5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Inquiry and sustained investigation
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Inquiry and sustained investigation
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Inquiry and sustained investigation
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Inquiry and sustained investigation
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Inquiry and sustained investigation
Three-dimensional design principles5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Three-dimensional design principles
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Three-dimensional design principles
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Three-dimensional design principles
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Three-dimensional design principles
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Three-dimensional design principles
Form and volume5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Form and volume
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Form and volume
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Form and volume
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Form and volume
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Form and volume
Space and site5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Space and site
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Space and site
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Space and site
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Space and site
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Space and site
Structure and stability5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Structure and stability
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Structure and stability
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Structure and stability
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Structure and stability
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Structure and stability
Materials and fabrication5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Materials and fabrication
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Materials and fabrication
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Materials and fabrication
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Materials and fabrication
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Materials and fabrication
Additive and subtractive processes5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Additive and subtractive processes
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Additive and subtractive processes
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Additive and subtractive processes
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Additive and subtractive processes
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Additive and subtractive processes
Iteration and experimentation5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Iteration and experimentation
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Iteration and experimentation
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Iteration and experimentation
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Iteration and experimentation
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Iteration and experimentation
Critique and revision5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Critique and revision
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Critique and revision
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Critique and revision
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Critique and revision
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Critique and revision
Written evidence5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Written evidence
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Written evidence
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Written evidence
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Written evidence
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Written evidence
Selected works5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Selected works
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Selected works
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Selected works
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Selected works
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Selected works
Portfolio presentation5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Portfolio presentation
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Portfolio presentation
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Portfolio presentation
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Portfolio presentation
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Portfolio presentation
Sustained artifact development5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Sustained artifact development
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Sustained artifact development
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Sustained artifact development
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Sustained artifact development
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Sustained artifact development
Selection, reflection, and presentation5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Selection, reflection, and presentation
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Selection, reflection, and presentation
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Selection, reflection, and presentation
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Selection, reflection, and presentation
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Selection, reflection, and presentation
Formal visual analysis5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Formal visual analysis
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Formal visual analysis
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Formal visual analysis
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Formal visual analysis
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Formal visual analysis
Context, purpose, and audience5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Context, purpose, and audience
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Context, purpose, and audience
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Context, purpose, and audience
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Context, purpose, and audience
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Context, purpose, and audience
Advanced 3-D Art and Design cumulative assessment5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Advanced 3-D Art and Design cumulative assessment
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Advanced 3-D Art and Design cumulative assessment
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Advanced 3-D Art and Design cumulative assessment
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Advanced 3-D Art and Design cumulative assessment
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Advanced 3-D Art and Design cumulative assessment
Advanced 3-D Art and Design exam-mode practice5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Advanced 3-D Art and Design exam-mode practice
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Advanced 3-D Art and Design exam-mode practice
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Advanced 3-D Art and Design exam-mode practice
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Advanced 3-D Art and Design exam-mode practice
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Advanced 3-D Art and Design exam-mode practice
Advanced 3-D Art and Design reflection and transfer5 skills
- Analyze formal choices and relationships in Advanced 3-D Art and Design reflection and transfer
- Explain how context, purpose, and audience shape Advanced 3-D Art and Design reflection and transfer
- Develop and test an original inquiry through Advanced 3-D Art and Design reflection and transfer
- Document experimentation, critique, and revision in Advanced 3-D Art and Design reflection and transfer
- Select, justify, and present evidence of mastery in Advanced 3-D Art and Design reflection and transfer
Questions parents ask
How does Advanced 3-D Art and Design prepare my student for AP 3-D Art and Design?
- Advanced 3-D Art and Design follows the AP 3-D Art and Design framework unit by unit, as its skill tree shows. Your teen explains and applies the ideas in written responses and projects, so the work shows which skills are secure and which need more practice.
How does my child submit an AP art portfolio?
- Your child submits through AP Digital Portfolio with coordinator-arranged access, following the AP coordinator’s earlier deadline and AP’s May deadline. Upload images and written evidence; mark all three components final: Sustained Investigation Images, Sustained Investigation Written Evidence, and Selected Works.
How do I find a school that tests homeschoolers?
- Search College Board’s AP Course Ledger by city or state and the exam subject. Call nearby schools, ask for the AP coordinator, and ask whether they accept homeschooled students this year. Start early: each AP-authorized host school sets its own deadlines and outside-student policies.
Which course title goes on a homeschool transcript?
- Advanced 3-D Art and Design, not AP 3-D Art and Design. The AP designation requires College Board Course Audit authorization of the course, which framework alignment does not give. We generate the transcript with that title, ready for you to sign as homeschool administrator.
How can AP scores earn college credit?
- Colleges award credit under their own AP score policies. College Board reports scores on a 1–5 scale, separately from our coursework grades; check the college’s required score and whether it grants credit, placement, or both.
Advanced 3-D Art and Design, with the teaching and records handled
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Sources (7)
- College Board: AP Course Audit for homeschool providers
- College Board: Self-study and AP courses
- College Board: Join a class or exam section
- College Board: AP scores
- College Board: College credit and placement
- College Board: Art portfolio submission
- College Board: AP 3-D Art and Design portfolio requirements