North Carolina Era 10: Postwar (1945-1975): Post-War Political Cartoons Lesson Plan

Post-War Political Cartoons Lesson

LESSON: Post-War Political Cartoons
UNIT: North Carolina Era 10: Postwar (1945-1975)

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will understand social and political issues prevalent in the United States in the immediate aftermath of WWII.
Students will work cooperatively.
Students will engage in critical thinking.
LEARNING TARGET: “I can analyze political cartoons to discern the political positions of the illustrator and people of the time period.”

TEACHER PLANNING:

Time Needed: 15 Minutes
Materials/Equipment: Copies of political cartoons from NC newspapers circa 1949.

PROCEDURE:

Ask students “After the war, what do you think some of the most important issues for Americans would have been?” and “do you think all Americans were happy
with policies enacted during the Roosevelt administration?”
Divide students into groups (no more than four).
Students will work together in groups to examine political cartoons taken from Western NC newspapers from 1949.
Students should consider what the illustrator is trying to convene, whether or not they supported FDR policies, and if the political cartoons can still apply to
contemporary politics.
Class should reconvene together to discuss their hypotheses and share what they think the message of the political cartoons were, whether they could be
representative of the region of Western North Carolina, and whether or not they still apply to contemporary politics.
Review the distension toward Democratic policies during the post-war era and the importance of media in the political process.

ASSESSMENT:

EXTENSION/DIFFERENTIATION ACTIVITIES:

Students may search for a contemporary political cartoon on a contemporary issue to share with the class.

NORTH CAROLINA CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

LESSON MATERIALS: