LWBBAT…

1. hDonald Duck, Captain America, OH MY!Introduction to Interpreting Political Cartoons and Propaganda

2. LWBBAT… • Analyze U.S. propaganda in terms of what message is being displayed, how it is being displayed, and why it is being displayed • Understand and explain the influence of the propaganda • Compare the influence of propaganda used during the war with the propaganda we see within the media today

3. What do you see?

4. Why We Study Them • Primary Source • Offers insights into: public mood, underlying cultural assumptions of an age, and attitudes toward key events or trends of the times • Significant and impacting influence in outcomes of important events, such as: • Joseph Keppler’s magazine, “Puck” and presidential election between Ulysses Grant and Grover Cleveland • Animal mascots of Political Parties

5. How to Interpret Political Cartoons Step 1: Understanding the Purpose • Focuses on social and political issues • Blends fact and opinion • Express strongly held perspectives on those issues through imagery • Use emotional appeals and other techniques • Meant to sway the viewer’s opinion to agree with that of the artist and get a reaction

6. Understanding Political Cartoons Step 2: Understanding Persuasive Techniques • Visual Distortion or Exaggeration- Overemphasizing a situation or portraying it as “bigger than life” with words or visually • Caricature- Distortion of a person’s features, but still keeping the person recognizable

7. Example

8. Techniques Cont’d • Stereotyping- Showing all persons of one group as looking or acting the same • Labeling- Labels to make clear exactly what objects stand for

9. Example

10. Techniques Cont’d • Symbol and Metaphor- Using a sign or object to stand for something else, usually a larger concept or idea • Analogy- comparison between two unlike things that share some characteristics.

11. Example

12. Techniques Cont’d • Satire- Pointing out something wrong and ridiculing it • Irony in Words or Images- Sarcasm by using language that normally signifies the opposite of real meaning

13. Example

14. Understanding Political Cartoons Step 3: Ask Yourself Questions and Seek Answers • What objects or people do you see? • What is the caption or title? • What labels are used for what objects? • Are there any important dates or numbers? • Do you have any ideas of what the issue could be that is addressed? • Do you have an idea of what the artist’s opinion might be?

15. Understanding Political Cartoons Step 4: Contextual Knowledge • If you don’t know yet, learn the historical context in which the cartoon was designed in • Enables you to recognize the issue being addressed based on the ideas of the time http://www.fergusbordewich.com/TIMELINE/timeline3.jpg

16. Captain America and Wonder Woman! America’s WWII Symbols of Heroism and Patriotism!

17. Understanding Political Cartoons Step 4: Ask Yourself Questions About Techniques and Seek Answers • Using your knowledge about the historical context and use of persuasive techniques, answer the following: • Which of the objects are symbols? • What do you think each symbol means? • What other persuasive techniques are being used, and what do they represent? • What words and phrases are most significant? Why? • What adjectives describe emotions provoked in the cartoon?

18. Step 4 Cont’d • Using what you’ve learned from those answers, what is the message of the political cartoon? • What is the opinion/bias of the artist?

19. Understanding Political Cartoons Step 5: Evaluation • Process of Inquiry- Ask and answer more questions! • How effective was the cartoonist in swaying the audience? • What was done well? • What could have been illustrated better? How? • Do you agree with the opinion? Why or why not?

20. Donald Duck Sure is Glad to Be a Citizen of the United States of America! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZcs1SHVbz0&feature=player_embedded

21. Bibliography • Beal, C., Bolick, C., & Martorella, P. H. (2009). Teaching social studies in middle and secondary schools. (5 ed., p. 310). New York: Pearson. • Burack, J. (2010). Interpreting political cartoons in the history classroom. Retrieved from http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/21733 • Cartoon anaylsis worksheet. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/cartoon.html • McLaughlin, M. (2010). Content area reading. (pp. 4-26). Boston: Pearson. • Social studies skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://curriculum.cfbisd.edu/cp_docs/social studies/strategies col/Strategies 2.htm • Teachers' guide for the professional cartoonists' index. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cagle.com/teacher/ • The influence of political cartoons in american presidential elections. (2010, November 2). Retrieved from https://www.phoenix.edu/colleges_divisions/humanities/articles/2010/11/the-influence-of-political-cartoons-in-american-presidential-elections.htmlf • Using political cartoons in the classroom. (2006-2011). Retrieved from https://www.phoenix.edu/colleges_divisions/education/articles/2010/12/using-political-cartoons-in-the-classroom.html • William Magear Tweed. (2011). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/610865/William-Magear-Tweed

22. Picture References • http://images.wikia.com/psychology/images/1/19/PropagandaNaziJapaneseMonster.gif • http://www.warandtactics.com/smf/propaganda-marches-uniforms-medals-ranks-flags/us-propaganda-from-wwii/ • http://images.bcdb.com/ad_im/disney/fuehrer_face3.jpg?u= • http://cdn.hoboken411.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/barack-obama-cartoon-spreading-the-wealth-to-mccain.jpg • http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/a189c287-89c7-4fc1-b298-0ef03ab2c047.html • http://bored-bored.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/dr-house-caricature.jpg