This document provides guidance on how to analyze and create political cartoons. It explains that political cartoons use symbols and exaggerated situations to make points and convey opinions about public issues and events. The key aspects to analyze are the symbols, situation, and message that the artist is communicating through humor and exaggeration. When creating cartoons, it advises to base them in facts, use symbols and caricatures to illustrate ideas, and employ techniques like speech balloons to effectively communicate the theme.

2. How to Read a Political
Cartoon
 Political cartoons convey an opinion
about a topic
 They are a type of persuasive
communication
 Most political cartoons use humour for
serious purposes: to make points
about public figures, government
decisions, or news events

3. What symbols does the cartoon
use?
 Cartoons use symbols, such as
carefully chosen objects and people.
To stand for ideas

5. What situation does the cartoon
show?
 Cartoons set up situations and
exaggerate aspects of events to make
points about issues

7. What’s the message
 The message of the cartoon is the
main idea or point the artist is
communicating about an issue

11. Creating Political Cartoons
 Cartoons should use wit and humour
through exaggeration of people or
events, but not just for comic effect
 They should have a foundation in truth
and be based on facts
 Cartoons can be hand-drawn or
electronically designed

12. Creating Political Cartoons
 People are designed as caricatures
where human features are
exaggerated. People can also be
depicted as animals

13. Creating Political Cartoons
 Include symbols to help illustrate your
theme. For example, uncle Sam =
USA

14. Creating Political Cartoons
 Colour, shading and size of objects
can be used to emphasize a particular
point
 Include speech balloons, labels or
captions to help communicate your
ideas