PBS
Mark Twain: Storyteller, Novelist, and Humorist
Scholars investigate the use of satire in Mark Twain's writing. Literary lovers research the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, political cartoons, and videos to see how Twain uses satire to make the stories more memorable....
Curated OER
Journal Writing in American Studies
Students write their thoughts about political cartoons, photographs, and articles in their journal and then discuss them in class.
Curated OER
Weighty Matters
Students analyze political cartoons, and write short paragraphs explaining the cartoon's meaning and the cartoonist's point-of-view.
Curated OER
Election Scavenger Hunt
Students examine newspapers and other resources for articles about the election. They collect articles and photos from both presidential candidates. They also search for political cartoons and discuss what they find.
Madison Public Schools
Journalism
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...
Curated OER
Funny or Not - Your Opinion
Students interpret and judge the meaning of a political cartoon. They dicuss the cartoons in groups and write an evaluative paragraph which they present to the class.
Curated OER
The Jury's Still Out
Students examine the trials and executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. In groups, they use the internet to research the impact of the executions in the shape of political cartoons and writings. They discuss an article to...
Curated OER
Progressive Movement in Nebraska and the United States
Students interact with the whole progressive movement and its impact on the U.S. They list the goals of the movement. In addition, they organize primary resources and interpret political cartoons. Each student shares one of their...
Curated OER
Canada's Press: Making a Historical Newspaper
Young scholars examine several colonial-era editorial cartoons. They evaluate the effectiveness of the techniques the cartoonists used to display their messages and share one editorial cartoon with the class emphasising what message has...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama and the Treaty of Versailles
As part of a study of the treaty that ended World War I and the seeds of resentment it planted, class groups compare President Wilson's Fourteen Points and the articles of the Treaty of Versailles.
Curated OER
Historical Lessons on Wartime and Race Relations
Students identify perceptions towards Asians widely held by the American public through the analysis of political cartoons from the 1940's. They recognize the ramifications of such perceptions on Asian American and Arab American.
Curated OER
The New York Times: A Journalistic Institution Since 1851
Newspapers, cartoons, and editorials have a lot to offer your classroom.
Curated OER
Examine the History of U.S. Immigration
Learners investigate the history of immigration in the U.S. and the current debate over illegal immigration. In small groups, they conduct Internet research on an assigned time period, analyze political cartoons, and discuss themes in...
Curated OER
Social Studies: War and the Media
Students examine the impact of the media on various wars, especially the Iraq and Vietnam wars. By examining cartoons and popular music as primary sources, they suggest motivations for the conflicts and propose reasons for public...
Curated OER
Historical Witness: Social Messaging
Students create political cartoons that feature satire. In this political cartoon lesson, students examine examples of satire and caricature prior to creating their own political cartoons that feature the French Revolution or Industrial...
Curated OER
Tibet and the U.S.
Students study the Tibetan situation. In this global issues lesson, students listen to a lecture regarding Tibet, its location, and its ties to China. Students then create political cartoons or write letters to their Congressperson about...
Curated OER
Immigration
Students explore the concept of immigration. In this immigration instructional activity, students read literature, analyze photographs, and evaluate political cartoons that reflect feelings about immigration in America during...
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
Curated OER
On the Other Side of the Color Barrier: Segregation and the Negro Leagues
Students study segregation that occurred in the past and that is currently occurring. In this equal rights lesson plan, students use primary source documents to student segregation of the past. In a culminating activity, students find or...
Curated OER
American Revolution
Young scholars review the events leading to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. Using the internet, they examine many different political cartoons from the time period and discuss the political atmosphere. In...
Curated OER
The State vs. The Individual
Students explain the roles of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments in regards to due process and eminent domain. They apply their knowledge of the takings issue by creating a political cartoon depicting a takings event.
Curated OER
Lindenwald: Martin Van Buren
Students examine maps, readings, photos, drawings and political cartoons in order to describe the personality and character of Martin Van Buren as reflected by his lifestyle. They identify Van Buren's political views and political issues...
Curated OER
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: 100 Years Later
Eleventh graders examine the impact of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. In this American History lesson, 11th graders analyze various sources. Students create a cartoon representing the impact of this fire on the United States today.
Curated OER
News Magazine: Special Issue on Iran. (It's about Perspective)
Students take on the role of journalists. In this Iran lesson, students explore the condition of the country at this point in history and collaborate to create a news magazine that features current events and cultural issues pertaining...