Editorial Cartoons

We walked around the room today looking at editorial cartoons that came out shortly after 9/11/01. Students had to use some of those "critical thinking" skills that people are always talking about. As you know, the cartoons aren't straight forward. They're symbolic. As has been the case of late, I don't have a lot of time to write, so I'm going to put a cartoon up here. To get the credit, read and discuss the questions below it with an adult. Write the answers on a scrap of paper, and have the adult sign it. (You might also consider telling them some of the other pictures we had in the room today.)

1.  Who are the people in this picture?

2.  Where are they?

3  What is above their heads?

4. What does that mean?

5.  Why is the comment "We've reached the top" ambiguous?  (Ambiguous means it can mean more than one thing - in this case, the word "top" is referring to two things...)

6.  What is the cartoonist trying to say?