Analyzing the Stylistic Choices of Political Cartoonists

Materials and Technology

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Political cartoons for demonstration
  
  
• Five or more political cartoons by a single cartoonist

back to top

 

PRINTOUTS

• Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet
  
  
• Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment
  
  
• Political Cartoon Comparison Sheet
  
  
• Political Cartoon Analysis Rubric
  
  
• Political Cartoon Analysis Peer Review
  
  
• Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Text Containers
  
  
• Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Layout & Design
  
  
• Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Angles

back to top

 

WEBSITES

• Analyzing a Political Cartoon: "Settin' on a Rail"
• Comic Vocabulary Interactive
• Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoonists Index
• Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A Citation Guide
• Analyzing the Purpose and Meaning of Political Cartoons
• Drawing Political Cartoons
• Newseum
• Herblock's History
• The Political Dr. Seuss
• It's No Laughing Matter: Analyzing Political Cartoons

back to top

 

PREPARATION

• Arrange for political cartoons for the class to examine:
  
  
  • You will need several cartoons for the full class to analyze.
    
    
  • Students will need five to ten cartoons by a single editorial cartoonist. The cartoons do not need to be consecutive, simply by the same cartoonist.
    
    
  • Students may all work on the same group of cartoons, or you may allow students to choose their own cartoons.
    
    
  • You may want to choose the cartoons yourself to ensure that the pieces are all appropriate for the classroom.
    
    
  • Your students can search for cartoons in newspapers archived in the library or search online at Daryl Cagle's Pro Cartoonists Index, Newseum, Herblock's History, and The Political Dr. Seuss.
    
    
• If students will search library archives for the cartoons, arrange for Session Two to take place in the library. If students will search for cartoons on the Internet, arrange for computer lab access and ensure that any site filters will not block the political cartoons students will need for their work.
  
  
• Decide the amount of detail to discuss in your exploration of comic book style. You may choose to include Text, Layout and Design, and Angles; or you may limit your discussion with the class to one or two of the areas. The handouts duplicate the information available in the Comic Vocabulary Interactive. Use the option which is best for your class.
  
  
• If necessary, adapt the Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment to fit your class and available resources.
  
  
• Make copies of the Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment, Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet, Political Cartoon Comparison Sheet, Political Cartoon Analysis Peer Review, and Political Cartoon Analysis Rubric. If photocopying is possible, make a copy of the Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet for each cartoon that each student will analyze. Otherwise, students can reproduce the chart on notebook paper or in their journals. Make an overhead transparency of the chart and display it for students to copy.
  
  
• Test the Comic Vocabulary Interactive and Analyzing a Political Cartoon: "Settin' on a Rail" on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

back to top