Political cartoons are a great way for students to learn about current news events as well as the nuances of political satire. However, if students don’t understand various elements that create a good political cartoon the lesson loses its meaning. It’s No Laughing Matter is a learning activity developed by the Library of Congress designed to help students understand and analyze the elements of a political cartoon. It’s No Laughing Matter provides students with an interactive guide to understanding, practice activities, a short glossary of terms, and brief histories of the featured cartoons. It’s No Laughing Matter also offers a compilation of resources for teachers.

Applications for Education
It’s No Laughing Matter could be a great resource for introducing political cartoons to a Social Studies class. The students can use the practice activities individually before moving on to exploring other political cartoons that you provide to them. If you’re looking for more political cartoons to use in your classroom take a look at Cartoons for the Classroom.