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Lesson Plan
Pulitzer Center

The Paradise Papers: A Lesson in Investigative Journalism

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed Standards
The Paradise Papers, a year-long research project from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism (ICIJ) exposed how political leaders, business people, and wealthy individuals used offshore entities to avoid taxes and hide...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

Equal Rights? The Women's Movement from Suffrage to Schlafly

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
If you've never heard of the Equal Rights Amendment, it's probably because there isn't one in the United States Constitution. Delve into the contentious history behind the ERA, its founders and supporters, and reasons for its political...
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Unit Plan
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Madison Public Schools

Journalism

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Whether you are teaching a newspaper unit in language arts, covering the First Amendment and censorship in social studies, or focusing on writing ethics in journalism, a unit based on the foundations of journalism would be an excellent...
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Worksheet
2
2
Humanities Texas

Primary Source Worksheet: John T. McCutcheon, “A Wise Economist Asks a Question”

For Students 8th - 11th
No joke! Kids learn how to read political cartoons using McCutcheon's drawing as a starting point and then progressing to other images found online.
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Worksheet
2
2
Humanities Texas

Primary Source Worksheet: Grant E. Hamilton, “I Rather Like That Imported Affair”

For Students 8th - 11th
Political cartoons are primary source documents and learning to read them can be a challenge. Challenge the reading skills of your class with a political cartoon featuring rough and ready, Teddy Roosevelt. 
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Media Industry and the Internet

For Students 10th - 12th
Kids take a good look at what the Internet has done to "old media" industries, such as newspapers, magazines, and books. They analyze the editorial comments made in a political cartoon and answer three critical thinking questions related...
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Lesson Plan
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4
Curated OER

Redistricting: Drawing the Lines

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Difficult redistricting concepts are covered in a context that will make it understandable to your government scholars. They begin with a KWL on the term redistricting and then watch a video to answer some questions. They analyze...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comedy Across the Curriculum

For Teachers 11th - 12th
The New York Times Learning Network provides the resources that permit pupils to examine and then write and perform a fake news broadcast in the vein of “The Daily Show” or “Saturday Night Live” Weekend Update. The generated reports...
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Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

Political Parties and Conventions

For Teachers 8th Standards
The two major parties polarize many in America today, but it doesn't have to be that way in the classroom! Teach learners about political party platforms and modern campaigns with a mock political convention. After watching a PowerPoint...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

A Presidential Decision - The Bay of Pigs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The activity examines President Kennedy's response to the Bay of Pigs Crisis and  Cold War tensions. Academics learn how the information President Kennedy had affected his response to the question of whether to invade Cuba. Scholars read...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Brown v. the Board of Education: Success or Failure?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Desegregation does not mean equality. An eye-opening activity focuses on the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision to end school segregation. Scholars review a series of political cartoons to understand how the public viewed...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Prohibition and Its Consequences

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Organized crime and speakeasies ... just another day during Prohibition. An intriguing activity explores the world of Prohibition and its consequences on life in the United States. Scholars analyze primary sources and place them on a...
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Lesson Plan
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Smithsonian Institution

Us vs. Them: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Immigration issues are nothing new. An interesting lesson focuses on the racially motivated Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its impact on the Chinese American community. Scholars read articles, analyze political cartoons, and...
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Activity
Digital Public Library of America

The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Escaping Enslaved people attempting to escape didn't need a ticket to ride on the Underground Railroad. Here is a packet of primary sources that reveal the kind of courage and determination they did need to face the challenges to gain...
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Lesson Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Image Analysis: In Their Own Words

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Images often convey more than words. Scholars examine political cartoons from the American Revolution to understand how images have the ability to express political ideas. Academics participate in group discussion, complete a worksheet,...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Road to Revolution: Patriotism or Treason?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Patriot or traitor? Scholars debate the line between patriotism and treason in a short activity. Academics analyze a political cartoon and discuss varying viewpoints between different groups living in the American colonies. The activity...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Political Cartoon Analysis: No Taxation Without Representation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Delve into the world of political cartoons in a lesson on the American Revolution. Scholars practice analyzing an original political cartoon, answer questions, and participate in group discussion. Young academics gain an understanding of...
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Lesson Plan
Teaching Tolerance

Critiquing Hate Crimes Legislation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The high school lesson explores what hate crimes are and how the government has responded to those crimes. Academics read legislation, analyze political cartoons, and complete hands-on-activities to understand what motivates individuals...
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Lesson Plan
Judicial Branch of California

The Power of the Press: The First Amendment

For Teachers 5th Standards
Was what happened in 1886 at the Haymarket riot a crime or a case of xenophobia? Using political cartoons from the time, young historians consider the role the media played in anti-labor sentiment during the time and how that influenced...
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Activity
Teaching Tolerance

Consuming and Creating Political Art

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A picture is worth a thousand words, but political art may be worth even more! After examining examples of political cartoons, murals, and other forms of public art, class members create their own pieces to reflect their ideals and...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Humor and Activism

For Teachers 8th - 12th
As part of their study of the women's suffrage movement, groups analyze political cartoons and drawings. They create a caption for an image from the time, add an exhibit label that provides a context for their drawing, and post as part...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Tea with Penelope: A 2-Point Perspective of the Edenton Tea Party

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A brief introduction to Penelope Barker sets the stage for a discussion about political cartoons and the persuasive technique used to create them. A graphic organizer aids scholars in the analysis of a piece of work using a 2-point...
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Fred Seibel, the Times-Dispatch, and Massive Resistance

For Teachers 4th Standards
A lesson challenges scholars to analyze editorial cartoons created by Fred Seibel, illustrator for the Times-Dispatch, during the Massive Resistance. A class discussion looking at today's editorial pages and Jim Crow Laws leads the way...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Reading Political Cartoons: Prohibition in Alabama

For Teachers 6th
What makes a cartoon political? The lesson plan provides learners with political cartoons and teaches how to analyze them using a five-step process. Scholars also complete a hands-on activity and participate in group discussions to...