Download Political Cartoons in Early American History

Teacher:
Jennifer Jacob ~ [email protected]
Relevant Subject:
Social Studies/American History
Grade Level lesson is designed for:
5th Grade
Topic of the lesson / demonstration:
Propaganda and Political Cartoons in Early American History
Lesson plan:
Materials needed—
Political cartoons from current and early American history, copies of Revolutionary propaganda
Revere’s The Bloody Massacre, etc.), document camera and projector
Goals –
 To provide students with examples of propaganda from early American history and today
 For students to study propaganda and political cartoons from the past to gain a deeper
understanding of this time in history
 For students to create an example of propaganda based on the American Revolution
 For students to present their work to the class using a presentation device
Vocabulary—
Propaganda- to convince/persuade someone of your ideas/beliefs
Introduction—
 “Today we are going to begin our lesson by looking at examples of political cartoons.”
 Using the document camera and projector for display, show students examples of cartoons
and what their importance is in today’s society. Discuss the key parts of a political cartoon
(people, headings, hidden meanings, symbolism),
 “We have been studying and learning about the beginnings of
the Revolutionary War. Today we are going to look at some of
early examples of propaganda. Propaganda is a way to
persuade or convince someone of your own beliefs. The
political cartoons we looked at earlier, are examples of
propaganda from today.”
 Show students pictures create about the Boston Massacre.
Discuss how the Boston Massacre, itself, was an example of
propaganda (see right). Reflect back to the key events.
Guided Practice—
 As a class, we will create an example of propaganda about the
Boston Massacre from the British perspective
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Use Think-Pair-Share to have the students come up with some ideas to share
o Students have a few minutes to brainstorm on their own, then they share with a
partner to build confidence before finally sharing out with the group
The teacher will use the document camera and projector to allow students to see the
project as it is created
The teacher will invite students to “share the pen” and draw for the class, too
When the drawing is complete, review why the picture is an example of propaganda
Independent Practice—
 Give students the task. “Now that we have talked about a few examples of propaganda, it is
your turn to create. Your job is to create an example of propaganda. You may choose to
take the perspective of either the Patriots or the British, but should choose an event from
the beginnings of the Revolution to persuade others to join your side and not the other.
The final part of this project will be to present your work and explain your thinking.”
Conclusion—
 Students will present their finished piece using the projector and document camera.
 Student work may be scanned and used in a PowerPoint presentation altogether.
Evaluation—
 Students will be evaluated on the perspective they chose and whether or not their drawing
depicted the event from the correct point of view.
 Students will also be evaluated for their presentation skills including; eye contact, posture,
voice level, organization of thoughts and use of the presentation devices
How a document camera is used in the lesson / demonstration:
The document camera is a great resource for this project for several reasons.
1. The document camera is an incredible motivator for the lesson! Students love to work with
new technologies and use them as much as we do. A student who is not as interested in a
topic might become more interested with the incorporation of new technology, such as the
document camera.
2. The document camera allows the students to share their work very quickly and easily with
our class. All students can view the work as the student presents their ideas and thinking.
3. The camera maintains the quality of the pictures in their original format. It can be in
COLOR The photos do not need to be in black and white, as is typical with the overhead
projector. Students are then encouraged to make their project look the best it can
because it will be shown the way it was intended, rather than a photocopy on a transparency.
4. Students are able to use current technology to present their ideas. They can use a real and
accessible technology that will allow for them to practice “real life” skills. That will be
critical as they get older.
Other technologies used with, or in conjunction with a document camera:
A projector will be used in conjunction with the document camera for the students to present their
work. A scanner and presentation software might be used to further display student work.