5.2 Describing Inquiry & Process

State your question

Clearly describe the guiding question or idea driving your Sustained Investigation, so viewers understand the thread connecting your works.

Explain development

Describe how the investigation developed — what you tried, what you discovered, and how it shaped later work. Show the thinking behind the designs.

Materials and processes

Note the materials and processes you used and why. Explaining choices reveals the intentional link between how you work and what you mean.

Key terms

State the question

describe the inquiry driving the investigation

Explain development

what you tried, discovered, and how it shaped later work

Materials & processes

note what you used and why

Through-line

help viewers see the thread connecting your works

Show thinking

reveal the reasoning behind the designs

Try an AP-style question

When describing process, you should explain…

1. how much the materials cost you
2. the final result and nothing about the process
3. which piece is your personal favorite
4. how practice, experimentation, and revision guided work