"XVth Amendment" Caption: XVth Amendment. - “Shoo Fly, don’t Bodder me!”

In the mind of the cartoon What could the voter be thinking? Extra credit: Why didn’t California ratify the 15 th amendment? Why didn’t New York ratify the 15 th amendment?

"Waiting" Caption: Waiting. A debt that the Republican party ought to wipe out

“The ‘Bloody Shirt’ Reformed” Caption: Declaration of Equality-Justice. “Five More wanted

Self Portrait

Which one would you want coming down your chimney?

Editorial Cartoons Editorial cartoons are satires or graphic commentaries about government decisions, public figures, and current events. Viewers must have special information to understand their meanings. Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Understanding their meanings Viewers must understand certain symbols used by cartoonists. They must have knowledge about the current events depicted in the cartoon. They must be able to analyze the cartoon. The National Archives suggests using political cartoons only at the ends of your units of study. Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Selecting a cartoon Questions to ask yourself to select a cartoon: What would students need to know or find out in order to understand this cartoon? Does the cartoon suit the issue we are studying or does it require too much explanation to be worth studying at this time? Should a brief background history of the cartoon be given to students before or after studying the cartoon? Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Teaching with Editorial Cartoons Each editorial cartoon has a title and sometimes a caption that give a clue about the cartoon’s meaning. Symbols are used that the artist assumes the audience will understand. (e.g. donkey, Uncle Sam, American flag, Statue of Liberty, ball and chain, etc.) Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Teaching with Editorial Cartoons Some have characters who make comments in the cartoon. Some characters or objects have labels that help the reader understand the message. Cartoons uses persuasion, the cartoonist always has a point of view Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Teaching with Editorial Cartoons People in the editorial cartoon may be caricatures with exaggerated features. Why are they exaggerated? Irony or satire may be obvious or subtle in political cartoons. Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Types of questions to use Basic level What is the cartoon’s caption or title? Identify the people and objects in the cartoon. What phrases or words are used in the cartoon? Who is the cartoonist? Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Types of questions to use Intermediate level What symbols are used in the cartoon? What does each symbol mean? What are the most important words or phrases in the cartoon? Why are they important? Did the artist exaggerate any physical features of the people in the cartoon? Explain those exaggerations. What is the main point of the cartoon? How did the artist use persuasive techniques? What is the analogy in this cartoon? What two issues, ideas, objects, or situations are being compared? Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

Types of questions to use Advanced level What groups would agree with this cartoon? What groups would disagree? Explain your answers. What background information must one understand in order to interpret this cartoon? What do you know about the artist’s political views from studying this cartoon? How is irony or satire used in this cartoon? Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

General Analysis Strategies These suggestions can be used with any political cartoon or comic strip. Students can: Draw a cartoon using the same characters but portraying the opposite point of view. Add a few “sentence bubbles” with comments made by the characters. Write a letter either agreeing or disagreeing with the cartoon’s point of view. The letter should be written to the editor of the newspaper that printed this cartoon. Write a different title for the cartoon and explain why they chose their new title. Write a short background history for the cartoon explaining the events that led up to the event shown in the cartoon. Credit: Shell Educational Publishing

General Analysis Strategies (cont.) Compare and contrast several cartoons from different artists about the same subject. They will make a list of similarities and differences and explain which artist did the best job getting his point across. Imagine how difficult it would be to create a cartoon on a daily basis that shows a special political point of view. They can write a letter to a cartoonist asking how it is possible to maintain creativity on a regular schedule. Compare cartoons from several newspapers of the same date to determine what social or political issue gained the most attention on that date. Do any of the newspapers use the same cartoonist? Do different cartoonists have different or similar points of view about the issue? Draw a cartoon about a school issue for their school newspaper. Credit: Shell Educational Publishing