Using Primary Sources: What's so Funny?
Overview:
Students will be divided into small groups and receive one cartoon to analyze. After a detailed analysis has taken place, students will take what they learned in their analysis, including the importance of symbols, phrasing and how to play to viewers emotions, to create their own cartoon on a topic related to the Civil War and Reconstruction.
List of Materials:
- What's so Funny? Activity sheet: PDF or Word
- Primary sources (listed below)
- Vocabulary list: PDF or Word
- Large pieces of blank paper (approximately 11" x 14")
- Markers, crayons and/or colored pencils
Instructions:
- Complete a series of lessons of your choosing on the Civil War and Reconstruction.
- Discuss cartooning and the tools cartoonist use to make their point.
- Distribute one cartoon to each group of students.
- Distribute the activity sheet. Ask students to discuss and complete all questions.
- When students are finished, have each group share their cartoon and activity sheet with the entire class. You may want to have a copy of all the cartoons on transparencies or on a computer so you can project the large image for the whole class to see.
- Distribute the large sheet of paper and either colored pencils, markers or crayons to each group.
- Have students create their own cartoon about the Civil War or Reconstruction.
- Students then share their cartoon with the group.
Primary Source Materials:
These pages show the primary sources in more detail, including description, creator, creation place and date for each source. For ease in application of the What's so Funny? on the description page is a link for "real size image." This link will load the cartoon in its original size, normally approximately 11 x 14. It is suggested that this size be used in order to see more detail.
The Emancipation of the Negroes Cartoon
Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction Cartoon
Southern Man vs Union/Freedman Cartoon
White Man's Government Cartoon
The Civilization of Blaine Cartoon
The Greatest of American Intimidators Cartoon
© Copyright 2007 Ohio Historical Society. All images and documents provided for educational purposes only. Any commercial or resale use of OHS material is prohibited without the express permission of the Ohio Historical Society.
