What is a Political Cartoon?  Modern American political cartoons have been around since the 19 th century –As newspapers grew in popularity, so did PCs, promoting social reform –People with minimal reading abilities could understand/ relate to topic –Communicate popular ideas, often using humor  Defined as an illustration containing a commentary that usually relates to current events or personalities.

Why are Political Cartoons Important??  They make people think about political and governmental issues by: –Providing additional Viewpoints –Emphasizing one side of an issue or concern –Utilizing humor/irony in art  The purpose is to draw attention to problems and issues within our political system.

Techniques of the PC Symbolism– Using an object to stand for an idea Caricature- Exaggerating a physical feature Captions/ Labels- Use for clarity and emphasis Irony- The difference between the way things are or how they should be. Exaggeration- Overstating or magnifying a problem

Symbols often seen in PCs  Peace: Dove, Olive Branch  United States: Uncle Same, Flag, Stars and Stripes  Democrats: Donkey  Republicans: Elephant  Death: Vulture, Skeletons, skull/crossbones, grim reaper  Money: Dollar Bills/ Dollar signs  Heroes/ Good Guys: Wear White  Villains/Bad Guys: Wear Black

Create your Own  Small groups will be assigned topics of this time period.  Your cartoon must state your opinion of the topic/ person/ time period.  Your cartoon must try to convince the audience that you HAVE an opinion

Things you will need:  1) The ACTUAL Cartoon  2) A Summary of the issue at hand  3) A paragraph explaining the cartoon (including symbolism, people, objective of the piece)  4) Presentation of your piece (Friday)  Keep the Rubric handy so that you know what you MUST have!