Introduction to What's so Funny? Activity:

Not all cartoons are like the ones in the Sunday paper. Some cartoons contain political commentary and give us a glimpse into the political, social and cultural climate of the United States. This activity will look at cartoons created by Thomas Nast during Reconstruction, which was a time of great political and social upheaval in the United States.

> What's so Funny? Activity

PowerPoint

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Ohio Social Studies Academic Content Standards for this Activity

History 6-8

• Benchmark G: Analyze the causes and consequences of the American Civil War.
• Grade 8, GLI 9: Explain causes of the Civil War with emphasis on:
  • a. Slavery;
  • b. States’ rights;
  • c. the different economies of the North and South;
  • d. The extension of slavery into the territories, including the Dred Scott Decision and the Kansas-Nebraska Act;
  • e. abolitionist roles of Frederick Douglass and John Brown;
  • f. The addition of new states to the Union and their impact on the balance of power in the Senate, including the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850;
  • g. The emergence of Abraham Lincoln as a national figure in the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the presidential election of 1860 and the South’s secession.
• Grade 8, GLI 11: Analyze the consequences of Reconstruction with emphasis on:
  • a. President Lincoln's assassination and the ensuing struggle for control of Reconstruction, including the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson;
  • b. Attempts to protect the rights of and enhance opportunities for the freedmen, including the basic provisions of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitutions;
  • c. The Ku Klux Klan and the enactment of black codes.

People in Societies 6-8

• Benchmark B. Analyze examples of interactions between cultural groups and explain the factors that contribute to cooperation and conflict.
• Grade 8, GLI 2: Describe and explain the social, economic and political effects of:
  • a. Stereotyping and prejudice;
  • b. Racism and discrimination;
  • c. Institutionalized racism and institutionalized discrimination.