create a political cartoon assignment

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How to Make a Political Cartoon

Last Updated: April 17, 2023 References

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 67 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 407,018 times. Learn more...

Expressing your political views through a political comic can be a humorous and effective way to convey your message. Through the use of certain artistic techniques and elements, you can present your political issue in a light that is in line with the content of your political subject matter. Learning what you might want to include and how to assemble it can help you create a great political comic and clearly express your views.

Planning The Comic

• Political cartoons aim to illustrate a certain issue and represent a viewpoint regarding it.
• Political cartoons generally make use of simple artwork to get their point across quickly and cleanly.
• Most political cartoons aim to illustrate perceived problems or defend political positions.

• Consider the issue you want to cover in your cartoon.
• Think of what you want to say about the issue.
• Imagine how you might represent the issue in your cartoon.

• Elephants and donkeys are good examples of commonly used symbols to represent political parties in the United States of America.
• Eagles are used to represent the United States of America itself.

• Exaggerating a person's features can help make them more recognizable.
• You can use exaggeration to make someone appear in a certain light, depending on the message you want to send.
• Generally, caricatures are used to make fun of someone or their message.

• Using labels can be a good technique to make the message of the comic clear.
• Although labels are acceptable in political cartoons, try not to overuse them.
• Label only important aspects of your comic.

• Think in terms of “like”.
• For example, international disputes about borders could be like children arguing on a playground about who owns the slide.

Creating The Comic

• Think about how best to use your space.
• Ask yourself what elements are most important. Give them the most space and attention in your layout.
• You might find that some original ideas don't fit or are cluttering the comics' intended message. Consider removing these extraneous elements.

• Start outlining with a pencil, allowing you to make changes later on.
• Once you are happy with how the sketch looks begin to clean up your lines.
• Clean your lines by either making them bold or by erasing any rough areas and drawing them smoothly.
• It's okay to make some last minute changes and add some finishing touches.
• If you are happy with how your comic looks you can finalize your lines using black ink.

• Speech bubbles are generally smooth and oval shaped, with a triangular extension that points towards the person speaking.
• You may also want to use thought bubbles. Thought bubbles are like speech bubbles but appear as small clouds, holding your characters inner dialogue within them.

• Colors can carry meaning. For example, the Democratic party of the United States uses blue.
• You can use any coloring tools you feel comfortable with including colored pencils, ink, or even crayons.
• You may also consider scanning your black and white image into a computer and digitally coloring it.

• There are many programs that allow you to create a comic using digital art, much like you would with a pen and paper.
• Some services come with art preloaded, allowing you to use this art in your own layout by simply dragging and dropping figures and elements where you want them.

Sharing Your Comic

• Ask your friends and family for their honest opinions about the comic.
• Any discussions that result can be used for ideas when creating future comics.
• Ask your friends and family if they feel the "message" of your comic is clear.
• Discuss what they like about the comic or what changes they might have to suggest.

• Some social media sites cater to artwork or comics.
• Social media allows you to share your comic with a wide audience.
• On-line communities can offer helpful feedback, allowing you to improve your comics.

• Submit your comics to publishers or publishing syndicates.
• There are many independent publishers that also accept comic submissions.
• Check with local or smaller publications to increase your chances of getting published.
• Self-publishing a collection of your comics might be an option for you.

Community Q&A

• Digital software can be a quick and easy way to create your comic. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
• Make a rough layout of the overall comic. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
• Think about the methods you want to use to deliver the message, including symbolism or analogy. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/drawing-for-change-analyzing-and-making-political-cartoons/?_r=0
• ↑ http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-eg/6460
• ↑ http://gomedia.com/zine/tutorials/some-like-it-dirty-comic-book-inking-and-coloring-tutorial/
• ↑ http://www.hoodedutilitarian.com/2014/01/how-do-comics-artists-use-speech-balloons-s/
• ↑ http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/all_about_comics/all_about/76/

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The New York Times

The Learning Network | Drawing for Change: Analyzing and Making Political Cartoons

Drawing for Change: Analyzing and Making Political Cartoons

Updated, Nov. 19, 2015 | We have now announced the winners of our 2015 Editorial Cartoon Contest here .

Political cartoons deliver a punch. They take jabs at powerful politicians, reveal official hypocrisies and incompetence and can even help to change the course of history . But political cartoons are not just the stuff of the past. Cartoonists are commenting on the world’s current events all the time, and in the process, making people laugh and think. At their best, they challenge our perceptions and attitudes.

Analyzing political cartoons is a core skill in many social studies courses. After all, political cartoons often serve as important primary sources, showing different perspectives on an issue. And many art, history and journalism teachers take political cartoons one step further, encouraging students to make their own cartoons.

In this lesson, we provide three resources to assist teachers working with political cartoons:

• an extended process for analyzing cartoons and developing more sophisticated interpretations;
• a guide for making cartoons, along with advice on how to make one from Patrick Chappatte, an editorial cartoonist for The International New York Times ;
• a resource library full of links to both current and historic political cartoons.

Use this lesson in conjunction with our Editorial Cartoon Contest or with any political cartoon project you do with students.

Materials | Computers with Internet access. Optional copies of one or more of these two handouts: Analyzing Editorial Cartoons ; Rubric for our Student Editorial Cartoon Contest .

Analyzing Cartoons

While political cartoons are often an engaging and fun source for students to analyze, they also end up frustrating many students who just don’t possess the strategies or background to make sense of what the cartoonist is saying. In other words, understanding a cartoon may look easier than it really is.

Learning how to analyze editorial cartoons is a skill that requires practice. Below, we suggest an extended process that can be used over several days, weeks or even a school year. The strength of this process is that it does not force students to come up with right answers, but instead emphasizes visual thinking and close reading skills. It provides a way for all students to participate, while at the same time building up students’ academic vocabulary so they can develop more sophisticated analyses over time.

Throughout this process, you might choose to alternate student groupings and class formats. For example, sometimes students will work independently, while other times they will work in pairs or small groups. Similarly, students may focus on one single cartoon, or they may have a folder or even a classroom gallery of multiple cartoons.

Open-Ended Questioning

We suggest beginning cartoon analysis using the same three-question protocol we utilize every Monday for our “ What’s Going On in This Picture? ” feature to help students bring to the surface what the cartoon is saying:

• What is going on in this editorial cartoon?
• What do you see that makes you say that?
• What more can you find?

These simple, open-ended questions push students to look closely at the image without pressuring them to come up with a “correct” interpretation. Students can notice details and make observations without rushing, while the cyclical nature of the questions keeps sending them back to look for more details.

As you repeat the process with various cartoons over time, you may want to ask students to do this work independently or in pairs before sharing with the whole class. Here is our editorial cartoon analysis handout (PDF) to guide students analyzing any cartoon, along with one with the above Patrick Chappatte cartoon (PDF) already embedded.

Developing an Academic Vocabulary and a Keener Eye

Once students gain confidence noticing details and suggesting different interpretations, always backed up by evidence, it is useful to introduce them to specific elements and techniques cartoonists use. Examples include: visual symbols, metaphors, exaggeration, distortion, stereotypes, labeling, analogy and irony. Helping students recognize and identify these cartoonists’ tools will enable them to make more sophisticated interpretations.

The Library of Congress (PDF) and TeachingHistory.org (PDF) both provide detailed explanations of what these elements and techniques mean, and how cartoonists use them.

In addition to those resources, three other resources that can help students develop a richer understanding of a cartoon are:

• The SOAPSTone strategy, which many teachers use for analyzing primary sources, can also be used for looking at political cartoons.
• This student handout (PDF) breaks up the analysis into two parts: identifying the main idea and analyzing the method used by the artist.
• The National Archives provides a cartoon analysis work sheet to help students reach higher levels of understanding.

Once students get comfortable using the relevant academic vocabulary to describe what’s going on in a cartoon, we suggest returning to the open-ended analysis questions we started with, so students can become more independent and confident cartoon analysts.

Making an Editorial Cartoon

The Making of an Editorial Cartoon

Patrick Chappatte, an editorial cartoonist for The International New York Times, offers advice on how to make an editorial cartoon while working on deadline.

Whether you are encouraging your students to enter our Student Editorial Cartoon Contest , or are assigning students to make their own cartoons as part of a history, economics, journalism, art or English class, the following guide can help you and your students navigate the process.

Learn from an Editorial Cartoonist

We asked Patrick Chappatte, an editorial cartoonist for The International New York Times, to share with us how he makes an editorial cartoon on deadline, and to offer students advice on how to make a cartoon. Before watching the film above, ask students to take notes on: a) what they notice about the process of making a cartoon, and b) what advice Mr. Chappatte gives students making their own cartoons.

After watching, ask students to share what information they find useful as they prepare to make their own editorial cartoons.

Then, use these steps — a variation on the writing process — to help guide students to make their own cartoons.

Step 1 | Brainstorm: What Is a Topic or Issue You Want to Comment On?

As a professional cartoonist, Mr. Chappatte finds themes that connect to the big news of the day. As a student, you may have access to a wider or narrower range of topics from which to choose. If you are entering a cartoon into our Student Editorial Cartoon Contest, you can pick any topic or issue covered in The New York Times, which not only opens up the whole world to you, but also historical events as well — from pop music to climate change to the Great Depression. If this a class assignment, you may have different instructions.

Step 2 | Make a Point: What Do You Want to Say About Your Topic?

Once you pick an issue, you need to learn enough about your topic to have something meaningful to say. Remember, a political cartoon delivers commentary or criticism on a current issue, political topic or historical event.

For example, if you were doing a cartoon about the deflated football scandal would you want to play up the thought that Tom Brady must have been complicit, or would you present him as a victim of an overzealous N.F.L. commissioner? Considering the Republican primaries , would you draw Donald Trump as a blowhard sucking air out of the room and away from more serious candidates, or instead make him the standard- bearer for a genuine make-America-great-again movement?

You can see examples of how two cartoonists offer differing viewpoints on the same issue in Newspaper in Education’s Cartoons for the Classroom and NPR’s Double Take .

Mr. Chappatte explains that coming up with your idea is the most important step. “How do ideas come? I have no recipe,” he says. “While you start reading about the story, you want to let the other half of your brain loose.”

Strategies he suggests for exploring different paths include combining two themes, playing with words, making a joke, or finding an image that sums up a situation.

Step 3 | Draw: What Are Different Ways to Communicate Your Ideas?

Then, start drawing. Try different angles, test various approaches. Don’t worry too much about the illustration itself; instead, focus on getting ideas on paper.

Mr. Chappatte says, “The drawing is not the most important part. Seventy-five percent of a cartoon is the idea, not the artistic skills. You need to come up with an original point of view. And I would say that 100 percent of a cartoon is your personality.”

Consider using one or more of the elements and techniques that cartoonists often employ, such as visual symbols, metaphors, exaggeration, distortion, labeling, analogy and irony.

Step 4 | Get Feedback: Which Idea Lands Best?

Student cartoonists won’t be able to get feedback from professional editors like Mr. Chappatte does at The International New York Times, but they should seek feedback from other sources, such as teachers, fellow students or even family members. You certainly can ask your audience which sketch they like best, but you can also let them tell you what they observe going on in the cartoon, to see what details they notice, and whether they figure out the ideas you want to express.

Step 5 | Revise and Finalize: How Can I Make an Editorial Cartoon?

Once you pick which draft you’re going to run with, it’s time to finalize the cartoon. Try to find the best tools to match your style, whether they are special ink pens, markers or a computer graphics program.

As you work, remember what Mr. Chappatte said: “It’s easier to be outrageous than to be right on target. You don’t have to shoot hard; you have to aim right. To me the best cartoons give you in one visual shortcut everything of a complex situation; funny and deep, both light and heavy; I don’t do these cartoons every day, not even every week, but those are the best.” That’s the challenge.

Step 6 | Publish: How Can My Editorial Cartoon Reach an Audience?

Students will have the chance to publish their editorial cartoons on the Learning Network on or before Oct. 20, 2015 as part of our Student Contest. We will use this rubric (PDF) to help select winners to feature in a separate post. Students can also enter their cartoons in the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards new editorial cartoon category for a chance to win a national award and cash prize.

Even if your students aren’t making a cartoon for our contest, the genre itself is meant to have an audience. That audience can start with the teacher, but ideally it shouldn’t end there.

Students can display their cartoons to the class or in groups. Classmates can have a chance to respond to the artist, leading to a discussion or debate. Students can try to publish their cartoons in the school newspaper or other local newspapers or online forums. It is only when political cartoons reach a wider audience that they have the power to change minds.

Where to Find Cartoons

Finding the right cartoons for your students to analyze, and to serve as models for budding cartoonists, is important. For starters, Newspaper in Education provides a new “ Cartoons for the Classroom ” lesson each week that pairs different cartoons on the same current issue. Below, we offer a list of other resources:

• Patrick Chappatte
• Brian McFadden

A Selection of the Day’s Cartoons

• Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
• U.S. News and World Report

Recent Winners of the Herblock Prize, the Thomas Nast Award and the Pulitzer Prize

• Kevin Kallaugher in the Baltimore Sun
• Jen Sorensen in The Austin Chronicle
• Tom Tomorrow in The Nation
• Signe Wilkinson in the Philadelphia Daily News
• Adam Zyglis in The Buffalo News
• Kevin Siers in The Charlotte Observer
• Steve Sack in the Star Tribune

Historical Cartoonists

• Thomas Nast
• Paul Conrad

Other Historical Cartoon Resources

• Library of Congress | It’s No Laughing Matter
• BuzzFeed | 15 Historic Cartoons That Changed The World

Please share your own experiences with teaching using political cartoons in the comments section.

What's Next

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Flickr user aleriy osipov, Creative Commons

• English & Literature
• Grades 9-12
• Comics & Animation

Drawing Political Cartoons How do political cartoons convey messages about current events?

In this 9-12 lesson, students will analyze cartoon drawings to create an original political cartoon based on current events. Students will apply both factual knowledge and interpretive skills to determine the values, conflicts, and important issues reflected in political cartoons.

Get Printable Version   Copy to Google Drive

Lesson Content

• Preparation
• Instruction

Learning Objectives  

Students will: 

• Analyze visual and language clues to determine the meaning of contemporary and historical political cartoons.
• Research and gather information to plan a visual story. 
• Create a political cartoon based on a current event.

Standards Alignment

National Core Arts Standards National Core Arts Standards

VA:Cr1.2.Ia Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice of art or design.

VA:Cr3.1.Ia Apply relevant criteria from traditional and contemporary cultural contexts to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for works of art and design in progress.

VA:Re.7.1.Ia Hypothesize ways in which art influences perception and understanding of human experiences.

VA:Re.7.2.Ia Analyze how one’s understanding of the world is affected by experiencing visual imagery.

VA:Cn11.1.Ia Describe how knowledge of culture, traditions, and history may influence personal responses to art.

MA:Re7.1.Ia Analyze the qualities of and relationships between the components, style, and preferences communicated by media artworks and artists.

MA:Re7.1.Ib Analyze how a variety of media artworks manage audience experience and create intention through multimodal perception.

MA:Cn11.1.Ia Demonstrate and explain how media artworks and ideas relate to various contexts, purposes, and values, such as social trends, power, equality, and personal/cultural identity.

Common Core State Standards Common Core State Standards

ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

Recommended Student Materials

Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

• Rubric: Drawing Political Cartoons
• Vocabulary: Drawing Political Cartoons
• Political Cartoon Analysis
• PBS News Hour
• The Cartoon
• Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoon Trends
• The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
• The Week Cartoons
• Politico Cartoons

Teacher Background

Teachers share articles or a list of media resources that are appropriate for their class in order to read current events. Teachers will need to find a variety of political cartoons, preferably displaying opposing sides of an issue. Carefully review each cartoon prior to sharing them with students. Optional articles to discuss include: How Women Broke Into the Male-Dominated World of Cartoons and Illustrations , What is a Cartoonist? , and Cartoonists - left, right, and center - have their say on Texas freeze and power outage .

Student Prerequisites  

Students should have familiarity with current events and strategies for analyzing and interpreting events.

Accessibility Notes

Modify handouts, text, and utilize assistive technologies as needed. Allow extra time for task completion.

• Display a variety of cartoons about a current event that the students are familiar with as an introduction. Be sure that the cartoons represent opposing positions about the same topic. Explain to the students that political cartoons are biased because they represent the artist’s point of view, as does an editorial. They are intended to be controversial and characterized in nature. Their meaning is conveyed by both visual and verbal clues.
• Read the following quote to the class: “A cartoonist is a writer and artist, philosopher, and punster, cynic and community conscience. He seldom tells a joke and often tells the truth, which is funnier. In addition, the cartoonist is more than an asocial critic who tries to amuse, infuriate, or educate. He is also, unconsciously, a reporter and historian. Cartoons of the past leave records of their times that reveal how people lived, what they thought, how they dressed and acted, what their amusements and prejudices were, and what the issues of the day were.” (Ruff and Nelson, p. 75.)
• Tell students that they are going to analyze political cartoons and create one of their own based on a current event. Have students create a variety of political cartoons displaying contrasting viewpoints. Share the following websites with students: Daryl Cagel's Political Cartoon Trends , The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists , The Week Cartoons , GoComics , and Politico Cartoons . 
• Distribute and review the resource, Vocabulary: Drawing Political Cartoons . Discuss with students some of the elements present in the cartoons: caption, caricature, symbolism, the proportional size of objects and people, and personification . Help students identify the personalities in the cartoons you have displayed and ask them what issue or event they think the cartoon is about. Ask the students what details they used to make an inference.
• Divide students into small groups. Distribute a political cartoon to each group and ask them to identify the elements and context of the cartoon. Students can utilize the following, Read, Write, Think resource to assist with the research and planning of their drawing: Political Cartoon Analysis . Teachers should encourage the class to brainstorm ideas to evoke different responses. Divergent answers should be accepted. Interpretation must be open-ended.
• Have each group summarize their political cartoon analysis. The rest of the class should have an opportunity to weigh in about whether or not they agree with the group’s analysis of the cartoon.
• Introduce print and web new resources with students to identify political topics. PBS News Hour , Newsela , NPR are examples of media organizations that share current events. 
• Have students create their own political cartoon depicting their opinion about a current issue. Review the Criteria for Success: Political Cartoons resource with students and discuss examples of each criterion. Allow time for students to create their political cartoon.  
• Have students share their political cartoon with the class, briefly describing the issue involved and key elements used during the cartoon-making process.
• Assess the students’ knowledge of drawing political cartoons with the Rubric: Drawing Political Cartoons .
• Have students read The Cartoon by Herb Block , one cartoonist’s take on the role played by political cartoons. Ask students: Why would Lucy, the character from Peanuts, have made a good cartoonist according to Block? What does Block mean when he says that the political cartoon is a means for “puncturing pomposity?” How do political cartoonists help “the good guys?” How do political cartoonists’ relationships with their newspapers differ? What does Block say about the “fairness” of political cartoons? What different opinions about this are held?
• Analyze the differences between cartoons and comics. Have students explore contemporary webcomics: Huda Fahmy , Alec With Pen , Aditi Mali , Brown Paperbag Comics , and Christine Rai . 

Original Writer

Daniella Garran

Diane Dotson

JoDee Scissors

July 22, 2021

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How to Make Your Own Political Cartoons With Animatron

It feels like the whole world has their eyes on the US 2016 presidential elections. People take sides, make bets, discuss and argue who the next US president is going to be. If you have been following the news (or even just browsed the Internet recently), you probably know that these elections are among the most controversial ones in history. With less than four months until the Big Day, the debates are only heating up more every minute.

How will the elections end up? Who is going to be the president? The good news is that now you can take control over the situation! With the new free Political Set introduced by Animatron you can now create your very own political cartoon and make candidates do and say whatever you want. We have prepared a full set of animated candidates running for President and added other prominent figures to help you make your animations more fun and engaging.

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4.Download the cartoon or share via social media or direct link. This tutorial will explain the process in detail.

Why are we so excited about the Political Set?

We love all our animated sets but this particular one turned out to be very realistic and funny. There are numerous ways you can use it:

• Practice political humour. Ever wanted to create your own funny political cartoons and political videos? Even if all you did before was re-twitting editorial cartoons from The Washington Post , Animatron now empowers you to make your own animations in minutes, easily.
• Teach political cartoons and history. Animate primary debates, create political cartoons lesson plans, study eloquence and theory of knowledge by asking students to write speeches for the candidates. Make your students excited about learning! * Create animated infographics. If you are blogging about the elections, the Political Set is a great resource to boost your content marketing. Here’s an example:
• Make funny GIFs to share with friends. For whatever reason, people love animated images: they are great for sharing emotions, explaining ideas or mere entertainment . With Animatron, you can use pre- animated characters to create your own animated GIFs to be used in social media, blog posts or anywhere else.

Want to illustrate one of the candidates’ speeches or just have some fun? Try it now!

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Drawing Political Cartoons Using Procreate – Start To Finish

I remember the world before Photoshop, iPads and digital cameras. It was an analog world – cassette tapes and Cable TV were kings. Pencils and paint brushes were my tools. I was first exposed to an early version of Photoshop in college and at the time, it seemed unsuited to traditional drawing and painting media .

All of that has change inside of two decades. I’ll admit, I was resistant to digital drawing and painting at first. I worried about the viability of “virtual” artwork.

I was wrong.

Whether you are a professional illustrator or you draw for fun, there are many advantages to drawing on a tablet. Let’s first consider those general advantages and then take a look at a specific application, Procreate. Designed for the iPad, Procreate offers a slick and intuitive drawing experience.

4 Reasons To Draw Digitally

1. mistakes.

To draw well, you must embrace the fact that erasing happens. Erasers have a bad habit of leaving marks and marring the surface. Of course, nothing erases as completely as a pixel. When you work in Procreate there are no eraser marks. Besides erasing, you can undo numerous steps in most applications. Procreate allows you to “undo” every mark you make because it stores your sequence of marks in memory, from start to finish.

2. No More Photographing Drawings

When I was an art student, I had to learn how to photograph artwork well. Good quality photographs improved your chances of getting into art shows or selling cartoons. Today, most editors review illustrations digitally, even when they are meant for print. If your art is digital to begin with, you can cut out the photography step – saving time, money and effort.

3. Create Multiple versions

Cartoons created for the internet are often in color. However, many publications only print in black and white. Working digitally, you can duplicate a file (drawing) midway through the process. Finish one version in color and the other in black and white. This time saving trick allows the cartoonist to submit the most appropriate version of their cartoons to each publisher.

4. Work Anywhere

Artists have been working outside of the studio for sometime now, carrying essential drawing tools with them – paper, pencils, pens, markers, etc. Drawing digitally (especially using Procreate) lets you go a step further and take your entire studio with you, not just the essentials. Of course, an iPad with Procreate is not only a portable studio but a portable office. Make and sell your art all in one place or in any place.

Using Procreate to Create Drawings

The remainder of this article focuses on Procreate only. There are many applications built for artists that share some of the features of Procreate but, in my experience, Procreate has everything I need and none of what I don’t. It is a powerful drawing and painting platform. Let’s look at some advantages to using Procreate, then we will go through the process of creating a political cartoon, step-by-step.

Why Procreate?

Familiarity – At this point many in the art and design industry are familiar with Photoshop. But you don’t need to be an expert in Adobe Photoshop to use Procreate to it’s fullest. However, if you have experience with Photoshop you will be up and running almost immediately since there are similarities. For example, if you are accustomed to using dozens of layers to build your images or you use masks to isolate individual elements, you can still do these things in Procreate.

Cost – For the cost of one sketchbook or canvas you can have Procreate forever. That’s a great value. Of course you have to buy a touch sensitive iPad and Apple Pencil first (It’s worth it, if you’re wondering).

File Size – I used to draw with Brushes, a program that is available for the iPad. It is a simple program with many limitations. For one, the file size/resolution matches the screen size. This limitation prevented me from doing serious work in Brushes. Using Procreate, I can make a canvas as large as 16,000 pixels wide! For cartooning I like to make my files double the intended print size.

Customizable – You will probably find all of the tools that you’ll need built in to Procreate. My favorite brushes came pre-installed. However, on the off chance that you can not find a tool that makes the mark you want, you can create/upload your own brushes as well, giving your work a unique look. You can also visit the Custom Brushes Board on Procreate’s forum to download more FREE brushes and brush sets.

• Download Procreate from the App Store

The Cartooning Process

NOTE: As an example, I have drawn a political cartoon that is rather innocuous, poking fun at both the left and right sides of the political spectrum. It was my intention to create an example and not to make a strong political statement or to alienate you, the reader, with a divisive position.

The following process is a logical approach to cartooning using Procreate. Should you choose to cartoon using Procreate you will likely develop your own process. One goal of this article is to give you a framework to begin your own path of discovery. This article is, by no means, a definitive explanation of Procreate’s utility.

Related: First impressions of the app, Procreate

Step One – Create A Canvas

Open Procreate and select a canvas size or customize a canvas size and proportion by selecting “New Canvas”. Many single-panel cartoonist use a 24 X 19 pica rectangle which converts to 384 X 304 pixels. I double those dimensions to 768 X 608 pixels.The example herein makes use of a square panel.

Selecting “New Canvas” offers the options pictured below.

Step Two – Create A Sketch

Time to draw. Begin by choosing a tool that gives you a desirable mark. I like to use the studio pen for it’s range of line quality. You can adjust the pen size on the right edge of your screen (left side for left handed artist). Create a layer and begin a loose sketch. Don’t draw on the “background” layer .

Sometimes, I make my sketch on paper beforehand. Using the iPad camera, I’ll photograph the drawing and import the photograph into Procreate. In the example video, the sketching step was done entirely in Procreate.

Step Three – Contour Lines

Create a new layer above  your sketch layer and, at the same time, reduce the opacity of the sketch layer to about 30 percent. Now you can carefully make a clean, detailed contour line drawing over your sketch layer. Once complete, delete the sketch layer. You no longer need it. As you create layers, be sure to name them to avoid drawing on the wrong layer in subsequent steps. Sometimes I use several layers to make a clean contour drawing, giving me the option to move or resize individual elements of the composition until I am satisfied.

Step Four – Line Work

One hallmark of political cartooning is extensive line work. Hatching and cross-hatching are common techniques used to create value with pen tools. Create a new layer below your outline layer. Name it “shading” or something similar. Now you can work up the value in your drawing and make edits to your shading without affecting the contour drawing layer.

Step Five – Color

Not all political cartoons use color. If you plan to work in color open a new layer under all other layers (except background) and name it “color”. Sometimes I have several color layers that I later “merge” into one. Start in the background and forward. Zoom-in as you add color to ensure that your colors bump right up against the outlines of the contour layer.

Step Six – Sign Your Work

Of course you have to sign your artwork. Create a signature on a separate layer. You can then copy your signature from one drawing and paste it into another to guarantee consistency.  You may also add a web address to your signature to help others find your artwork. If you start cartooning for a specific publication, your signature may include the publication’s name instead of a web address.

Step Seven – Export and Share

Procreate automatically saves your progress as you work. Once complete, export your work as a JPEG, PDF, PSD (preserves layers) or PNG file. You can also export the entire process as a movie file! Share your work on social media or sent it via email to appropriate publishers for review.

Shading With Color

Some artists prefer to shade with color instead of lines or in addition to lines. You can use the selection tool (set to automatic at the bottom of your screen) to isolate an element in your composition. Then, using a large, soft airbrush tool, shade that element without getting any color/value on the surrounding imagery. This keeps the process neat and controllable.

Adding Text

Whether you intend to add words below your cartoon or in your cartoon, they must be legible and consistent. You can carefully write your words but this is time consuming. As an alternative, type the text using Pages (Apple’s word processing application). Once complete, simply take a screenshot and import the words as an image into your cartoon. The selection tool will isolate the words from the white space around them. Delete the white space and you now have words without a background. Move and resize them to fit the intended space.

It gets better. There are several websites that will walk you through the steps to create your own hand-written font. I recommend calligraphr.com (previously know as myscriptfont.com). Just write your letters into a downloadable template (partial sample below), then scan and upload your new font to calligraphr.com. They generate a font file that you can then import into Pages. Now you can type your handwriting, saving loads of time.

If you like cartooning, give Procreate a try. I’m sure that you’ll find it to be worthy investment in your artistic arsenal.

Lesson Discussion

How do we create cartoons with pencils instead of photoshop? I am interested in creating cartoons.

Comments are closed.

Political Cartoons: Then and Now

Students will analyze and share the history of a political cartoon and then create their own cartoon about a current event..

Apps: Wixie ® , Pixie ® , or Share ™

For over 250 years, political cartoons have used humor and exaggeration to reach people on a variety of topics, even if they can't read. Learn how to use this powerful communication tool as you explore a political cartoon from the past, share the history of its conception, and use what you have learned to create your own cartoon based on a current event.

Students have most likely seen a political cartoon, though they may confuse political cartoons with a single-panel illustration designed simply for humor. More than just a funny drawing, a political cartoon is a pointed commentary on a current event or the actions of a person or group in politics.

Show students Ben Franklin's “ Join or Die ” cartoon, but don't explain its meaning or origin.

Ask them if they have seen this image before. What do they think it might mean? Bring up Ben Franklin or the early American Colonies and see if that helps them recognize that the initials in the image represent colonies.

Franklin's “Join or Die” is generally acknowledged as the first political cartoon in America, published first on May 9, 1754 in Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette. Franklin drew this image to generate support at the Albany Congress for his idea of an intercolonial association to respond to the threat of the Iroquois. “Join or Die,&rdquo and this image of the snake, quickly became symbolic of the cause of colonial unification.

Select a current political cartoon that reflects a recent topic or event your students are familiar with. You may also want to ask students to locate a political cartoon in a local paper or using an online source as a homework assignment. Project or distribute the cartoon so all students can view it. What historical moment does the comic depict? Ask students to share additional information they know or research about the topic or event.

What visual elements are present in the cartoon? Discuss what students can see and read in the cartoon. Explore how the cartoon uses caricature to enhance the meaning.

Provide students with analytical tools and questions they can use to decode and understand other political cartoons. The Library of Congress has a great cartoon analysis guide that discusses how political cartoonists use symbolism, exaggeration, labeling, analogy, and irony to communicate their point of view and message.

Have each student choose a time in history that interests them. Task them with the job of searching the web or exploring sites like Cartoons for the Classroom and About.com's Political Humor to find a specific cartoon they want to examine and analyze. If you are concerned about students' ability to analyze on their own, or if you want to provide additional support to students, have them work in small teams to choose and analyze a cartoon.

Distribute the National Archives Cartoon Analysis Guide to each student to help direct their analysis.

Have students use the information from the completed worksheet to create a 1-3 paragraph analysis of their political cartoon that could be used to help other students make sense of the illustration and the subject it depicts.

Have students launch Share and open the Cartoon Scrapbook template (Project>New>Templates>Social Studies). Students can click and drag the cartoon onto the image placeholder to add to the page. Once the image is added, they can use the resize handles to adjust its appearance. They can type or copy and paste their written analysis into the text box. You can also search for “political cartoon” in Wixie and assign this activity to your students.

The template also provides a page for students to draw their own political cartoon. You may choose to have them create another political cartoon depicting the same time period or select a current event or person as the subject for their satirical illustration. Students can use the clip art and drawing tools to make their caricatures and scene or import an image they illustrate on paper.

Students can use the text box below the image to summarize their work or to create a caption that supports the illustration.

You could also use political cartoons to explore a single historical period in greater depth. Instead of having individual students create their own scrapbooks, locate and assign a selection of political cartoons and have students work individually or in small teams to complete an analysis. Have students compile their work on the “example” page of the Share template and then click the Share button on the toolbar to combine everyone's work into a single class book!

Give each student or team an opportunity to present their analysis to the entire class or to small groups of students. You can also export student work as as ePubs you can share as a resource for other students. Click the Project button, Export as an ePub, and upload the files to your iBooks or Google Drive for distribution. If you don't use eReaders, you can instead export students' work as PDF files for easy sharing.

You can assess student's prior knowledge and analytical skills as you begin discussing Franklin's “Join or Die” cartoon. You can continue to evaluate their ability as you ask questions during their analysis of a current event and examine their individual exploration using the Cartoon Analysis worksheet from the National Archives.

Be sure to ask clarifying questions to ensure that students understand how author's/illustrator's use symbolism, exaggeration, analogy, and/or irony. You may find it necessary to revisit these terms, their definitions, and their applications.

During students' presentations of the completed analyses, ask the class to serve as evaluators of success. After a few students have shared, talk as a class about what makes a great cartoon and what constitutes an effective analysis.

Stephen Hess and Sandy Northrup. American Political Cartoons: The Evolution of a National Identity, 1754-2010 ISBN: 1412811198

THE CARTOON: By Herb Block

Political Cartoon Collection: About.com

The National Archives Cartoon Analysis Guide

Library of Congress: Political Cartoons in U.S. History

Library of Congress: It's No Laughing Matter

Cartoons for the Classroom: The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Grades 6-8

Key Ideas and Details

2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Craft and Structure

6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.

ISTE NETS for Students 2016:

6. Creative Communicator Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. Students:

a. choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.

b. create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.

c. communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.

d. publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

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I can’t imagine teaching civics and government without political cartoons—they are  essential  to the subject. 

They make the best entry point for introducing concepts and diving deeper into diverse viewpoints on political issues. 

Head over to my blog post,  How to Teach Political Cartoons , where I detail the POPES process I’ve used for years. Then, download your  FREE lesson kit  to get started.

This analysis strategy works well for bell ringers to cover current political news and as part of the main lesson to teach civics concepts. 

Certain topics, I’ve found over the years, are perfect for using cartoons to teach. So here I’ve outlined some activity ideas for using them to help you teach five key government concepts.

Finding Great Political Cartoons

First, though, we need to find some good cartoons! 

I don’t link to any specific cartoons in this blog post simply because the second I do, they’re dated! 

Usually, only a few cartoons are perennial enough to use the following year, and I’m constantly swapping in fresh ones my students can best relate to. You’ll want to do this as well.

Here are my go-to spots for grabbing high-resolution current and historical political cartoons:

Daryl Cagle’s  searchable database of current cartoons

The Week’s  and   US News’s  collections of recent cartoons

Library of Congress’s collection of over  800 cartoons from throughout American history    and their dedicated  Herbert Block collection  that spans much of the late 1900s

Wikimedia Commons’ collection of  Puck  and  Judge  magazine covers from the late 1800s and early 1900s

Teaching How to Analyze Cartoons

As I said above, I use the POPES method I’ve developed over the years. Before using cartoons to teach content, students need to have the skills to understand them. 

Be sure to spend time teaching how to analyze political cartoons before your first lesson that uses them! My  FREE Political Cartoon Analysis Kit  is a complete how-to lesson that does this for you.

Okay, now that’s all taken care of, let’s dive into civics concepts that are perfect for using political cartoons to teach. I’ve never found a shortage of cartoons to help students learn and develop claims on these five topics.

Principles of the Constitution

After introducing the  different principles of the US Constitution ,  I have my students identify them in political cartoons depicting events that relate to each. 

For example, I’ll pick a cartoon of the President and Congress at odds over a recent veto to illustrate checks and balances. Or a cartoon dealing with Election Day for popular sovereignty. 

You can search using the principles themselves, but you don’t want the cartoon actually to  say  the principle. That’s why I also search for recent events that have involved the concept. 

I’ll post these cartoons around the room as stations. Students first analyze them and then identify which principle each best depicts. 

Different Forms of Governments

I do an almost identical lesson sequence when we learn the  different types of government systems .

Here, it’s helpful to use countries I’ve already given as examples of the various types when I first defined them. 

For example, a cartoon of the UK’s King Charles trying to fill the shoes of his mother to illustrate  monarchy . 

I like how the  Cagle database  includes international cartoonists, to which you can limit your search.  

Find cartoons depicting each system of government that your students need to learn and make matching cards for formative practice. 

Voting Issues & Attitudes

During my  Voting & Election Unit , I search terms like “voting” or “Election Day” or, even more specifically, for issues like “voter turnout” or “vote by mail.”

You should have no problem finding a variety of cartoons that illustrate attitudes about the upcoming election and voting rights and access. 

Use cartoons from across the nation to introduce voting issues affecting different states. This helps emphasize how, while voting is a federal right, how we vote is handled at the state level. 

If your state is vote-by-mail only, share cartoons depicting long voter lines, for example. 

You can also have students agree or disagree with the cartoons’ punchline, providing evidence from what they’ve learned to support their position. 

For example, select cartoons that argue things like voter apathy among young people or that voting is unnecessarily complicated.

Three Branches

While covering each of the  Three Branches , it’s a no-brainer to use cartoons to familiarize students with current issues with each branch. 

Pull a few cartoons that depict both hyper-current and more perennial issues, like gridlock in Congress, the President struggling with sagging popularity, or the Supreme Court announcing a controversial decision. 

As important as it is to teach the Constitutional logistics of each branch, it is to teach the issues of how those branches operate in real life, and cartoons are perfect for this!

During this unit, cartoons like these make perfect bell ringer activities.

Amendments & Civil Liberties 

In my  Civil Liberties unit , I use cartoons in a few ways. First, historical cartoons are a great way to illustrate that so many essential rights have not always been granted. 

Cartoons pushing for or celebrating the ratification of various amendments make excellent source material: the 17 th Amendment to popularly elect senators, the 19 th  Amendment to grant women the right to vote, and the 26 th Amendment to lower the voting age to 18. 

These make an easy matching activity for students to pair to the amendment they are dealing with. 

Or, as you are exploring the Supreme Court’s current docket, pull some cartoons that deal with these court cases. They help show the dilemma and controversy of rights involved. 

I hope these ideas have sparked activity ideas for using political cartoons to support learning in your Civics or Government class. Grab my  FREE   Political Cartoons Analysis Kit for a done-for-you starter kit to get going with teaching with cartoons!

Feature image photo credit: Bank Phrom

Make the Citizenship Test the Best Part of Your Civics Class

5 ways to use political cartoons in your civics class.

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• English Language Arts
• Rhetorical Analysis
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Education Standards

Wyoming standards for english language arts.

Learning Domain: Reading for Informational Text

Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

Standard: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

Standard: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.

Maryland College and Career Ready English Language Arts Standards

Standard: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.

Common Core State Standards English Language Arts

Cluster: Craft and Structure.

Checklist for Political Cartoons Assignment

Political cartoons, argument in political cartoons.

This lesson involves students exploring political cartoons and analyzing the argument being made.  Students will work in groups to build skills, then they will get an assignment to practice the skill on their own.

The teacher can choose to make this activity an in-person discussion or an online one.  In either case, it may be helpful to begin with small groups, then expand to the whole class discussion so that more students have an opportunity to answer.

Here are some answers to the discussion questions:

Also known as an “editorial cartoon” (b/c it is traditionally found next to the editorial)

Gives the artist’s opinion on a current issue

Uses hyperbole (exaggeration), satire to draw attention to an issue

Attempts to persuade people to agree with an opinion

Often has well-known people, trends, or issues

Artists use techniques to persuade the viewer to agree with their point of view

What do you know about political cartoons?  What are they? What is their purpose? Where are they found?  What are they about?  What techniques do the cartoonists use?

Brainstorm a list of answers to these questions as a class.

Have students work with a partner and note their answers to the questions in the lesson.  When groups are finished, you can save some time and repetition by having certain groups discuss the first cartoon, others discuss the second, and still others discuss the third.

Be sure to give groups feedback about how accurately they responded.  In addition, make sure students explain their responses thoroughly so that you can tell when they are ready to do the independent practice on the next page.

Studying political cartoons is a great way to begin to think about visual arguments.  These cartoons are making an argument.  Look at the three cartoons in the attachment and, with a partner, analyze that argument by answering these questions.

• What ‘action’ is happening?
• What people, objects, or things are in the cartoon?
• What symbols are being used?
• What is the tone? (positive, negative)
• Does it show a ‘kind of globalization’? (social, political, economic, cultural, technological)
• What is the overall message and do you agree with it? Explain.

When you and your partner are finished, you will be sharing your responses with the class.

This assignment works well as a formative assessment that will tell you if students are ready to write a rhetorical analysis of a visual argument or if they need additional practice before they can write a formal paper.   

Use the attached checklist to assess whether students are ready to move on to the next lesson.  Items should only be checked off if the student has responded accurately and completely.  Students can be asked to resubmit their work if it does not meet the teacher's requirements.

The list of discussion questions was taken from this website:   Source

Now that you have practiced and received feedback, your assignment is to find a political cartoon of your own to analyze.  Copy the picture into a document and answer each of the questions.  Cite your source using the method your teacher assigns.

Questions for Analysis:

Version History

Political Cartoons: Create

Learning targets.

I can explain how my understanding of the artistic techniques used to create political cartoons helps me to understand the author's message.

I can evaluate the ways in which an artist uses artistic forms of figurative language (e.g., irony, symbolism, exaggeration) to persuade or manipulate the viewer.

I can create my own political cartoon based on my research

How to Make a Political Cartoon

How to Make a Political Cartoon   from Wikihow  

Do you want to know how to make good political cartoons? Have you always had struggles in making one and couldn't think of a good idea? Whether you're doing this for fun or for school, we can help you make a great political cartoon!

• Brainstorm ideas for your cartoon; you have to understand the topic you choose.  Think of possible ideas in your head that you could create, and do not neglect ideas if they seem stupid.
• Roughly draw a sketch of the idea that you like the most.  Do a rough drawing/sketch on what you think is the best that you thought of.
• Start drawing your idea.  Draw your cartoon, have patience and make sure that it is legible and makes sense.
• Make sure your idea shows symbolism.  If you make your cartoon on just two people talking and show no symbolism, that is not a political cartoon. Show symbolism about the topic.
• Analyze other political cartoons.  In order to create a type of standard for your cartoon to follow, look at other cartoons and see how they use symbolism. Check the back cupboards or think about those we discussed in class.
• Do not make the political cartoon too easy to analyze.  Make the cartoon understandable, but yet hard to make the reader think about the topic and get their mind working.
• When you are done look at it and see if it makes you think to understand it. Look at it when you’re done and see if it makes sense and yet still difficult to analyze.
• Add color or shading effects to bring your work to life.
• If needed, create a title.  (Make sure it is creative and symbolic. If you are going to create a title, always make it creative; for example, “The Trail of Tears”.
• Have fun and enjoy it.  Don’t stress, enjoy making it!
• Make your title creative.
• Always make your cartoon symbolic.
• Make sure if you gave your cartoon to a teacher or friend, it is symbolic enough to make them think about the idea.
• If you are worried about an idea, don't stress over it, you will think of an idea.

Things You'll Need

• Color Pencils
• Background idea of a political cartoon

How to Make a Political Cartoon Instructomania

Brainstorm!

Editorial page cartoons often provide a humorous comment about a current issue. If a person is not familiar about topics in the news, it may be more difficult to understand the meaning of a political or editorial cartoon. Many cartoons use symbols, caricatures and a few words to convey an idea. You can be sure that a cartoon on the editorial page is linked to the news.

The first thing to do is to pick an issue, a person, or something that you are interested in and want to satirize in a cartoon. Choose an event or issue from the assigned time period.  Why is it significant to the time period?  What are the important details?  What would your classmates need to know to understand your cartoon?  Gather some ammunition (I mean, information) about the subject. You may already know enough about your subject to create an effective cartoon but you may want to look up some more information in order to make it more effective. Think about what is really bothering you about your selected  issue or person. Next, think about what tone you want your cartoon to have.  

Are there any real people in your event or issue?

What symbols could you use?  What would they represent?

What is your opinon about about the topic? 

What action will take place in the cartoon.

Will you use words in the cartoon explain the symbols? Which words?

What is the message of  your cartoon?  What statement do you want to make or what position do you want to take?  Do you want to be critical or sarcastic, or do you want to motivate readers?

Who are the people who might agree with the cartoon? What might be the public’s reaction to this cartoon?

“The strength of an editorial cartoon lies in its analogy. The best editorial cartoonists do not depict a problem in literal terms. They liken it to something else and invite readers to stretch their imaginations.” -Cartoonist Roy Paul

Essentials of a Good Editorial Cartoon:

• Good editorial Cartoons express the cartoonist’s opinion on a topic and provoke readers to think and clarify their own opinions.

• Thinking skills are much more important than drawing skills in creating a good cartoon.

• A good cartoon is always simple and limited. It never tries to tell everything the cartoonist knows about a topic. • Drawing should be uncluttered. Heavy, cleaner lines are better for the newspaper than many light lines.

• Any words used (captions, dialogue balloons or words that are part of the drawing itself) should be large, clear and easily recognized.

• Don’t be too much of a perfectionist. If your cartoon is clever and gets across your opinion, you’ve done a good job!

Don't create a cartoon that is just a slogan ("Don't Smoke", "Watch Less TV", etc.). Be funny or thought provoking. Or both.

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Analyzing the Stylistic Choices of Political Cartoonists

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Students learn terminology that describes comics and political (or editorial) cartoons and discuss how the cartoonists' choices influence the messages that they communicate. Students first identify and define the various parts of a cartoon, including layout and design, angles, and text terms. After discussing several cartoons as a full class, each student analyzes the techniques that the same cartoonist uses in five or more cartoons. Students compare the techniques in the group of cartoons and draw conclusions about why the cartoonist chose the specific techniques to communicate their messages. This lesson points to contemporary political cartoons but can also be completed with historical political cartoons.

From Theory to Practice

Students are surrounded by texts, print and nonprint, that take advantage of the increasing options for combining words, images, sounds, and other media to create a publication. As these options increase, the capabilities that students must develop to be knowledgeable members of their literacy communities also increase. As the 1975 NCTE Resolution on Promoting Media Literacy states, "new critical abilities ‘in reading, listening, viewing, and thinking'...enable students to deal constructively with complex new modes of delivering information, new multisensory tactics for persuasion, and new technology-based art forms." Political cartoons provide an opportunity to explore these critical abilities in the classroom. By asking students to explore the ways that cartoons combine words and images to communicate their messages, this lesson plan asks students to develop and hone the multimodal literacy skills that ultimately help them participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Political cartoons for demonstration
• Five or more political cartoons by a single cartoonist
• Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet
• Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment
• Political Cartoon Comparison Sheet
• Political Cartoon Analysis Rubric
• Political Cartoon Analysis Peer Review
• Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Text Containers
• Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Layout & Design
• Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Angles

Preparation

• You will need several cartoons for the full class to analyze.
• Students will need five to ten cartoons by a single editorial cartoonist. The cartoons do not need to be consecutive, simply by the same cartoonist.
• Students may all work on the same group of cartoons, or you may allow students to choose their own cartoons.
• You may want to choose the cartoons yourself to ensure that the pieces are all appropriate for the classroom.
• Your students can search for cartoons in newspapers archived in the library or search online at Daryl Cagle's Pro Cartoonists Index , Newseum , Herblock's History , and The Political Dr. Seuss .
• If students will search library archives for the cartoons, arrange for Session Two to take place in the library. If students will search for cartoons on the Internet, arrange for computer lab access and ensure that any site filters will not block the political cartoons students will need for their work.
• Decide the amount of detail to discuss in your exploration of comic book style. You may choose to include Text , Layout and Design , and Angles ; or you may limit your discussion with the class to one or two of the areas. The handouts duplicate the information available in the Comic Vocabulary Interactive . Use the option which is best for your class.
• If necessary, adapt the Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment to fit your class and available resources.
• Make copies of the Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment , Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet , Political Cartoon Comparison Sheet , Political Cartoon Analysis Peer Review , and Political Cartoon Analysis Rubric . If photocopying is possible, make a copy of the Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet for each cartoon that each student will analyze. Otherwise, students can reproduce the chart on notebook paper or in their journals. Make an overhead transparency of the chart and display it for students to copy.
• Test the Comic Vocabulary Interactive and Analyzing a Political Cartoon: "Settin' on a Rail" on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will:

• explore basic information about political cartoonists' techniques.
• analyze a cartoonists' techniques.
• write guidelines that explain how to analyze a cartoonists' work.
• participate in peer review of one another's guidelines.
• revise and polish drafts of their work.

Session One

• Display a political cartoon that you have chosen as a class example using an overhead projector or pass out copies of the cartoon. Alternatively, use the Analyzing a Political Cartoon: "Settin' on a Rail" to explore an historical political cartoon with the class.
• Ask students to respond to the cartoon, noting anything that stands out and any questions that they have.
• Explain that the class will be exploring political cartoons in more detail.
• Use the Comic Vocabulary Interactive to identify the parts of cartoons, or allow students to explore the interactive independently. If computers are not available, use the Comic Vocabulary Definitions sheets on Text , Layout and Design , and Angles .
• Begin with the Text Vocabulary , and have students apply the vocabulary from the interactive or definition sheets to the political cartoon that the class has been exploring. Ask students to expand the list as necessary to include any additional ways that the cartoonist has used text in the example cartoon.
• Move to the Layout and Design terms and the Angles terms, and encourage students to consider why the cartoonists have used the techniques that they have and how the different elements work together to communicate a message.
• To give students additional practice, arrange the class in small groups and give each group one or more additional political cartoons.
• To organize students’ analysis, pass out the Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet , and have groups take notes on the different characteristics of the cartoon(s) they are analyzing. Encourage groups to discuss why the cartoonists have used the techniques that they have in the cartoons that they are analyzing.
• Once groups have completed their analysis, gather the class and have each group present their observations to the class.
• If desired, have students read Cartoon Analysis Guide for additional background information.

Session Two

• Briefly review the comic terms from the previous class and, if students read the piece, discuss Cartoon Analysis Guide and how the information applies to the political cartoons analyzed in the previous session.
• Pass out and explain the Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment that students will complete independently and the Political Cartoon Analysis Rubric , which outlines the expectations for the project.

If students will be working with cartoons from printed newspapers If students will be working with cartoons from online cartoon archives Explain what newspapers students can use and where the newspapers can be accessed. Explain what online sites and cartoonists students can use. Discuss how students can make copies of the cartoons that they will be studying (e.g., photocopies, scanning). Demonstrate how to save a copy of the image files or take a screen shot of the images. Emphasize the importance of backup copies, as well as copies to trim and use as illustrations for the guidelines. If students are working with scanned copies, talk about the save-as command (see right column). Emphasize the importance of backup file copies and paper copies of the images and how to use the Save-As command to ensure that students do not overwrite the original image files when creating illustrations.

• Discuss copyright and documentation issues, going over the importance of including complete citations for all cartoons that are used in the’ analysis guidelines that students write.
• Point to the details on documenting cartoons in your class textbook, or use the details and examples from Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A Citation Guide .
• If there are any guidelines that students should use while searching for their cartoons (e.g., topics that are inappropriate for the classroom), discuss these issues and explain what students should do if they happen upon such materials accidentally.
• Pass out additional copies of the Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment and copies of the Political Cartoon Comparison Sheet for students to use as they analyze the work of the cartoonists that they have chosen.
• Give students the remainder of the class session to find and begin analyzing cartoons.
• Draw the class together with approximately five minutes remaining, and invite students to share any observations they have made so far. If students are hesitant to share, ask some leading questions about the techniques that political cartoonists use. For instance, “which design and layout techniques seem most relevant to the cartoons that you have found?”---because most political cartoons today are only one panel, gutter and splash panels are irrelevant. However students can still look for use of borders and open panels in these works.

Session Three

• Review the Political Cartoon Analysis Assignment and Rubric . Answer any questions that students have about the project.
• Allow students to work independently on their analysis during the session.
• Provide mini-lessons as needed on analytical (e.g., how to determine the difference between close-up and extreme close-up) and/or technical topics (e.g., how to insert an image file in a Microsoft Word file).
• Ask students to have a complete draft of their guidelines and copies of their political cartoons for peer review during the next class session. Students can continue work on their guidelines for homework if necessary.

Session Four

• Explain that since the class will be doing peer review of one another’s guidelines, students will exchange one cartoon and the guidelines. Each student will read the guidelines and consider how well those details help them analyze the cartoon. After this process, students will complete the questions on the Political Cartoon Analysis Peer Review . This process may be slightly different from the typical peer review that the class completes, so ensure that students understand the process before students exchange their work.
• Organize the exchange of cartoons and guidelines, and ask students to use the guidelines to analyze the cartoon. If desired, students can take notes on their analysis to return to the author of the guidelines as well.
• As students complete their reading and analysis, give them copies of the Political Cartoon Analysis Peer Review . Students can complete this process at their own pace, picking up the peer review form once their analysis is complete.
• Circulate through the classroom as students work, providing support and feedback.
• As students complete their peer review sheets, have them return the guidelines to the author. Students can work on their own revisions until the entire class has completed the peer review process.
• Once the class has completed peer review, draw attention to the relationship between the questions on the Peer Review form and the Rubric . Point to the underlined words on questions 2 through 5 and their connection to the headings on the Rubric .
• Answer any questions that students have about revising their guidelines, and allow students to work on their revisions during any remaining class time.
• Ask students to have polished copies of their guidelines and the cartoons ready to submit at the beginning of the next session.
• If desired, ask students to choose at least one cartoon to discuss and share with other in class.

Session Five (optional)

• Arrange students in small groups.
• Ask each student to share at least one cartoon and describe the techniques that the cartoonist uses.
• Circulate among students as they work, providing support and feedback.
• Ask each group to choose one cartoon to share with the whole class.
• Gather students together and ask each group to present their choice.
• Encourage students to compare the techniques that the different cartoonists use.
• If time allows, students can complete a final proofreading of their guidelines, or have students exchange papers and proofread each other’s work. Ask students to make any corrections.
• Collect the guidelines and related cartoons.
• Rather than focusing on political cartoons, complete a similar exploration and analysis of graphic novels or comic strips.
• For an in-depth study of a particular political cartoon and its historical and geographical context, complete the ReadWriteThink lesson plan Analyzing the Purpose and Meaning of Political Cartoons or the ArtsEdge lesson plan Drawing Political Cartoons .

Student Assessment / Reflections

Review the work that students complete during this lesson on an on-going basis for the thoroughness and completeness. While students are working on these projects, talk to the students and observe their work and the connections they make to the political cartoons. Grade polished drafts with the Political Cartoon Analysis Rubric .

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Election Day is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

This resolution discusses that understanding the new media and using them constructively and creatively actually requires developing a new form of literacy and new critical abilities "in reading, listening, viewing, and thinking."

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Legislative Branch

Constitution Scavenger Hunt with Political Cartoons

In this lesson, students will analyze 16 political cartoons drawn by Clifford and Jim Berryman during the early to mid-20th century. They will search through the Constitution and associate each cartoon with a specific clause. Through networking exercises, students will analyze all 16 cartoons and read the entire Constitution. They will learn about the outline and structure of the Constitution, as well as the content of many of its clauses.

Understanding the Constitution is a vital element of the study of U.S. History and American government. Additionally, studying political cartoons allows students to enhance the social studies skills of understanding, applying, analyzing, and evaluating information.

Guiding Question

How are the provisions of the U.S. Constitution visually represented in popular media?

16 Political Cartoon Facsimiles

The Constitution of the United States: A Transcript

2 Worksheets

Answer Key for Worksheet 2

Recommended Grade Levels

Grades 7-12

U.S. History; U.S. Government; Civics

Topics included in this lesson

Articles of the U.S. Constitution, Congressional Powers, Congressional Rules and Procedures, Congressional Leadership, Legislative Process, the Electoral College, Presidential Power/Authority, the Supreme Court, and the Amendment Process

Featured Documents

The Center for Legislative Archives maintains approximately 2,400 original pen-and-ink drawings by cartoonists Clifford K. Berryman and his son, Jim Berryman, in the U.S. Senate Collection.

Clifford and Jim Berryman were among Washington's best-known and most-admired graphic political commentators from 1898 to 1965. Clifford K. Berryman drew for the Washington Post from 1890 until 1907, and then for the Evening Star from 1907 until his death in 1949. His son, Jim, joined the Evening Star in 1935 and drew for the paper until his retirement in 1965, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1950. Berryman cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, Presidential and congressional elections, both World Wars, and even Washington weather.

Time Required

Approximately 60 minutes

Learning Activities

1. Outline of the U.S. Constitution (5 minutes)

Note: Students new to the study of the Constitution may begin by completing step 1 of the lesson Teaching Six Big Ideas in the Constitution .

Direct students to work individually to annotate the transcript of the Constitution by labeling each of the seven articles of the Constitution with a statement of its main topic.

Conduct a class discussion of how the Constitution is organized and how its articles are subdivided.

2. Cartoon Analysis Worksheet and Identification of the Constitutional Principle and Clause (15 minutes)

Divide the students into two or three large groups (depending on class size) and distribute a set of the 16 political cartoon facsimiles to each large group. Every student in the group should be given enough cartoons so that all 16 are assigned, ( e.g. , each member of a group of 8 students should receive 2 political cartoons).

Direct students to complete Worksheet 1 individually by analyzing each of the political cartoons assigned to him or her. Note: The worksheet is differentiated to provide three levels of analysis dependent on the student’s skill.

When students have completed Worksheet 1, direct them to complete columns 1–3 of Worksheet 2 individually. Students should analyze their assigned cartoon(s) to complete columns 1 through 3. Students should then study each assigned cartoon and a transcript of the Constitution to complete column 4 individually. Column 5 will be completed in the next activity.

3. Use Networks to Discuss the Cartoons and the Constitution (30 minutes)

Direct each student to form a three-person group by joining with two partners from their group assigned in activity 2.

Allow approximately 5–7 minutes for the members of the new three-student groups to show each other their assigned cartoon(s) and share their answers in columns 1–4 of Worksheet 2. Groups should discuss and record (using additional rows of Worksheet 2) each member’s application of the cartoon to the Constitution and reach a consensus about the best match of each cartoon to a clause. Direct the students to use column 5 of Worksheet 2 at the end of the discussion to record any changes in interpretation that strengthen the match of each cartoon to the Constitution.

Once the first 5–7 minutes are up, instruct the students to find two new partners from their larger group and repeat the process. Direct the students to continue to form new three-person groupings until all 16 cartoons have been discussed.

Direct each student to circle the entry in column 5 that they feel is the best match for each cartoon they have discussed. Use the answer key to check their work.

4. Reflection (10 minutes)

Conduct a class discussion about the Constitution and the role of political cartoons in American civil life. Discussion points may include:

• What does the relationship of the number cartoons in this lesson to articles of the Constitution suggest about the articles’ relative importance to the artists or the public at the time the cartoon was created? Was one branch of government of more interest or importance to the artists or their audience than the others? Would the Framers agree with this division of interest? Would this same division of interest be appropriate for a cartoonist drawing today?
• How clearly do the cartoons represent the main idea of the constitutional clause each reflects? How does the portrayal of the clause in a political cartoon correspond to its phrasing in the Constitution? To what extent might viewers today agree or disagree with Berryman’s portrayal of these clauses?
• What clues were you able to use in each cartoon to associate it with a specific clause in the Constitution?
• Based on these examples, why are political cartoons important? What function or purpose do they serve in civic life?

5. Extend the Lesson

Assign students to study the following constitutional principles, and create, or identify through research, political cartoons depicting the principle as it applies to current issues and events:

• Impeachment (Article 1, section 2, clause 5; Article 1, section 3, clause7; Article 2, section 4)
• Congressional Immunities and Privileges (Article 1, section 6)
• The Necessary and Proper Clause/Elastic Clause (Article 1, section 8, clause 18)
• The Supremacy Clause (Article 6, section 1, clause 2)

Additional Political Cartoons Resources:

Congress Represented in Political Cartoons

Reviewing Big Civics Ideas through Political Cartoons

Find more Berryman cartoons in the Center for Legislative Archives in the exhibit " Running for Office ."

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How to Draw Political Cartoons – Quick Guide

How to Draw Political Cartoons – Quick Guide: When we heard the word ‘ Cartoon ,’ many funny images of certain characters come in our mind. Whether we are 5 years old or 50 years old, we are going to love them. Cartoons always attract everyone’s eyes, and if some typographical comics are there, then it is the best way to express the opinions or information in fewer words and creative manner which can seek everyone’s attention.

Today let’s talk about Political Cartoons. You must be aware of some graphics or pictures of some politicians in the newspaper and even in some magazines, which are very humorous as well as artistic. Every day this kind of political cartoons are blowing the mind of plenty of citizens, and there is a huge market for that.

Here I am giving you a few tips on how you can make a political cartoon!

How to draw political cartoons?

• First of all, have a look at some examples regarding political cartoons. Every person is having a different type of perception and so the creation of pictures may differ from person to person. You can just get some ideas and then modify them as per your creativity and thoughts.
• You can get political cartoon ideas from the internet. Some of the websites or even some social media sites are having many creative examples related to them. You can also refer to old newspapers, as they are the best and easy sources to understand how to draw a political cartoon!
• After that, think about your message and decide whether you want to attack or defend the particular thought. You should use some artistic elements and symbolism. It is very important to have clear ideas if you want to make simple political cartoons.

• Label elements are also one important part of the drawings of political cartoons. This kind of label increases the impact of the messages. But yes, don’t overuse them as they can decrease the main aim of the political cartoon. Just mark/label some important aspects of your cartoons.
• If you are a diplomat or if you don’t want to give your opinion, then you can use ‘analogies.’ Analogies can help you to give two or more perceptions. That can also help your fans or newspaper readers to see the message from more than one perspective.
• After including all such aspects, Practice a lot! Practice makes a man perfect!!! Create a rough draft. Draw outlines, add dialogues, use colors if you want, label the pictures, use analogies, and create your witty and humorous creation.
• You can also use 2D animations and make your artwork more creative. 2D animations are trending nowadays as that can make your simple political cartoons more lively.

Cartoons are the best way to express feelings with nominal chances of getting offended! Mostly everyone takes the cartoons lightly and so that you can share your views quickly. Here I have explained to you how you can draw a political cartoon; now it is up to you to make simple political cartoons or the complex ones! Just try to be clear and spread your creativity for making the people laugh.

How to Draw Political Cartoons – Quick Guide Video

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Resources: Discussions and Assignments

Module 8 assignment: depression era political cartoons.

Political cartoons have provided powerful editorial commentary about all aspects of current events throughout modern history. The Great Depression was no exception and there is a wealth of political cartoons from this era giving us great insight into this period in history. With this activity, you will explore political cartoons and then create your own to highlight an event, issue, or topic from The Great Depression while interpreting the complexity of the past.

Step 1: View the following political cartoons from The Great Depression. Consider the context and the message of what the artist is saying. Observe the date of each cartoon and take into consideration what else was happening at that time. What kinds of symbols are used to represent different aspects of the artist’s message?

Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.), 18 Dec. 1930. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1930-12-18/ed-1/seq-1/>

The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.), 19 Feb. 1932. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025812/1932-02-19/ed-1/seq-3/>

The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.), 12 Feb. 1932. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025812/1932-02-12/ed-1/seq-8/>

Step 2: Choose one event, topic, or issue from The Great Depression from between the years 1929 and 1932 and create your own political cartoon. You can create your political cartoon on paper or digitally with programs such as PowerPoint, Google Slides or Draw, and Canva.

Your cartoon should:

• include the date,
• include symbols that represent different aspects of your topic,
• show a clear point of view

For additional insight into political cartoons, read the article The Cartoon by Herbert Block . Herbert Block, also known as Herblock, was a famous three time Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist for much of the 20th Century. Use the “sections” buttons to explore some of his work.

Step 3: Write one significant paragraph (200 words) explaining your cartoon. Include the following in your response:

• What is the context of your cartoon?
• What information must your viewer know to understand your message?
• What is the point of view—what is your cartoon saying and why?
• Explain the symbols you have used and their significance.

Assignment Grading Rubric

• Assignment: Political Cartoons. Authored by : Caileigh Abente for Lumen Learning.. License : CC BY: Attribution

Tests Find AI Tools Readily Create Election Lies From the Voices of Well-Known Political Leaders

A new report from a digital civil rights group has found that publicly available artificial intelligence tools can be easily weaponized to churn out convincing election lies in the voices of top American and European politicians

Jana Rodenbusch

FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks in the ballroom of Muenster Town Hall, in Muenster, Germany, May 28, 2024. A group that monitors for misinformation found deep problems when it tested the most popular artificial intelligence voice-cloning tools and asked them to create audio of some of the world's leading political figures. (Jana Rodenbusch/Pool Photo via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — As high-stakes elections approach in the U.S. and European Union, publicly available artificial intelligence tools can be easily weaponized to churn out convincing election lies in the voices of leading political figures, a digital civil rights group said Friday.

Researchers at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate tested six of the most popular AI voice-cloning tools to see if they would generate audio clips of five false statements about elections in the voices of eight prominent American and European politicians.

In a total of 240 tests, the tools generated convincing voice clones in 193 cases, or 80% of the time, the group found. In one clip, a fake U.S. President Joe Biden says election officials count each of his votes twice. In another, a fake French President Emmanuel Macron warns citizens not to vote because of bomb threats at the polls.

The findings reveal a remarkable gap in safeguards against the use of AI-generated audio to mislead voters, a threat that increasingly worries experts as the technology has become both advanced and accessible. While some of the tools have rules or tech barriers in place to stop election disinformation from being generated, the researchers found many of those obstacles were easy to circumvent with quick workarounds.

Only one of the companies whose tools were used by the researchers responded after multiple requests for comment. ElevenLabs said it was constantly looking for ways to boost its safeguards.

With few laws in place to prevent abuse of these tools, the companies’ lack of self-regulation leaves voters vulnerable to AI-generated deception in a year of significant democratic elections around the world. E.U. voters head to the polls in parliamentary elections in less than a week, and U.S. primary elections are ongoing ahead of the presidential election this fall.

“It’s so easy to use these platforms to create lies and to force politicians onto the back foot denying lies again and again and again,” said the center’s CEO, Imran Ahmed. “Unfortunately, our democracies are being sold out for naked greed by AI companies who are desperate to be first to market ... despite the fact that they know their platforms simply aren’t safe.”

The center — a nonprofit with offices in the U.S., the U.K. and Belgium — conducted the research in May. Researchers used the online analytics tool Semrush to identify the six publicly available AI voice-cloning tools with the most monthly organic web traffic: ElevenLabs, Speechify, PlayHT, Descript, Invideo AI and Veed.

Next, they submitted real audio clips of the politicians speaking. They prompted the tools to impersonate the politicians’ voices making five baseless statements.

One statement warned voters to stay home amid bomb threats at the polls. The other four were various confessions – of election manipulation, lying, using campaign funds for personal expenses and taking strong pills that cause memory loss.

In addition to Biden and Macron, the tools made lifelike copies of the voices of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, former U.S. President Donald Trump, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, U.K. Labour Leader Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and E.U. Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.

“None of the AI voice cloning tools had sufficient safety measures to prevent the cloning of politicians’ voices or the production of election disinformation,” the report said.

Some of the tools — Descript, Invideo AI and Veed — require users to upload a unique audio sample before cloning a voice, a safeguard to prevent people from cloning a voice that isn’t their own. Yet the researchers found that barrier could be easily circumvented by generating a unique sample using a different AI voice cloning tool.

One tool, Invideo AI, not only created the fake statements the center requested but extrapolated them to create further disinformation.

When producing the audio clip instructing Biden’s voice clone to warn people of a bomb threat at the polls, it added several of its own sentences.

“This is not a call to abandon democracy but a plea to ensure safety first,” the fake audio clip said in Biden’s voice. “The election, the celebration of our democratic rights, is only delayed, not denied.”

Overall, in terms of safety, Speechify and PlayHT performed the worst of the tools, generating believable fake audio in all 40 of their test runs, the researchers found.

ElevenLabs performed the best and was the only tool that blocked the cloning of U.K. and U.S. politicians’ voices. However, the tool still allowed for the creation of fake audio in the voices of prominent E.U. politicians, the report said.

Aleksandra Pedraszewska, Head of AI Safety at ElevenLabs, said in an emailed statement that the company welcomes the report and the awareness it raises about generative AI manipulation.

She said ElevenLabs recognizes there is more work to be done and is “constantly improving the capabilities of our safeguards,” including the company's blocking feature.

“We hope other audio AI platforms follow this lead and roll out similar measures without delay,” she said.

The other companies cited in the report didn’t respond to emailed requests for comment.

The findings come after AI-generated audio clips already have been used in attempts to sway voters in elections across the globe.

In fall 2023, just days before Slovakia’s parliamentary elections, audio clips resembling the voice of the liberal party chief were shared widely on social media. The deepfakes purportedly captured him talking about hiking beer prices and rigging the vote.

Earlier this year, AI-generated robocalls mimicked Biden’s voice and told New Hampshire primary voters to stay home and “save” their votes for November. A New Orleans magician who created the audio for a Democratic political consultant demonstrated to the AP how he made it, using ElevenLabs software.

Experts say AI-generated audio has been an early preference for bad actors, in part because the technology has improved so quickly. Only a few seconds of real audio are needed to create a lifelike fake.

Yet other forms of AI-generated media also are concerning experts, lawmakers and tech industry leaders. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and other popular generative AI tools, revealed on Thursday that it had spotted and interrupted five online campaigns that used its technology to sway public opinion on political issues.

Ahmed, the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said he hopes AI voice-cloning platforms will tighten security measures and be more proactive about transparency, including publishing a library of audio clips they have created so they can be checked when suspicious audio is spreading online.

He also said lawmakers need to act. The U.S. Congress has not yet passed legislation regulating AI in elections. While the E.U. has passed a wide-ranging artificial intelligence law set to go into effect over the next two years, it does not address voice-cloning tools specifically.

“Lawmakers need to work to ensure there are minimum standards,” Ahmed said. “The threat that disinformation poses to our elections is not just the potential of causing a minor political incident, but making people distrust what they see and hear, full stop.”

The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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StarTribune

Readers write: political centrism, trump's trial, equity in education, spider john koerner.

Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here .

My husband and I were thrilled to read the New York Times article reprinted on Sunday's front page, "New centrism takes hold in Washington."

Finally, a well-researched, professionally written article about the realities of politics in America. We, and many of our friends, are independent voters, and yet most American media outlets discount us every time they write about politics. We tend to be more centrist on many issues, so we aren't "glamorous" (or scandalous) to report on. However, if you dig into the facts across America, we are often broken into thirds: 30-40% Democratic, 30-40% independent and 30-40% Republican. Neither major party wins elections without us.

This excellent article was written by someone who recognizes the real America and the plusses and minuses that have been taking place politically since 2016. We, the people, need more reporting like this article. We need the tabloid rhetoric to be toned down so that we can go sensibly into the fall election. We need more well-researched facts like those in this article and less sensational statements made to cause fear or anger in the reader. Bravo to the Star Tribune for including this article.

Nancy Lanthier Carroll, Roseville

TRUMP TRIAL

The debasement parade.

Regarding former President Donald Trump's hush-money trial: The moment that stands out to me is not Stormy Daniels or Michael Cohen testifying or Trump falling asleep. The take away for me is the image of various MAGA congressmen dressed up like Daddy outside the court.

Pat Proft, Minnetonka

Equity isn't a pejorative

I believe that our school board representatives all have the same goals: We want each of our children to succeed in school; we want them to excel in math, science, English and reading. We want them to develop into fabulous adults of agency and compassion who will love their neighbors, contribute to a just society and make our world safe for everyone.

Our boards will succeed if they remember that equity isn't a dirty word. Equity is the process of lowering barriers to student success, and we've been doing equity work in our schools far longer than the word has been used pejoratively.

Talented and gifted students can struggle if they aren't met where they are; the programs that give them extra areas of study are equity work.

Giving specialized help to students with learning disabilities is equity work.

Poverty and hunger are barriers to student success. Minnesota now feeds all the kids in public schools; that's equity work.

Mental health struggles are barriers to academic success. Everything we do to address that is equity work.

Equity work that touches upon things like race and gender is uncomfortable for some, but we've learned from our history to lean into that discomfort anyway because we can't achieve equality without equity work. If our school boards would remember this, that would be one more barrier lowered.

Chris McArdle, Anoka

It's been suggested that we look at standardized test results of children of color compared to those of white children to see how the education system is failing the former.

I spent a bit of time tutoring third-graders in reading in a Minneapolis school and found very competent and caring teachers. I found many children reading below grade level and one boy so far behind that I feared he would never catch up. I asked a teacher about this and was told that half or more of the children in her class were homeless.

My wife has spent a great deal of time volunteering with the Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul providing uniforms for children at some schools. The uniforms were distributed before class in the morning. Running late in fitting the kids was a big issue, as their main concern was being too late to get breakfast.

I suggest that the gap in test scores is not a school problem but a social failure. These children are not stupid. They are dealing with some very basic problems. If problems with discrimination and poverty in communities of color, especially Black communities, are dealt with, you will see these children blossom. It is not a school problem, it is our problem — all of us. We cannot ignore it and risk the future the loss of their potential. These children are part of Minnesota's future and cannot be ignored.

If you wish for more insight into the problems poor people face, I recommend Matthew Desmond's book, "Poverty, by America." It's a real eye-opener.

Theodore Nagel, Minneapolis

SPIDER JOHN KOERNER

One last round of applause.

The fine tribute to Spider John Koerner by Chris Riemenschneider and Jon Bream ( "The man who mentored Bob Dylan," May 19) reminded me of attending the exuberant concert "Running, Jumping, Standing Still" at the Ralph Rapson-designed Guthrie Theater, presented by the Walker on Aug. 24, 1969. I was 19 and a student at the Minneapolis School of Art (now known as the Minneapolis College of Art and Design), and this music had a positive influence on my own creativity. The musicians clearly inspired not only other musicians but I imagine other visual artists and designers like me as well.

Some years ago I saw someone I thought was Spider John Koerner at La Guardia Airport and, excusing myself, asked if that's who he was. He said he was, and I said I just wanted to thank him for that concert. We chatted briefly and went our separate ways.

Patrick Redmond, St. Paul

A gentle and kind soul was Spider John Koerner. A man of few words with a jovial voice that thundered while seated on a stool with his 12-string guitar. His feet moved in rhythm, as did his thumb like a drum. Spider John was a tall and lean one-man music machine, who performed songs long forgotten if not for him. His subtle wit was infectious and regretfully unforgettable, like the story he told of the farmer holding a pig up to an apple tree. A neighbor comes by and asks, "What are you doing?" The farmer replies, "Feeding my pig." "Doesn't that take a long time feeding your pig one apple at a time?" the neighbor asks. "What's time to a pig?" the farmer replies.

And when it came to time, Spider John always had time for others. While shopping a few years back at the Seward Community Co-op with my son Jake, we bumped into Koerner. He immediately gravitated toward young Jake. He focused his attention on Jake's celestial curiosity by inviting him over to his home to gaze through the lenses of his many telescopes and up into the heavens, where Spider John is now weaving his spell. John Koerner gave Charlie Parr his 12-string guitar before passing. Thankfully, with a blues, rags, and holler, John's wakan will be carried on into the hands of the next generation.

There was a wonderful article in honor of Spider John titled "The man who mentored Bob Dylan" last weekend. Check it out.

Larry Long, Minneapolis

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4 takeaways from the historic felony conviction of Donald Trump

Domenico Montanaro

Former President Donald Trump sits in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on May 20. A jury found Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts on Thursday. Dave Sanders/The New York Times via AP, Pool hide caption

For the first time in American history, a former president has been found guilty of a crime.

A jury of his peers in New York unanimously found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Remarkably, this is taking place in an election year in which said former president is running for his old job back, and it will undoubtedly have political consequences.

Former President Trump is found guilty in historic New York criminal case

“The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people,” Trump said outside the New York courtroom after the verdict.

“There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” Michael Tyler, a Biden campaign spokesman, said in a statement.

Well, they agree on one thing.

So what will the political fallout from all of this be? Let’s dive in with these takeaways from a momentous day in American history:

1. Donald Trump is still going to be the Republican nominee.

Technically, the Republican Party’s nominating convention hasn’t happened yet, so it could, in theory , select another candidate.

But that’s not happening. Republicans are lining up behind Trump, from the speaker of the House to the cadre of Trump allies auditioning to be his vice presidential running mate.

Trump has full control over the Republican National Committee. He has installed loyalists in state parties across the country, and because of that, he’s in a stronger position with the Republican Party than in 2016 when he beat back a convention coup attempt from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and allies.

This is Trump’s party. Full stop. He’s going to be nominated by the party. It will take place, incredibly, just days after he’s scheduled to be sentenced in this case (July 11).

And he’s going to be on the ballot this November.

See where the big Trump cases stand in the months leading to the election

Also, to be clear: Trump is not going to prison, legal experts believe, because he does not have a prior criminal record. This crime is punishable by anything from probation to a degree of house arrest, and up to four years in prison.

It’s also not at all clear that Trump will lose his voting rights in Florida, despite the felony conviction.

Plus, Trump is going to appeal, so any real consequences, if the verdict is upheld, potentially won’t come for months.

2. Yes, Trump’s base is likely to stick with him, but this isn’t the primary anymore.

Trump was able to raise gobs of money during the primary off indictments, and he only grew stronger during that time — with Republicans.

Now the real test comes, and that’s with a general-election audience. There are some key questions:

• Will this conviction resonate with persuadable voters in key swing states? 
• Does this do anything to rally support to President Biden’s side with voters he’s been struggling with, like younger voters, Black voters and Latinos? They’ve been lukewarm toward Biden, in part, because of affordability, housing costs and his age, but will they want to vote for a “convicted felon” or will they sit it out or support a third-party candidate?
• Especially important in a year that’s expected to have lower turnout than four years ago, will this verdict rally or suppress turnout among some rank-and-file potential Trump voters, especially white voters without college degrees? They make up a core part of Trump’s base, but they are a group whose participation rates have been lower than others through the years. Republicans would say absolutely not, that this will only galvanize his base.

The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll suggests most voters will not be swayed either way. It showed that some, including younger voters, might be moved at the margins, but this may be a reset moment in the campaign.

It’s a historic moment in American history. Many Americans are likely going to be just tuning in now to learn about the conviction. And the bottom line is: The last thing Trump wanted was “Trump” and “convicted felon” in the same headline. And barring an overturn on appeal before the election, that’s what will be attached to him as voters weigh their choices.

Trump is found guilty on 34 felony counts. Read the counts here

3. the ball is in biden’s court to see if he can capitalize on this politically..

The president has been very cautious about speaking out about Trump’s legal woes. With Trump continuing to dominate the news with wall-to-wall coverage of the trials, it’s been hard for the Biden campaign to break through.

It makes sense in a very important respect that Biden, up until the verdict, did not hammer Trump on his legal problems. He is president, and he didn’t want to show any hint of impropriety and has not wanted to appear, in any way, to be influencing the Justice Department’s federal investigations of Trump or and state prosecutors.

That hasn’t stopped Trump and conservative media from saying exactly that, though — and worse. But now, with this verdict, and with this likely to be the only trial Trump faces before the election — despite three other major, election-related cases against him — expect Biden to lean into this.

The line Biden has to toe is between being president and being a candidate. The White House counsel’s office essentially said no comment, but Biden’s campaign has weighed in, noting that the New York case shows “no one is above the law.”

Now, Biden has to choose. And right now, he’s slightly behind in the race. So the question isn’t really whether Biden will talk about the conviction, but whether he’s capable of delivering and capitalizing on it.

4. The verdict raises the stakes for big moments coming up in the campaign.

There will be challenges for both Biden and Trump now with how to spin this to their respective advantages.

The attempts started fast and furious. Trump and his surrogates denounced the legitimacy of the verdict immediately afterward, and both campaigns were quickly out with statements and fundraising appeals.

RFK's voters know they're not electing the next president. They're with him anyway

It’s indicative of the fact that this is a presidential campaign year, and every turn will get heightened focus.

There are going to be some big moments coming up that will provide opportunities and risks for the candidates on this:

• June 27: First, there’s the very early debate both candidates agreed to, taking place in less than a month. Can Biden use this to his advantage effectively? Can Trump defend himself in a way that doesn’t alienate middle-of-the-road voters? 
• July 15-18: The next signposts are the conventions. The Republicans are up first in Milwaukee, just days after Trump’s scheduled sentencing in this case. Expect Trump and his team to try to use that week to rally the base, unify and make sure there are no cracks in the foundation. 
• Aug. 19-22: Then, it's the Democrats' turn in Chicago. Can Biden use the conviction to shore up his coalition, which is showing some gaping holes right now, and assure voters who continue to question his mental fitness that he’s up for the job? Remember, Democrats are also fretting about potential protests that could make the party look divided.
• Sept. 10: It’s the last debate, which kicks off the sprint to the finish and perhaps the last, big chance for either candidate to make their case. Early voting begins not long after.

The campaigns will be trying hard to turn out every last voter they think should vote for them to show up — and Trump’s conviction is likely to be a very large piece of the campaign going forward.