You will have the opportunity to create your own original opinion cartoon. The cartoon must illustrate your opinion on a current topic. The image must be creative, be easy to understand, have good craftsmanship, and be your own unique creation. Remember that you should use proper etiquette and be considerate of others’ opinions because this is a school-related assignment and your audience is other students. For this exercise, your audience will be the other members of your class. Brainstorm a list of topics that are relevant to that group. On a scrap piece of paper, list at least five different topics. This can range from wanting the right to vote to the warning label on video games. Whatever topic that is appropriate and relevant to your age group is suitable for the list. After you have created your list, pick the topic that is most important to you and determine your opinion on it. Then, list all of the symbols that could be used for that topic, what type of scene would present your opinion, and what type of imagery would convey your opinion. If you are going to use text, determine what words will be present. But, your cartoon does not have to use words—you can communicate a lot of information through images alone. The following image is an example of the power images have to communicate.

Question

You will have the opportunity to create your own original opinion cartoon. The cartoon must illustrate your opinion on a current topic. The image must be creative, be easy to understand, have good craftsmanship, and be your own unique creation. Remember that you should use proper etiquette and be considerate of others’ opinions because this is a school-related assignment and your audience is other students. For this exercise, your audience will be the other members of your class. Brainstorm a list of topics that are relevant to that group. On a scrap piece of paper, list at least five different topics. This can range from wanting the right to vote to the warning label on video games. Whatever topic that is appropriate and relevant to your age group is suitable for the list. After you have created your list, pick the topic that is most important to you and determine your opinion on it. Then, list all of the symbols that could be used for that topic, what type of scene would present your opinion, and what type of imagery would convey your opinion. If you are going to use text, determine what words will be present. But, your cartoon does not have to use words—you can communicate a lot of information through images alone. The following image is an example of the power images have to communicate.
Two men with angry expressions are facing each other and holding up masks that show happy faces.

Once you have determined the topic and opinion you are going to convey as well as the imagery and text you will use, create your original cartoon. Consider all of the elements of art and principles of design to ensure that your artwork is dynamic. The art elements of unity and emphasis should be key factors. You can use any medium to create your original cartoon, including a computer drawing program, pencil, colored pencils, or oil pastels to create your original cartoon. Once you have finished it, use the Process worksheet to discuss the steps you took to develop your original cartoon. Select the links to access the Process worksheet and the Opinion Cartoon Portfolio rubric. This rubric will help you better understand how your project will be graded./Use as many rows in the table needed to describe the steps in your process. Be sure to complete the Reflection
section at the end of the worksheet.
Step Step Description
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Step Step Description
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Reflection
What successes did you have?
What challenges did you face?
What would you do differently?

GPT-4o mini · Answer

### Brainstormed List of Topics 1. Climate change and environmental protection 2. Mental health awareness and stigma 3. The importance of student voting in elections 4. The impact of social media on self-esteem 5. School safety measures and student rights ### Selected Topic **Topic:** Mental health awareness and stigma **Opinion:** It's important to destigmatize mental health issues and encourage open conversations. ### Symbols to Use - **Brain:** Represents mental health - **Speech bubbles:** Symbolize conversation and communication - **Lock and key:** Represents stigma and the need to unlock conversations - **People holding hands:** Symbolizes support and unity ### Proposed Scene A scene where a group of diverse students is standing in a circle, each holding a speech bubble that contains words of encouragement or personal experiences, while a large lock in the center is being opened. This illustrates breaking the stigma around mental health through open dialogue. ### Imagery - Bright colors for the speech bubbles to represent positivity - Darker colors for the lock to denote stigma - Happy and supportive facial expressions on the students - A contrasting background showcasing a division: one side gray and gloomy (representing stigma) and the other side colorful and vibrant (representing support and openness) ### Text “Let’s unlock the conversation!” or “Mental health is just as important as physical health!” ### Steps for the Cartoon Creation | Step | Step Description | |------|------------------| | 1 | Brainstormed relevant topics and selected mental health awareness. | | 2 | Developed my opinion on the topic and outlined key symbols. | | 3 | Crafted a scene involving students breaking stigma through conversation. | | 4 | Sketch the initial layout of the cartoon digitally. | | 5 | Finalized the character designs and speech bubbles. | | 6 | Added color to the cartoon, focusing on the contrast between stigma and support. | | 7 | Incorporated text to reinforce the message. | | 8 | Reviewed and made any necessary adjustments to improve clarity and impact. | ### Reflection **What successes did you have?** I successfully conveyed a complex topic through simple yet effective imagery. The use of color and symbols helped to illustrate the message of breaking stigma around mental health. **What challenges did you face?** I initially struggled with representing the concept of stigma visually without making it seem too heavy or negative. Finding a balance between serious and encouraging elements was challenging. **What would you do differently?** I would spend more time on the initial brainstorming phase to ensure that the symbols are universally understood. Additionally, I'd like to experiment with different artistic styles to see which one resonates better with the message.