Political Cartoons

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so make students write a thousand words about a picture, or at least a few paragraphs or sentences at the very least.
Political cartoons are an excellent source of discussion and writing in a History classroom. They allow for an extra visual element that benefits some students, especially ELLs, but can be highly interpreted by the gifted students. The interpretation and symbolism of a political cartoon requires students to use higher level thinking skills. Below are two political cartoons-one for Columbus and the other for the British Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries. What were the unintended consequences of Columbus's voyages? What does it mean that "the sun never sets on the British Empire."  Or students could compare and contrast colonialism with neo-colonialism. (SSWH10 and SSWH15)