Academic Artifact Reflection (Upper Core) (Know, Do,

Reflect)
Complete the KDR graphic organizer below with comprehensive thoughts. Each section should consist of
1-2 detailed, thorough paragraphs that showcase what you KNOW, what you can DO, and your
REFLECTION on your project. The boxes will grow as you type.
KNOW:
Explain the goal
or objective of the
course, what your
project/assignment
was, and how it met
that goal/objective
Discuss what you
needed to know in
order to complete the
project/assignment
effectively and
proficiently, as well as
discussing what you
LEARNED upon
completing it.
DO:

Discuss
the process of what
you actually did in
order to complete
your
project/assignment
and what you can do
as a result
o
Thi
nk - because I
know (this) I can
now do (this)

Discuss
new technologies
used, new subject
matter encountered,
new skills learned or
skills that were
improved, etc. as you
worked through your
project.

- We had to pick three chapters and interpret them in a art

piece. Because this was a final we were expected to be able to
interpret the emotion of the chapters.
- This was our English final, so we were expected to know
everything about the story and why certain things happened and
how those events affected the main character. Thats why I chose
the chapters I did because they stood out as being very hard hitting
and impactful. From this project I learned more about the Vietnam
War and the long term affects of war. I learned about the affects of
war on the civilian and how even the those with loving nature can
be broken by the brutality of war. These lessons were shown
throughout the chapters, The things they Carried, The
Sweetheart of the Song tra Bong and The lives of the Dead.
Thats why I chose these chapters because they taught the lessons
of the book in a very eloquent way.
- This was a very long and time consuming project because of
its size. I began by planning and shooting three photos, each
representing a chapter. I began this photo shoot like I do for every
shoot: I pick a model, work around that models schedule to find a
time when I can photograph them, make any needed props, plan for
any makeup needed, and finally shoot. For the chapter, The
Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong my model was my friend Jessica.
I chose her because she looked the most like the description given
in the book of the character. I wanted to make a military helmet for
her to wear because it would help play more to the ideas conveyed
in the novel. I painted a toy firemen helmet army greens and did my
best to make it look camouflage. I photographed Jessica after school
one day; I put darker makeup around her face to make it look like
she had dirt on her face and was more rural. I was very happy with
how this photo turned out. The chapter, The things they Carried
was portrayed as a soldier running through the jungle of Vietnam
(or at least the tress of Newhall Park). I photographed my friend
Connor for this picture. He was dressed in an actual military jacket
(once belonging to a veteran family member) and the helmet I had
made for Jessica. The helmet was upgraded complete with straps
and a religious card. The only struggle I had with this shoot was the
fact that Connor wore red shoes, so I could only take pictures from
the waist up or crop out his feet. I chose my sister to model for the
chapter, The lives of the dead. The chapter tells of a childhood
friend who had cancer and would hide her head wearing a big red
hat. I did not own a big red hat. So instead I used a long cheetah hat
my sister had and placed her in our car where I attempted to
replicate a scene from the novel. After all my photos were taken and
properly edited I got to work making the poster board. At the time,
my dad was working at a foam cutting job and we were able to write
out the titles of the chapters in foam. Each letter individually cut. It
was a very long and tedious process to say the least! Because I only
had three images I wanted them to be big and there wasnt a poster
board large enough so we had to tape two together. They were then
painted in tan color tones in an ombre effect down the board. The
letters were one by one painted red. The pictures were blown up to
a much larger size and mounted on the board. Underneath each

REFLECT: Reflect on
the process of
completing the
project/assignment (both
steps taken and
knowledge and
experience gained).
What went well? Why?
What could have gone
better? How could you
have improved it?
How have you
demonstrated growth
in your knowledge and
skills as a student & in
this subject matter as
a result of working
through the
project/assignment?
Describe why & how
this particular
project/assignment
was impactful on your
tenure as a student in
the Arts Academy?

title I painted a silhouette of a soldier progressing from standing to

raising a gun, to firing the gun. In total the entire project was the
size of my kitchen table. When I held it up to present, all you could
see was my head and my feet. This project to a large number of
hours. I know we were at the foam workshop for a good 3 hours.
- This is the project that got me more interested in painting. I
was never really comfortable with painting, I felt that it wasnt my
strong suit, but I put a lot of time and effort into making sure they
was good blending between the colors of the poster board. I also
worked very hard on getting every little detail into my soldier
silhouette. Other than that nothing was really new. I had used my
Dads foam process a number of times; including the presidential
project.
- The artistic side of the project was a beast, as one can tell by
the project description. But it didnt seem to phase me. I was ready
to take on the challenge and see it through till the end. I worked
very hard on that project and looking back I think I was more
organized than Ive been in a while! I was excited about this
because I loved the subject matter and that made me love the
project. I think the whole project went very well because I got
started early and didnt waste time because I knew how long some
of the steps would take (the foam letters for example). In retrospect
I probably could have done a simpler or smaller project, but wheres
the fun in that.
- Since this project, I have always wanted to find a way to top
myself. Or in better terms, push myself to do what I know Im
capable of. This project forced me to really engulf myself in the
book to best portray the scenes I was trying to replicate. The book
really inspired me to know more about World War II and the
Vietnam War; I always loved learning about history and that's why I
wanted to give so much effort into this project. Since this project I
have continued to be interested in military history and have
continued to give 100% into every project I turn in.
- This assignment will forever stand out to be because of its
scale. It is still the biggest project Ive ever done (there are some
close seconds). I was just so excited for this project. It was one of
the first times I had used photography for a project and it was on a
topic I had been interested in for a long time. The book was
amazing, I couldnt put it down. It captivated me in a way no other
book at the time had. I was so in love with the story, I wanted to
make sure my art piece did the story justice. Its that mind set that
has impacted me throughout my academy career because the effort
you put into your shows just how passionate you are about the
topic. And passion helps to drive success.