Session 6 - Political Persuasion - Cartoons

GOALS:
- Know: key terms relating to political cartoon (both visual and written word features)
- Understand: that political cartoons change our perceptions and attitudes, and make us laugh at the same time
- Be able to: analyse a political cartoon using key terms

Do cartoons such as this have the power to change the world?

ACTIVITIES:

1. Warm up and review: Browse through the following political cartoons. Pick one you like to
discuss with your table. What do you like about it? Do you think it has the power to change the
world?

2. Key terms / techniques: Read the following two guides and make a note of the key terms in
your Quizlet vocabulary sets. Guide #1 Guide #2

3. Analysis: Now go back to the series of cartoons in activity #1 and choose one to analyse.
(Alternatively, find another one by doing an internet search.)

a. First, make rough notes about context: audience, purpose, author, where published.
b. Next, use one of the following to conduct a more detailed analysis. Don’t forget to look
for those persuasive techniques you learned about in the previous activity!
i. Simple
ii. More detailed
iii. Question-focussed (use the questions at the start of the guide)
 4. Sharing findings: Get into a pair with someone who analysed a different cartoon. Share your
thoughts on the following questions:

a. What issue is this political cartoon about?

b. What do you think is the cartoonist’s opinion on this issue? What makes you say this?
c. What other opinions can you imagine other people having on the issue?
d. Did you find the cartoon persuasive? Why or why not?
e. What other techniques could the cartoonist have used to make it more persuasive?

5. Going further: Listen to some example analyses of political cartoons here. Can you get any
tips on how to improve your own analysis skills here?

TOWARDS ASSESSMENT:

- FOA: You could pretend to work for the New York Times, comparing and evaluating entries for
a political / editorial cartoon contest. This would provide excellent opportunity for deep stylistic
and contextual analysis required by the FOA. Alternatively, you could have a discussion
between an editor of a particular magazine and a cartoonist.

- WT: What about a series of emails or letters between the cartoonist and the editor? This would
allow for a detailed discussion of content and style.

NEXT LESSON:
- Wartime propaganda

HOME-LEARNING:
- Review key terms
BONUS CHALLENGE / RESOURCES:
- Why not try to create your own political cartoon? The New York Times holds a competition
encouraging people to submit their own cartoons, using this rubric. You could read the steps
for creating an editorial cartoon in the second half of the news story here (embedded video is
great!).