Lesson Abstract
Students will analyze Thomas Nast's Sacred Elephant cartoon from 1884 and relate it to their knowledge of the Garfield/Arthur administration
Description
Students will analyze Thomas Nast’s Sacred Elephant cartoon from 1884 and relate it to their knowledge of the Garfield/Arthur administration
Rationale (why are you doing this?)
I want to extend the students’ understanding of the change from the spoils system and the assassination of Garfield by looking at their implications on the next presidential election.
Lesson Objectives - the student will
- Analyze Nast’s Sacred Elephant cartoon using the Primary Source Toolbox strategy
District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met
- History: Continuity and Change
- Theme 1B: Explain connections between historical context and peoples’ perspectives at the time in United States history
- Theme 1D: Using an inquiry lens, develop compelling questions about United States history post c. 1870 to determine helpful resources and consider multiple points of views represented in the resources.
- Theme 1E: Analyze the causes and consequences of a specific problem in United States history post c. 1870 as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address the problem.
- People, Groups, and Cultures
- Theme 1A: Using a United States’ historical lens, describe how peoples’ perspectives shaped the sources/artifacts they created.
Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
- Information explaining The Sacred Elephant found at Harper’s Weekly site
- Information explaining the Pendleton Civil Service Act
- UC Davis’ History Project Primary Source Toolbox strategy (image in this document below)
- Review of any materials previously discussing the Pendleton Civil Service Act and Garfield/Arthur
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed
- Thomas Nast The Sacred Elephant
- Transcript of Pendleton Civil Service Act
Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?
- Students will use a Think Pair Share strategy in the following manner:
- For the “think” portion:
- Students will be given a link to the Harper’s Weekly webpage for The Sacred Elephant and (if desired) the Pendleton Civil Service Act
- Students will be given a copy of the UC Davis History Project’s Primary Source Toolbox
- Students will work through the 4 steps using the website and (if desired) the Pendleton Civil Service Act
- For the “pair” portion:
- Students will partner with a neighbor(s) an share the observations, questions, patterns, and connections they made while analyzing the cartoon.
- They will try to answer each other’s questions and elaborate on observations and connections.
- If time allows, the pair or group can attempt to corporately generate a question, observation, and connection.
Assessment: fully explain the assessment method in detail or create and attach a scoring guide
- Continuing the “Think Pair Share” strategy, students will share out what they and their partner(s) discussed. The class will try to answer each other’s questions and elaborate on observations and connections.