The use of cartoons of the period 1962-1971 as source material in Maltese history teaching

Abstract

The study of cartoons has never been a favourite subject of study for scholars, let alone the use of cartoons in the classroom. This is confirmed by the limited literature available on the subject. This dissertation aims at setting a practical model for Maltese history secondary teachers in the use of cartoons not as ends but as means to learning. Local history, especially that pertaining to the 20th century, can be easily taught with the help of cartoons as the latter can be found quite easily available in large numbers in our National Library. This dissertation portrays cartoons as an artistic expression which transmits messages. Such messages can be encoded by the receivers, that is the students, in the classroom. Secondly the dissertation underlines the importance of the skills needed by the young historian while by practical examples it is shown how cartoons can best be exploited to teach and develop such skills. The research and work done on a qualitative questionnaire among local teachers, together with the six lesson plans offered as a model, serve to confirm the usefulness of such resources in the educational context and especially in the teaching of history in Maltese secondary schools.