What they are, what they mean and how we can use them. POLITICAL CARTOONS What they are, what they mean and how we can use them.

A Political Cartoon is….. A type of drawing used to present opinions, comments, or criticisms of a situation, person, or event. Cartoons help us understand information by presenting it in a visual and memorable way.

Characteristics of Political Cartoons Caricature - exaggerating one or more physical features a large mouth to show someone who often speaks out on an issue. Symbols - using a recognizable item to communicate an idea an elephant to represent the Republican Party. Caption - having the characters speak or summarizing the message in a few words above or below the cartoon.

Characteristics of Political Cartoons (continued) Labeling – people or objects are labeled to make it clear exactly what they stand for Analogy – Comparison of two unlike things that share characteristics Irony – The difference between the way things are and the way things should be, or are expected to be

How do I evaluate a Political Cartoon? 1. What is event or issue that the cartoon is about? 2. Are there any real people in the cartoon? If so, who? 3. Are there any symbols in the cartoon? What are they and what do they represent? 4. What is the cartoonist’s opinion about the issue? 5. Is the cartoon persuasive?

Interpret the following cartoons based on the questions from the previous slide.