Middle & High School Programs

Thomas Nast for Middle & High School

Meet the Press: NY Civil War Weekly Newspapers–5th-11th grade

  • 45-60 minute program
  • Introductory PowerPoint about the role of illustrated newspapers in the 1850s.
  • Students work on teams to design a front page for an 1862 newspaper selecting images and creating headlines to capture the interest of their audience.
  • Learn more about the life of Thomas Nast (1840-1902) who Lincoln called his “best recruiting sergeant” for the Union.
  • Students receive a complimentary ticket to visit Macculloch Hall.

Meets the following New Jersey Student Learning Standards:  RI.5.3; RI.5.6; SL.5.1: SL.5.4; RH.6-8.2; RH.9-10.2; RH.6-8.7; RH.9-10.9; SL.6.1; SL.6.4; 6.1.8.C.5a; 6.1.8.D.5b; 6.1.12.A.4.c 

Curbing the Copperheads: Nast and the 1864 Election–5th -11th  grade

  • 45-60 minute program
  • Introductory PowerPoint about the “firsts” of the 1864 Presidential election and what was at stake.
  • Learn about the life of Thomas Nast (1840-1902) who is considered the “father of the American political cartoon”.
  • Analyze the Nast cartoon “Compromise with the South” using document-based questions.
  • Students work in pairs to identify the issues using Nast’s detailed images from “The Chicago Platform”.
  • Students receive a complimentary ticket to visit Macculloch Hall.

Meets the following New Jersey Student Learning Standards:  RI.5.3; RI.5.6; SL.5.1: SL.5.4; RH.6-8.2; RH.9-10.2; RH.6-8.7; RH.9-10.9; SL.6.1; SL.6.4; 6.1.8.D.5.c; 6.1.12.A.4.c; 6.1.12.D.4.c

Portraying Post-War Presidents:  Johnson and Grant–5th– 11th  grade

  • 45-60 minute program
  • Introductory PowerPoint covering the life and work of political cartoonist, Thomas Nast (1840-1902).
  • Using Nast’s images of Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant students compare how Nast presented these presidents in the media.
  • Examine Nast’s political cartoons in small groups and answer document-based questions.
  • Discuss the value of primary sources in studying American history.
  • Students receive a complimentary ticket to visit Macculloch Hall.

Meets the following New Jersey Student Learning Standards:  RI.5.3; RI.5.6; SL.5.1: SL.5.4; RH.6-8.2; RH.9-10.2; RH.6-8.7; RH.9-10.9; SL.6.1; SL.6.4;  6.1.8.A.5.b; 6.1.8.D.5.d;6.1.12.D.4.d; 6.1.12.D.4.c