Valle Catholic High School
Class Lesson Plan #1
Instructor: Ms. Jackie Uding
Subject Area: American History, Grade 11
Curriculum Objective:
Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the elements of political cartoons, analyze the visual aspects and language to determine the meaning and influence of political campaigns in shaping public opinion in a presidential campaign.
Students will also be able to create a political cartoon based on one of the major issues
Involved in the Presidential Election of 1968.
CTE Objective: E13, E14, E16, E19, E25, E26
Students will be able to activate a graphics-generating program and demonstrate a functional knowledge of commands/menus/hand tools and procedures in developing their political cartoon.
Subskills:
Students will be able to identify the symbolism, use of satire, and exaggerated features in a political cartoon in a written and oral presentation.
Students will learn research techniques to obtain information and examples.
Learner Activity:
Students will be able to choose and analyze a major issue of the 1968 Presidential Campaign.
Students will learn to use Printmaster software to create their own cartoon of one of the major issues by using computer graphics.
Assessment Activity:
Students will design a political cartoon based on a major campaign issue from the Presidential Election of 1968.
Students will present their cartoon as an oral report explaining why they chose their particular issue and how they represented it using computer graphics.
Each cartoon will be critiqued by the class and by the instructor.
Method of Assessment:
An assessment rubric will be utilized to critique the context, caption, design, and oral presentation.
Instructional Method:
1. The instructor will present a unit on the political and social issues in America leading
up to the Presidential Election of 1968. A variety of political cartoons from other
presidential campaigns will be presented.
2. The class will be divided into small groups. Each group will choose one political
or social issue involved in the Presidential Election of 1968 and create their own
political cartoon based on one of these issues.
3. Using a variety of political cartoons from other presidential elections, students will
learn to identify and understand the use of exaggerated features and/or physical
characteristics, the use of symbolism, the use of satire, and the message/opinion
of the author.
4. Utilizing the school’s computer lab, the instructor will walk students step by step
through the basics of the Printmaster graphic software program.
5. Students will choose their political/social issue and determine the message
and the elements they will use and how to represent it in cartoon form.
6. Students will be able to understand:
What issue is being targeted?
What candidate/political party view is being represented?
What symbols, pictures best represent this view/issue?
What is the desired message for the public?
7.Using three consecutive days during class students will be able to create
their cartoon using the computer lab and the graphics program.
8. A printed copy of each group’s cartoon will be copied and distributed to the class.
Each group’s cartoon will used during an oral presentation.
As a visual aid, each cartoon will be projected from the computer through
an LCD projector.
Each group will explain their cartoon – the issue and why they choose it,
the symbols they used, the caption they chose, and the message they believe
they are sending to the public.
Each group’s presentation will be evaluated by the class and by the instructor.
At the end of this unit a class discussion will be held to discuss the overall
use and effectiveness of political cartoons.
Resources:
www.boondocksnet.com
www.consumerfreedom.com
U.S. History Resources on the Net
The school library
Presidency in Cartoons (U.S.A.: Highsmith Inc.) 1997
American Nation, student text (Prentice Hall) 2000
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration