Students in IB 20th Century World History were elated to complete their final art-related project with new, professional quality supplies. They said things like,"Wow, these are so cool! I wish we could have milk and cookies too!" (This is IB humor.) One student even commented that, "No one ever cares if we're artistic as long as we write good papers; we always get the old dried out markers and faded construction paper!" I have to admit that the last art project we completed was done on packing paper, because that was what I could get my hands on. Students were visibly motivated and excited to have such nice supplies to work with this time around.

For the last project of the year, students created book covers that represented disparate points of view with regard to Cold War historiography. They had to depict an orthodox, revisionist and post-revisionist explanation of key Cold War events, and they worked in groups to do so. Clearly, the artistry and humor that the project elicited only served to enhance their learning. They could make connections to popular culture and showcase some of their less traditionally academic skills. 

On the whole, students felt appreciated and dove into the project with great enthusiasm. It may seem like a little thing, but it made a huge difference and will continue to do so in the coming year. I have deep gratitude to you for caring about and supporting our community. Thank you!

With gratitude,
Ms. Gale