Name______

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:

Political Cartoons of the Atlantic Revolutions

“Nothing is more patriotic than social criticism.”

-Herbert Block, Washington Post cartoonist

Date Due: Tuesday March 17th

Your Task: For this project you will be working in groups of 4 to create original political cartoons. Your group should work together to choose a person, event, document, or revolutionary idea as the subject of your cartoon. The cartoon should be reflective of the time period and of the subject you satirize, lampoon, or parody. Your cartoon must include at least 2 of the 5 strategies commonly used in political cartoons (see strategies list). You will not be assessed on artistic ability, but we will take into account the effort and care put into the drawing.

Presentation & Write-Up: Once your group has completed your political cartoon, you will present the cartoon to the class. The presentation should be no more than 5 minutes and each member should speak at least once. Each group should also submit one, one-page, written supplement to the presentation.

Questions you should address in the presentation/write-up are:

  • What subject (event/person/document/idea) is your cartoon referring to? How is the cartoon reflective of the time period?
  • Why did you choose this subject for a political cartoon?
  • What strategies did you employ in the cartoon?
  • What are you trying to achievethrough your cartoon? What is the deeper meaning/message?

Grading & Rubric: You will receive ONLY a group grade for this project, meaning you all sink or swim together! Aside from the creativity of the cartoon and the presentation, I will be taking into account the role of each group member and how the group worked together. At the end of the project, I will be asking each member to fill out a group processing and reflect on his or her experience in the group.

Exceeding standard / Meeting standard / Approaching standard
Creativity & Care / The cartoon reflects an exceptional degree of student creativity and attention to detail in their creation. / The cartoon reflects student creativity and shows a good amount of care put into the creation. / The cartoon is unoriginal and completed with little care or effort.
Required Elements / The cartoon clearly includes more than 2 required elements/strategies of political cartoons. / The cartoon includes the 2 required elements. / The cartoon includes less than 2 required elements.
Presentation / Group presentation satisfies time and group member requirement, and response to questions shows clear understanding of material / Presentation is on time, all members participate, and questions are adequately addressed / Presentation is over/under time, all members do not participate, and/or all questions are not addressed
Group Processing / Group was always agreeable, supportive, and work was spread evenly among all members / Group was mostly agreeable, supportive, and work was spread somewhat evenly among members / Group did not work well together, one or more members did not do an equal amount of work

POLITICAL CARTOONIST STRATEGIES

VISUAL SYMBOLS AND/OR ANALOGY: A visual symbol in a cartoon is any image that stands for some other thing, event, person, abstract idea or trend in the news. For example, a dollar sign may stand for the entire economy. An octopus may stand for a powerful corporation with “tentacles” controlling many other institutions. Analogies are used to compare two unlike things that share some characteristics. . By comparing a complex issue or situation with a more familiar one, cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light

VISUAL DISTORTION: Changes or exaggerations in size, shape, emotions or gestures often add extra meaning to the symbols the cartoon includes. For example, a dragon is often used as a symbol for China. But a huge, snorting dragon will make a different point about China from a tired, limping, meek dragon. Every detail in a cartoon, especially one that is distorted in some way, is likely to be a part of the cartoon’s meaning.

IRONY IN WORDS AND IMAGES: Irony is a form of humor in which something is said in a way that undercuts or mocks its own apparent meaning. In other words, what is said seems to mean one thing, but it will be taken to mean the opposite. Irony is well suited to political cartoons, which often seek to mock something and show how false, unfair or dangerous it is. Irony always entails a contradiction. Often, an amusing image undercuts and reverses the meaning of the words in a caption. Sometimes, however, the image alone conveys the double meaning.

STEREOTYPES AND CARICATURE: A stereotype is a vastly oversimplified view of some group. Stereotypes are often insulting. Yet they may give cartoons a shorthand way to make a complex point quickly. They also reveal broad cultural attitudes. Caricature is the opposite of a stereotype. It is an exaggerated or distorted drawing of an individual highlighting what the artist sees as most unique about that individual. You should be critical of cartoon stereotyping, yet also notice how it contributes to making a point dramatically and forcefully. If there are stereotypes in the cartoon you are analyzing, how would you evaluate them?

AN ARGUMENT NOT A SLOGAN: Slogans merely assert something. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” A good editorial cartoon is more than a slogan. Though blunt and opinionated, it actually invites you to consider its argument or its reasoning. At its best, a cartoon offers visual and written features that together “make its case.” In other words, it presents reasons to support its view, or at least it hints at or suggests those reasons. So even though it is biased, the cartoon gives you grounds for responding and even arguing back.

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