Interpreting Political Cartoons strategy

Interpreting Political Cartoons

Organizing Topic  Comprehending Informational Text
Related Standard(s) of Learning 

Objective(s)
·  The student will read and interpret political cartoons.

Materials needed
·  A transparency of an age-appropriate political cartoon
·  Handout of one or several age-appropriate political cartoons (different from that on the
transparency)
·  Transparency pens and wipes
·  Overhead projector

Lesson procedure
1.  Select and display on the overhead an age-appropriate political cartoon.
2.  List common features of cartoons: caricature, symbolism, exaggeration, wit, and brevity.
3.  Point out an example of one or several of the features in the cartoon on the overhead, and
allow students to find other features, if possible. This transparency might be labeled with
washable pens.
4.  Assist students in interpreting what the cartoonist is trying to convey, and write the
interpretation on the transparency.
5.  Distribute other cartoons, and allow the students to work in pairs or trios to find and list the
features of each and collaborate on an interpretation.
6.  Have the class share the features found and discuss the interpretation of the cartoons.
7.  Have the students individually write their interpretations in paragraph form