Cartoons Teachings: Then To Now
For over 250 years, political cartoons have used humor and exaggeration to reach people on a variety of topics, even if they can’t read. Learn how to use this powerful communication tool as you explore a political cartoon from the past, share the history of its conception, and use what you have learned to create your own cartoon based on a current event.
Engage
Students have most likely seen a political cartoon, though they may confuse political cartoons with a single-panel illustration designed simply for humor. More than just a funny drawing, a political cartoon is a pointed commentary on a current event or the actions of a person or group in politics.
Show students Ben Franklin’s “Join or Die” cartoon, but don’t explain its meaning or origin.
Ask them if they have seen this image before. What do they think it might mean? Bring up Ben Franklin or the early American Colonies and see if that helps them recognize that the initials in the image represent colonies.
Franklin’s “Join or Die” is generally acknowledged as the first political cartoon in America, published first on May 9, 1754, in Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette. Franklin drew this image to generate support at the Albany Congress for his idea of an intercolonial association to respond to the threat of the Iroquois. “Join or Die,&rdquo and this image of the snake, quickly became symbolic of the cause of colonial unification.
Select a current political cartoon that reflects a recent topic or event your students are familiar with. You may also want to ask students to locate a political cartoon in a local paper or using an online source as a homework assignment. Project or distribute the cartoon so all students can view it. What historical moment does the comic depict? Ask students to share additional information they know or research about the topic or event.
What visual elements are present in the cartoon? Discuss what students can see and read in the cartoon, explore how the cartoon uses caricatures to enhance the meaning.
Provide students with analytical tools and questions they can use to decode and understand other political cartoons. The Library of Congress has a great cartoon analysis guide that discusses how political cartoonists use symbolism, exaggeration, labeling, analogy, and irony to communicate their point of view and message.
With all these cartoons we are finding hidden messages and meanings behind all of them. Some we never would have thought to be such bad things. For example, we have found in some cartoons they have included things about committing suicide, or drug use, and how alcohol is a “get away”. So when we think of these kids cartoons we never would have thought the teachings behind them could be so bad. When you think of mickey mouse, you think of a happy mouse who teaches about letters, shapes, numbers, etc. But really there have been different meanings behind some of these cartoons.
As well in the changes of cartoons teachings along with that is the way cartoon characters appearance over time has changed which has impacted many cartoons. For example going back to Mickey Mouse, he used to be a black and white mouse who was grumpy and could be sometimes really dark.
Here this video shows Mickey Mouse holding dynamite in his mouth and blowing himself up. So these different time frames have made these different cartoon characters act in a unique way.
Now if we look at mickey mouse, he’s a happy mouse who teaches and is also in color which brightens him up. As well as his kindness and greatness to be . great role model for kids to watch and see the appropriate things to do and how to handle situations.
These cartoons teachings have changed dramatically overtime just based on the character and the time frame which it was. From some results, cartoons back then were a lot more darker and taught more worse things for kids now are learning what is taught in schools for better education purposes as well as having fun.
