Tips on Incorporating Cartoons into Your Lesson Plan
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Science Idol:
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As the next generation of scientists and citizens, today's students have a lot to gain from sound government science, and a lot to lose when science is abused. In order to encourage more students to enter this year’s Science Idol contest, we have added additional prizes to the mix to encourage student involvement. If a student wins, we'll give her a special tour of the UCS office in Washington to learn more about how science informs policy making in the nation's capital. What's more, we'll send the 2009 Scientific Integrity calendar to each student from your school who submits a contest entry, plus an additional 50 copies for the school!
Editorial cartoons can distill a complex issue or problem and make it accessible to the general public. Cartoons can also show emotion in a way that written editorials cannot.
When politicians lie, interfere with the scientific process, or make decisions that harm our health or environment, it is necessary in a democracy for citizens to demand better. Cartoons allow us to use emotion to portray opinions in a way that more people can understand.
It is for these reasons that editorial cartoons have become a popular and effective form of communication. Editorial cartoons can be a great teaching tool to help explain an historical or current event for the same reasons. They complement history, government, social studies, science, and art classes by providing a visual aid for potentially obtuse lessons.
But cartoons can also be used to teach higher-level thinking and analytical skills on their own. In order for an editorial cartoon to be meaningful, readers have to analyze and interpret the images and define both parts of the metaphor, all while keeping in mind the historical or political context of the issue. Without analytical skills and knowledge of current or historical events, editorial cartoons just aren't funny.
Help us raise awareness about political interference in science while enabling critical thinking among your students.
Download a sample lesson plan with tips on incorporating editorial cartoons into your classes.
