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Art Inspires Change

Political cartoons have been sparking dialogue and shaping public opinion for centuries. Students will explore their origins and effect and create an original cartoon.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper
  • Water

Steps

  • Step 1

    Political cartoons, also known as editorial cartoons, are a powerful form of satire that can capture the essence of a subject often in a single frame. They have the ability to distill messages into impactful images, they can spark dialogue, and they can inspire change. Have students explore their origin and view some examples, from pictorial satire (credited as the prcursor to modern editorial cartoons in England) to the 1754 image titled "Join or Die" attributed to Benjamin Franklin, to modern political cartoonists.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to choose a situation they want to call attention to. It might be about current world problem, policies, or societal issues. Then have them design and illustrate a cartoon to inform others about their chosen topic and stir a reaction.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to present their cartoons to the class, then display the works in various areas.

Standards

SS: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: Examine various institutions that affect one’s life and influence people’s thinking and how they advocate for ideas they believe in. 

SS: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: Recognize tensions that occur when goals, values, and principles of two or more individuals, institutions, or groups conflict.

Adaptations

Have students explore other art forms that bring attention to causes. Examples include folk songs, artivism (art that inspires activism), protest poems, etc. 

Before he was known to the world as a beloved children's author, Theodor Seuss Geisel, "Dr. Seuss," was the chief editorial cartoonist for a New York newspaper. Between 1941 and 1943 he drew over 400 cartoons for that journal. Have students investigate these cartoons, some of which have profound relevance today and others that are controversial.