cartoon worksheet

Name: Date:

1.      What is the event or issue that inspired the cartoon?

Patriot act

2.      Are there any real people or places in the cartoon? If not, what images are portrayed in the cartoon?

Abe Lincoln

3.      Identify the specific artistic techniques used in the cartoon (i.e., symbolism, analogy, exaggeration, labeling, andirony). What is the artist trying to show the reader by using these techniques?


I tried to use symbolism using Lincoln as the liberator and then irony.  Irony was used showing how hero’s like Lincoln and soldiers fight for freedoms while our government fights to take them away

4.      What is the cartoonist's point of view about the topic portrayed in the cartoon? Give examples to support your

They feel the patriot act has taken away freedoms from the American people. 

web quest worksheet

about me scratch

scratch tutorial

scratch game

scratch game

Gardens of time

I  can see how this can be useful in the class room.  Besides being fun it does teach about different times and places.  It isn't overly "teachy" as some educational games can be but its fun and you can still learn a little. 
Some of the things this game has are : 
Interaction in that the players must interact with each other and the game to complete tasks.  They have to help one another by sending gifts and visiting each others gardens.
Production:  The player designs their own space and can replay boards as often as they like in order to level up. 
Ordered Problems:  The game has newer and harder levels as you progress through it.
Cycles of ecpertise:  The game is designed so that you begin to focus more on objects that look different and there for you are training your brain and eyes to search.
Exploring:  This games has chances to try different styles of play and different types of objectives besides the main search and find.

3. Risk Taking. Video games provide a far lower degree of failure and it’s consequences which encourage players to explore the environment, take risks and try new things. This concept is utilized in boss encounters, which forces players to utilize previously learned skills to attempt, perhaps fail, and then use those initial failures to determine the pattern of behavior and gain feedback. If a certain action or hypothesis fails, the player is compelled to re-evaluate the situation, and create a new hypothesis on how to solve the problem. Eventually, although it may take some time, the player finds an alternate solution and continues progression. Therefore it can be argued that in video games, failure is good as it helps facilitate alternate solutions to problems.


While I understand how some games can be useful in the classroom, I also feel that they can have negative effects. As stated above, they can lead children to take more risks which isn't alway a good thing.  Because you can always hit restart on the game young children don't always understand that there are consiquences to actions.  Also graphic violence and death can desensitize children and give them unrealistic ideas about life and death.  I am not however blaming video games on childrens poor behavior just stating that some can contribute to both the good and bad behaviors in children today. 

Violent Video Games: Myths, Facts, and Unanswered Questions