Political Cartoons, Commercials and Campaigns
Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman.”This exhibit is based on images and texts that are part of the official records of the US Senate housed at the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives. Clifford Berryman created political cartoons that satirized politics and politicians, elections wars, etc. His career as an editorial cartoonist spanned the years 1907-1949.
Media Construction of Presidential Campaign This website features lesson plans about the role of the media in presidential campaigns from 1800 to 2004. The site includes an array of historical images, songs, videos, and more. Lessons and documents are organized according to era, and the entire set is available as a free PDF download.
New York Times Learning Network Includes background information and news about current and historic events, including the current campaign, quizzes, a glossary, and lesson plans on other topics in US history, civics, and economics and ways to teach the events and meaning of 9/11. Also includes a current events history quiz and “This Date in History.”
Propaganda Techniques in Literature and Online Political Ads This direct link to a lesson for high-school students, grades 9 through 12, introduces propaganda techniques described in literary texts, and encourages students to connect literary depictions of propaganda techniques to those used in political commercials. Site sponsored by ReadWriteThink, a partnership between the International Reading Association (IRA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the Verizon Foundation.
The Opper Project This website is run by Ohio State University and the editorial political cartoons are organized thematically. This website includes lesson plans and excellent explanations of the tools cartoonists use such as stereotypes and caricatures.
Thinkfinity Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation's "free, comprehensive digital learning platform. If teachers click on the search options on the left side of the page, they can find discipline-specific, standards-based educational resources, including lesson plans, interactive activities, primary and secondary sources, and other online resources."