ART & Social Studies

1. ART & Social Studies How art can help students better understand and synthesize essays on assessments and exams.

2. Advanced Placement Exams & DBQs • DBQs: Document-based questions found on social studies assessments like Advanced Placement exams. • Students are required to • Read & analyze passages and visual images • Synthesize information into coherent essay • The New York State is required to have at least 2-3 visual documents per DBQ

3. Examples of DBQs

4. Graphs

5. Maps

6. Cartoons

7. Photographs

8. Artwork

9. Text-Based Documents • Eyewitness accounts • Historical passages

10. So why does art matter? • Art helps students interpret American culture and history alongside traditional texts • Promotes alternative perspective on historical events • Strong emotional connections • Relate to personal lives • Develop critical thinking skills

11. Critical Thinking Skills • By looking at visual images, students will be given the opportunity to • Consider multiple perspectives • Reconcile differing positions • Evaluate strength of arguments • All skills needed to think, read, and write critically

12. How to model this in the classroom • Use primary source documents and combine with images • Create projects that incorporate history and art • Assess students in a manner that mirrors or reflects the type of critical thinking skills demonstrated on AP exams • Become more culturally attentive and appreciative • Important art incorporated around the classroom

13. Why Images & Social Studies Works • Art is a glimpse into American history and America’s culture. • Combining art and text requires independent thinking and interpretation • It stimulates creativity • Works in balance with primary source documents • Provides multiple perspectives on an issue / event