It’s a known fact that all kids love cartoons. Here are some exciting ways that homeschooling families can draw on that natural fascination to help children of all ages learn Social Studies, History, Politics, and develop advanced critical thinking skills. Through cartoon drawing, kids will be able to reinforce what they learn.
A Picture Says a Thousand Words
What the author or columnist might say in a thousand words, the cartoonist is able to sum up in a single picture. This wonderful phenomenon is the substance that creates appeal in all cartoons.
In a single image, a cartoon can make us smile, make us laugh, or even make us sigh and shake our heads. The cartoon’s ability to do this often has little to do with the artist’s drawing ability. Instead it is the ability of the cartoonist to make us think, to connect things in new ways, to see below the surface of the picture, and to relate what we see - regardless of the subject matter - to our own lives in some way, that makes the cartoon great.
How to Use Cartoons in Teaching
Helping children learn to understand political cartoons can also help them develop critical thinking skills, which inevitably will extend to every area of their lives. Political cartoons, and even the “Sunday Funnies”, are wonderful teaching tools that help give children insight into social and political situations. Children can learn to analyze cartoons, look for subtleties beneath the surface of familiar situations, and gain a better understanding of symbolism, satire, and humor.
Cartoons can spark thoughtful conversation, and open the doors for you and your child to discuss current events, social and family life, values, morals, and religious philosophies. They give insight into the world around us, and provide opportunities for genuine and meaningful communication.
Cartoons can also spark a child’s imagination and creativity. You and your child can develop your own cartoons, using them to share your point of view, or depict the situations that symbolize your own family, life, or beliefs.
Resources for Cartooning in the Classroom
Newspapers in Education, or NIE in its abbreviated form, offers wonderful ideas on using cartoons in the classroom. Materials are available for children in all grade levels, and are divided into easy to access sections for grades K-4, grades 5-8 and grades 9-12. Helpful hints for teachers help to ensure that including cartooning as a part of your classroom routine is educational and rewarding, for teacher and student. Illustrated worksheets are available to download. These wonderful activity pages give children information on how to analyze cartoons and develop their own cartooning skills, while using currently relevant materials as a guideline for lessons. Visit Newspapers In Education for more information.
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