CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST: the Cuban Missile Crisis

Richard Bilella

MS 172

ANALYZING POLITICAL CARTOONS

CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST: The Cuban Missile Crisis

This lesson was adapted from a Teaching American History presentation:

Amanda Dargan, City Lore, and from a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Documents lesson:

www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/political-cartoon/

Shaping United States History is a Teaching American History Grant from the U.S. Department of Education awarded to the New York City Department of Education. Cultural partners include City Lore, Gotham Center for NYC History, Museum of the City of New York, and New York Public Library.

OVERVIEW: Working in pairs, participants will analyze and interpret a political cartoon from the Cold War Era. They will identify persuasive techniques used by the cartoonist and write a caption that expresses the cartoon’s central message and point of view.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Key Ideas and Details:

1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source.

Craft and Structure:

6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of

view.

LEARNING GOALS:

· Participants will practice skills of observation and interpretation by analyzing Cuban Missile Crisis cartoons

· Participants will site textual evidence to support their analysis of the persuasive strategies used by the cartoonist to express his/her point of view

MATERIALS

· selected political cartoons

· cartoon analysis instructions

· cartoon analysis worksheets

· chart paper, post-it notes

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN

Overview:

Discussion of persuasive power of political cartoons and their possible uses in

teaching history in the classroom.

Activity:

Step 1. Analyze a Cold War Era political cartoon

--Working in pairs, participants select a

political cartoon to observe and analyze.

-- Using the Cartoon Analysis Worksheets, participants

observe the cartoon carefully and identify the persuasive

techniques used, supported by evidence from the cartoon.

-- Participants respond to questions in the Cartoon Analysis

Worksheets and infer the cartoonist’s central message and point

of view.

Step 2. Write a caption that expresses the central message and

point of view of the cartoon.

-- Participants write a caption or title on a post-it note that

conveys the cartoon’s central message.

-- Participants share their captions with the whole group and

discuss possible uses in the classroom.

Step 3. Gallery Walk

-- Participants post captions on the poster paper with the

corresponding cartoon.

-- Participants take a gallery walk to read the captions for

each cartoon, putting a check mark next to the one that

they feel best expresses the cartoon’s message.

-- Facilitator reads the posted captions and original caption for

each cartoon.

Discussion:

What did we learn from this activity?

In what ways did our focus on persuasive techniques shape your observation and analysis of the cartoon?

In what ways did writing your own caption before reading the original caption shape your analysis and interpretation of the cartoon?

For further examination:

How might you adapt this to your social studies content or to your students?

How might you extend this activity in another lesson?

CARTOON CAPTION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Working in pairs, select a political cartoon from the envelope on your table.

2. Using the Cartoon Analysis Guide and Worksheet, look at the cartoon carefully and identify the persuasive strategies used by the cartoonist with an example of each strategy.

3. Respond to the remaining questions on the worksheet.

4. Write a caption or title on a post-it note that conveys the cartoon’s message. A good caption is concise and should enhance the cartoon’s message.

5. Write your names on the back of the post-it and post your caption on the appropriate poster for your cartoon.

6. Read the posted captions for each cartoon and check the one that you feel best expresses the cartoon’s main message.

Cartoon Analysis Questions

1. What persuasive techniques does the cartoonist use? Include evidence for each technique you identify.

2. What political issue during the Progressive Era is the cartoon about?

3. What do you think is the cartoonist’s opinion, or point of view, on this issue?

4. What is the central message of the cartoon?

5. What other opinion can you imagine another person having on this issue?

6. Did you find this cartoon persuasive? Why or why not?

POLITICAL CARTOONS FROM THE COLD WAR ERA

On No Account To Be Used –

Because the Enemy Might Retaliate

POLITICAL CARTOON RESOURCES

www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/political-cartoon/

Victor S. Navasky. “Why are Political Cartoons Incendiary?”

www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/opinion/sunday/why-are-political-cartoons-incendiary.html