Little Orphan Annie (3–5)

Political Cartoons and Comic Strips Table of Contents

Political Cartoons and Comic Strips Overview ...... 170

Quick Ideas for Examining Political Cartoons and Comic Strips...... 172

Exemplar Lessons Bowery Boy Detective (K–2) ...... 173 Lesson Plan ...... 173 Student Resources ...... 176 Little Orphan Annie (3–5) ...... 179 Lesson Plan ...... 179 Student Resources ...... 182 Standard Oil (6–8)...... 185 Lesson Plan ...... 185 Student Resources ...... 188 ABCs for Baby Patriots (9–12) ...... 193 Lesson Plan ...... 193 Student Resources ...... 197

What Is Their Importance? Political cartoons and comic strips are primary source documents that give us a visual of life during the times in which they were created. Through these documents we learn how people dressed, how they talked, and the hot topics of that time period. Some of the primary sources included in the exemplar lessons are a comic book cover, Little Orphan Annie comic strip, Standard Oil political cartoon, and excerpts of cartoons from a children’s book during the age of British imperialism. These are only a very small sampling of what can be included in the category of political cartoons and comic strips.

Political Cartoons and Strips Comic How Have They Changed Over Time? Political cartoons and comic strips have changed over time. Long ago, these visual documents had more text and detailed images that told a story. Today, these images have grown simpler, but have no less satire. In one way or another, comic strip topics tend to reflect the concerns of the time. Whether students are analyzing cartoons and comics from long ago or current ones found in newspapers and online, inferential skills are still needed to decode the message being shared.

Where Can I Find Them? Political cartoons and comic strips are visual documents that can be found at the prints and photographs division of the Library of Congress, books, newspapers, and online databases in the form of digitized documents. Entire books at the library can contain vintage comic strips from long ago and can be used with a document camera so that all students have access to them.

Why Should I Use Them in the Classroom? Visual literacy is the ability to understand communications composed of visual images and the ability to use visual imagery to communicate to others. Political cartoons and comic strips from the past communicate concerns and ideals visually with us today. These documents are reader-friendly because they contain a short amount of text as well as visual images to support the text or dialogue. Sarcasm usually plays a big role, which is often a difficult concept for students to grasp. However, the visuals lend a large amount of support in understanding these documents. As students study these visual documents, they gain an appreciation of past societies, their struggles, and what they valued as a society. This knowledge helps students expand their global view of the past and the present, realizing that, while times and surroundings might change, in many ways what people value has stayed the same. At the same time, students become strong visual readers. Having strong visual literacy skills helps students decode information found in other visual images like charts, graphs, and maps.

170 #51478—Analyzing and Writing with Primary Sources © Shell Education Political Cartoons and Comic Strips and Cartoons Political

Political Cartoons and Comic Strips Overview (cont.)

How Do I Use Them for Instruction? Comic strips and political cartoons are great documents to introduce students to a topic. Political cartoons require deep digging to get to the message of the cartoon. Comic strips are often more simplified and carry a dialogue that helps us to understand what is going on. Both of these types of documents can be acted out. Students can analyze these and then create their own in today’s language or images. Scaffolding for

First, students should scan the image Elementary Students for the primary focus or main attraction. The creator of the image uses a Grades K–2: Use very simple primary focus or main attraction to cartoons. Consider cartoon grab a reader’s attention. It could be a characters that students are familiar caricature of a person or an object. Then, students should examine the interaction with first. with that primary focus. Is the person Grades 3–5: Guide these students doing something? Is the object doing through a think-aloud as you something or is something being done with that object? Next, students should examine the cartoon or comic strip. use clues to decide on the intended Then, give students a similar one to audience. Often, questions such as “Who analyze in small groups in the same would this appeal to?” and “What point way. of view is this taking?” help students determine the intended audience. Students can then determine the context of the document. Often, political cartoons and comic strips reflect an important news story or event during that time. These events give context to the visual image(s). Students should look for symbols within the cartoon or comic strip. What do these symbols mean? And finally, students should examine any other small themes within the cartoon. These little details often tell us more about the image.

Students should be taught to examine the following:

1. Scan to find the primary focus. 2. Look at the interaction that is taking place with that primary focus. 3. Determine the intended audience. Ask, • Who would this appeal to? • What point of view is this taking? 4. Determine the context of the document. 5. Look at the other symbols that are included and determine their meaning. 6. Look for other small details that share important themes or information.

Ideas for K–2 Ideas for 3–5 Ideas for Secondary Have students… Have students… Have students… • re-enact the image using • make suggestions for • recreate the primary their physical bodies. changing the language source to make the and symbols to reflect same point using write new dialogue to • today’s society. imagery and symbols replace any dialogue in from today. the primary source. • write new or

Political Cartoons and Strips Comic replacement dialogue list the symbols used add new frames or • • to more effectively and describe each images to show what show the author’s symbol with the happens next. purpose. emotions it evokes. add new frames or • write explanations that redraw the political images to show what • • clearly explain the cartoon or comic strip happened before. meaning of the primary from different historical • make new cartoons source. perspectives. about the same subject. • write new captions to • write letters to a accompany the image. newspaper editor arguing with the point compare and contrast • of view shared in the two similar cartoons or primary source. comic strips. • create political cartoons or comic strips that show what happens later. • critique the primary source by writing critical reviews.

172 #51478—Analyzing and Writing with Primary Sources © Shell Education Political Cartoons and Comic Strips

Grades K–2 Bowery Boy Detective

Teacher Background Information

Overview Bowery Boy Comic Book Cover • One of the favorite weekly series of stories for Students closely read a comic book boys in the early 1900s was the Bowery Boy cover and answer questions about the Library. Ernest Avon Young, John H. Whitson, text, supporting their answers with and W. Bert Foster were the actual authors, but references to the text. Then students the stories were all written under the pen name create comic book covers to show John R. Conway. The series was about Bowery their opinion of what heroes mean to Billy, a poor, homeless boy detective who solved them, using the texts as references for mysteries in “the whirlpools and slums” of the creating their own ideas. great city of New York. The stories were about his resourcefulness and courage in the face of great problems. The Winner Library Company published Standards the series. The first Bowery Billy story appeared on • Ask and answer such questions October 21, 1905, and the last one was published as who, what, where, when, on September 14, 1907. why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in Reading Closely a text. • Write opinion pieces in which they 1. Distribute copies of Bowery Boy Comic Book Cover introduce the topic or book they to students. are writing about, state an opinion, 2. Have students look at the comic book cover in supply reasons that support the pairs. If possible, give students magnifying glasses opinion, use linking words to to see the comic book cover up close. connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or 3. Read the text aloud to students. Have the section. students circle any words that are unfamiliar. Understand changes in community • Begin the discussion by asking students to share life over time. 4. what they observed about the comic book cover. Materials 5. Ask students to share words they circled and discuss their meanings. Use the discussion • Bowery Boy Comic Book Cover questions from the Language section on page 175 (page 176) to help facilitate this discussion. Allow students to make notes or draw pictures to help them Modern day comic book cover • remember the meanings of the difficult words. • Superheroes (page 177) • Looking at Comic Books (page 178) • Opinion/Argument Writing Rubric 1 (page 305) • magnifying glasses (optional)

Bowery Boy Detective (cont.)

Using Text-Dependent Questions Writing for Understanding (Opinion/Argument) 6. Reread the comic book cover and do an interactive read-aloud, noting the primary 1. Tell students that they will create a comic focus, the intended audience, and all of the book cover that shows their opinion of what symbols or important details that you see. a hero means to them. They can use words Allow students to join in and say what they on this cover to explain what this hero does notice for the first time, too. and says as well as pictures and symbols. They should use the ideas from the two 7. Continue discussing the comic book cover comic book covers they’ve observed to help using the Key Ideas/Details and Craft and them create their own. Structure questions on page 175. 2. Meet with students to have them explain 8. Distribute copies of a modern day comic how they used the comic book covers in book cover. Examine this together as a class. their own ideas. 9. Discuss the similarities and differences 3. Use Opinion/Argument Writing Rubric 1 to between the two covers by asking students assess student writing. the first question in the Integration of Knowledge and Ideas section. 10. Distribute copies of the Superheroes graphic organizer and have students record their comparisons in pairs. 11. Discuss the second question listed under Integration of Knowledge and Ideas. If desired, have students record their responses to this question using the Looking at Comic Books activity sheet.

174 #51478—Analyzing and Writing with Primary Sources © Shell Education K–2 Exemplar Lesson Political Cartoons and Comic Strips

Bowery Boy Detective (cont.)

Discussion Questions Craft and Structure • How does the artist use suspense in this Language cartoon to make us want to read the story? • What is a “Blazed Trail”? Someone is holding on for life. We don’t know Answers might vary somewhat, but a blazed trail what is going to happen. People from down means to do something that no one else has below see it and are either yelling for help or done; it is something important. cheering the boy on. • What did the artist want us to know about this Key Ideas/Details cartoon? How do we know this? What are some of the unusual things you • The artist wanted us to know that the story was noticed about this cartoon? What are you exciting. We know this because Billy is hanging thinking about the cartoon? off of the building and is in a struggle with the Answers will vary. Some students might think it is other boy. a fight between the boys or an adventure story. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas • How do we know that trouble is happening in this cartoon? (Show both comic book covers.) The boys are on top of a building and one boy • How do these two examples show is pushing the other off. The text also says that superheroes? How are they alike and how are Bowery Billy is clinging to the support while the they different? other boy’s arms are pushing him. Answers will vary based on the examples. We • What clues tell you that this is a mystery story? know Bowery Billy is a hero because he is It says Man-Hunters and the author is a private the topic and main character who takes on detective. stronger people. How do we know which boy is Billy? • What do these texts tell us about what people • enjoy? Billy is the one hanging on to the support. The text at the bottom tell us this. Answers will vary based on the examples. The texts tell us that people like mysteries, adventure, • How do we know that this is an older cartoon? and heroes. They like good vs. evil. The date says 1906. The price is only five cents, which is really cheap. The buildings and the drawing of the cartoon look old-fashioned.

Bowery Boy Comic Book Cover

176 #51478—Analyzing and Writing with Primary Sources © Shell Education Political Cartoons and Comic Strips

Name:______Date: ______Superheroes

Directions: How do these two examples show superheroes? How are they alike? How are they different? Write or draw your answers in the boxes below.

Alike Different

Name:______Date: ______Looking at Comic Books

Directions: Look at the comic book covers. Answer the question.

What do these texts tell us about what people enjoy?

______

178 #51478—Analyzing and Writing with Primary Sources © Shell Education Political Cartoons and Comic Strips

Grades 3–5 Little Orphan Annie

Teacher Background Information

Overview Little Orphan Annie Cartoon Strips • People of the Depression era sought various forms Students closely read a set of cartoon of entertainment that provided either escape strips and answer questions about the from their lives or empathy for their situations. text, supporting their answers with Comic strips like “Little Orphan Annie” showed references to the texts. Then students a determined girl who could relate with the write a four-frame cartoon strip general public’s troubles. She pulled herself up that explains how hard times affect by her bootstraps while also helping the people families today. around her. People used entertainment to divert their attention from the poverty and sadness Standards around them. Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting • Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says • This story is about a homeless boy who lives in explicitly and when drawing an airport with his father, moving from terminal inferences from the text. to terminal trying not to be noticed, and is given hope when a trapped bird finally finds its Write informative/explanatory texts • freedom. to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. The Lost Boys of Sudan Video • Understand the environmental • Uploaded to YouTube.com by KTEH on June 4, and social impact of the Great 2009, this video is a profile on Sudanese civil war Depression. survivors, Simon Deng and Peter Nyok, and their experience as “Lost Boys” during the Sudanese Materials Civil War. This video can be found online by searching the key words Lost Boys of Sudan video. • Little Orphan Annie Cartoon Strips (page 182) • Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting • “The Lost Boys of Sudan” video • How to Survive (page 183) • Little Orphan Annie Questions (page 184) • Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric 2 (page 303)

Little Orphan Annie (cont.)

Reading Closely 9. Distribute copies of the How To Survive graphic organizer and allow students to work 1. Distribute copies of Little Orphan Annie in pairs to compare the sources and record Cartoon Strips to students. their thoughts. 2. Read each of the cartoon strips to the class, pausing after each one so that students can Writing for Understanding make notes in the margins about what they (Informative/Explanatory) observe in the text as well as what other information they need to know to make 1. Tell students that they will be writing a the content of the text understandable. cartoon strip that tells how some families Have them also circle any unfamiliar words have hard times because either they don’t or phrases. have places to live, money to pay for things, or other needs—let students choose or you 3. Begin the discussion by asking students to choose for them. Their cartoon strip should share what they observed about these three be at least four frames and should explain cartoon strips. what they have learned about this topic so that people will understand the problem. 4. Ask students to share words they circled and discuss their meaning. Use the discussion 2. Allow students to share their cartoons in questions from the Language section on small groups. page 181 to help facilitate this discussion. Allow students to make notes to help them 3. Use Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric 2 remember the meanings of the difficult to assess student writing. words or phrases.

Using Text-Dependent Questions 5. Reread the text aloud. Have students pay specific attention to the language and the details in the image that tell about Annie’s life before meeting Daddy Warbucks as well as how Daddy Warbucks feels about Annie. 6. Continue the discussion using the Key Ideas/ Details and Craft and Structure questions on page 181 as a guide. Distribute copies of Little Orphan Annie Questions to students and allow them time to record their responses using evidence from the text and the discussion. 7. Read Eve Bunting’s picture book Fly Away Home to students and watch the video “The Lost Boys of Sudan.” 8. Discuss the questions listed under Integration of Knowledge and Ideas.

180 #51478—Analyzing and Writing with Primary Sources © Shell Education 3–5 Exemplar Lesson Political Cartoons and Comic Strips

Little Orphan Annie (cont.)

Discussion Questions Craft and Structure • What is the author’s intended purpose of this Language cartoon? How do we know this? • What does it mean when the text says “you The author’s intended purpose was to show that can’t care for an old duffer like me any even a rich man can become poor and have more”? worries. The text says that a little job would He means that he is a washed up old man. mean more to him than all his money meant to him a few months ago. The author is showing Key Ideas/Details him as a real person. • What are some of the unusual things you • How did the comic book format impact the noticed about this cartoon? What are you purpose of the text? thinking about the cartoon? The comic book format is nonthreatening as a Answers will vary. Students might say that they text and can reach more people. So people did not know that Daddy Warbucks lost all his might read this and understand how this man is money. coping with losing everything. • Why did Daddy Warbucks lock the door and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas then pretend he didn’t know how it got locked? (Use all three sources.) He wanted to think things out alone. Some • How do the experiences of Annie and Daddy students might know that he (like many men at Warbucks, Andrew and his father, and the that time) was contemplating suicide. (Teacher Lost Boys compare to one another? How are Note: Suicide is a sensitive topic that may not be they alike, and how are they different? appropriate to discuss with students. Although it is an underlying meaning that is present in Answers will vary, but students may say that this cartoon, it is not essential that students all three were homeless or were going to be understand this point in order to comprehend homeless and they struggled for basic needs. the message from the comic’s author.) They are different in their specific situations. • What clues tell you about Annie’s life before • What do these texts tell us about the people meeting Daddy Warbucks? and events during which they were created? We know that Annie has not always lived with Answers will vary, but students may say that these Daddy Warbucks, that she was poor before, and texts tell us that throughout history people have that she is a good student. struggled with homelessness. • What does Daddy Warbucks think about • In what ways do these texts tell a story about Annie? How does this change over the course survival? Cite evidence from the text. of the text? Explain your thinking using The cartoon shows survival in the way that Daddy evidence from the cartoon. Warbucks is searching for a job but not giving At first, he thinks that he must protect her. By the up in the last cartoon strip. The boy and his end of the cartoon, he is sharing adult worries father talk about a day when they will have their with her without being protective. own place like they used to before his mother died. They both work to save money. The Lost Boys of Sudan did not give up even though they had to walk thousands of miles and were rejected at various places.

Little Orphan Annie Cartoon Strips

Name:______Date: ______How to Survive

Directions: Use this chart to show how each primary source illustrates the theme of survival.

Little Orphan Annie Fly Away Home The Lost Boys of Sudan

Name:______Date: ______Little Orphan Annie Questions

Directions: Read the text. Answer the questions below.

1. What are some of the unusual things you noticed about this cartoon? What do you think about the cartoon?

______

2. What clues tell you about Annie’s life before meeting Daddy Warbucks?

______

3. What does Daddy Warbucks think about Annie? How does this change over the course of the text? Explain your thinking using evidence from the cartoon.

______