<p> Technology Connected Activity Webb’s DOK 4 Title: Dr. Seuss Went to War (Political Cartoons and Dr. Seuss) Grade Levels:  9th – 12th Curriculum Areas:  History/Civics Measurable Objectives:  TLW analyze a political cartoon  TLW discuss the observations of Dr. Seuss’s political cartoons  TLW create a multi-media project using VoiceThreads to show their interpretation of Dr. Seuss’s political cartoons  TLW collaborate with other students by commenting on their interpretations CCSS/GLEs: Language Arts:</p><p> LA.11-12.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 - [Grade Level Standard] - Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and MEDIA (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.</p><p> LA.11-12.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2a - Introduce a topic and organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multiMEDIA when useful to aiding comprehension. United States History:</p><p> Standard 25: Understands the causes and course of World War II, the character of the war at home and abroad, and its reshaping of America’s roles in world affairs Civics:</p><p> Standard 29: Understands the importance of political leadership, public service, and a knowledgeable citizenry in American constitutional democracy K-12 Ed. Tech Standards:  Creativity and Innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.  Communication and Collaboration Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. 1  Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Technology Connection:  The Political Dr. Seuss web site http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/politicaldrseuss/political.html  Dr. Seuss Went to War (A Catalog of Political Cartoons) http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/#intro  Dr. Seuss: The Untold Story (YouTube video) http://youtu.be/L_VzlTiwRyw  National WWII Museum – Learn: Teachers & Students http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for- students/ww2-history/  Voice Threads http://voicethread.com/ Assessment:  VoiceThread – Interpretation of Political Cartoon  VoiceThread collaboration Procedures:  Use the “Dr. Seuss: The Untold Story” YouTube video to introduce background information on Dr. Seuss http://youtu.be/L_VzlTiwRyw  Have students read the text on the Political Cartooning page at THE POLITICAL DR. SEUSS Web site. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/politicaldrseuss/political.html  Discuss these questions as a class, asking students to consider what they’ve read on the site: - What are some advantages of political cartoons over plain text articles? (possible answers: less literate people can often understand them, they’re eye-catching and succinct) - What are some of the purposes and outcomes of political cartoons? (possible answers: they express political thought, champion activism and help bring about social change)  Students will visit the site, Dr. Seuss Went to War, http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/#intro  You will select a particular year, important person, place, issue or battle in WWII. You will locate and save 3-5 political cartoons created by Dr. Seuss to research and analyze.  You will use the National WWII Museum website, http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for- students/ww2-history/ to gather research to help you interpret the cartoons that you have collected. The following questions should be used as a guide to interpret each political cartoon: What is the main message of the cartoon? What event, issue or person does the cartoon refer to or target? Is the cartoon trying to persuade or inform? If so, what and how? What reaction or impact is Geisel looking for? What devises are used to get this message across? Choose one of these devises and discuss it in detail.</p><p>2 How has Geisel drawn the people/animals? Are they distorted or exaggerated? How does this affect the impact of the cartoon? Is the cartoon effective? Why or why not? What would make the cartoon more effective? Do you think cartoons are a good way of communicating a social or political message? Why or why not.  Students will create a Voice Thread about the political cartoons they selected and their interpretation of what it means. They should use voice and written annotations explanations in their Voice Threads.  Students will visit the Voice Threads created by other classmates and analyze their interpretations. They should conduct more research to either agree or disagree with the interpretation and give evidence from their research to prove or disprove their claim.  Closing: Discuss as group: How important do you think the work of political cartoonist is in general? Do you think they still play an important role in shaping public opinion? Why or Why not?</p><p>Extension Idea:  Students could create a short video acting out a political cartoon.</p><p>Materials:  Teacher’s Name:  K. Prine (Sources: PBS.org & West Baton Rouge Parish Technology Department) School:  CM Fagan</p><p>3</p>