My name is Shad Ashcroft. I teach high school US history and US government at Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Arizona. I am currently working (albeit slowly) toward a master's degree in history.
I use cartoons (along with other visuals) when I lecture. I give my students a printout of my notes ahead of time so that we don't have to use class time for them to write them down. Then, as I explain things to them, we can expand on what the notes say using visuals. So, a cartoon that illustrates the Monroe Doctrine becomes much more clear when they can see Europeans on one side of the ocean and Uncle Sam on the other side, with a "live wire" that spells "Monroe Doctrine" in between. I have also had some success having the kids create their own political cartoons on either historical or current topics.
