By Jane Watts, V Form

This year is my first year taking any history at St. Mark’s. Taking two histories my junior year, it’s been hard for me to keep up with so much material that we’re given to understand each class. I feel that using art to visualize and work with the material we learn provides me with a more comprehensive understanding of the general picture. In Advanced US History, I’ve recently done two assignments utilizing art. The first assignment was for the Technology project, in which I had to research Thomas Paine’s iron bridge. I filmed a video of Thomas Paine’s story, sped it up, and layered a voiceover. Though I am not the best artist​, the video turned out to be interesting as an in class presentation, which was what I had hoped to achieve. My second assignment was the concept map that I did for extra credit. As an attempt to make the assignment more fun, I drew small icons that connected together in a timeline, instead of the traditional brainstorm bubbles. In history, I have realized that both the specific details and the overall picture matter and for me, art is a way that allows me to express the two aspects. My approach to the two assignments has definitely aided my understanding of the material and made them more fun.

Video link here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc602dQuLFI

Unit 3 Concept Map:

Jane Cho Watts is a V Former from Santa Monica, CA. She is very passionate about debate and singing, and she also plays tennis. She is also interested in math and science, but enjoys learning in all of her subjects.