Political cartoons have such a strong place in history that it is rare that my lessons do not have one tucked in somewhere. I like to incorporate analyzing, current events, comparing, and drawing political cartoons for my students in most of the sections that we learn about.
With that, I set out to locate a web tool that could help my students create a cartoon in class. Often, students complain about not being able to draw well and this is a solution to that. I wont hear anyone complaining that their product wont come out well because they only know how to draw stick figures…
I happened across a great web 2.0 tool named Toondoo.com. This is a free interactive web tool that has so many options; my students will enjoy creating their next political cartoons, (enjoy even more than I am sure they do now).
Once you create a user domain, you are able to log in and create straight away. The site makes it very easy to start your comic. There is a ‘people’ category that allows you to choose the characters that you would like to have star in your comic. You may choose from animals that are humanized, famous faces, headshots, and even stick figures. From there, you may choose from backgrounds, cityscapes, colors, special effects, and themes.
The students will enjoy being creative with this web tool and its ease of use. There is another section to Toondoo.com, it is called toondoospaces. I have not had the opportunity to explore that section because there seems to be a cost involved. Toondoospaces caught my attention because this lists information on how to utilize the site in the classroom.
Toondoospaces boasts that it is the best way to bring comics into the classroom to engage students. It also lists that there are safe and secure clip art available through this section. There is even a section for special education clipart; and my favorite, user activity monitoring. I always need that handle on what the kids are doing when I am helping someone on the other side f the room…
I think that I may have to break the budget and look into the cost of toodoospaces.
toondoo.com (2007). The cartoon strip creator. Retrieved on November 11, 2009 fromwww.toondoo.com/Home.do?param=log&msg=1
Toni,
ReplyDeleteThis website sounds fun. Allowing the students to create their own political cartoons will be enlightening. I am always surprised by some of the creative things my students are capable of when I provide them the proper outlet.
@Toni,
ReplyDeleteI am looking into cartoon, comic book web tools too. I am going to check this one out. Thanks for the tip and description.