To help preservice and inservice social studies teachers develop systematic ways of integrating skills and content, this manual offers a model and simple instructional exercises for the diagnostic teaching of how to investigate a cartoon. Designed mainly for use with children in grades 4-6, the material is adaptable for use at other grade levels. The document, Part 1 of three installments of which the balance will be published at a later date, is in loose-leaf format to allow for future inclusion of Parts 2 and 3. Part 1 focuses on investigating visual devices. A model consisting of the following three major components is presented: Pre-Instructional Exercises, Diagnosis and Prescription, and Post-Instructional Exercises. Pre-Instructional Exercises include a series of questions for five levels of investigation, a variety of question styles, allowances for pupils whose learning styles are predominantly visual-oral, a systematic way of assessing the level at which the pupil is having difficulty, and suggestions for the selection and use of visuals. The Diagnosis and Prescription component consists of suggested activities for students experiencing difficulty in operating at certain levels of investigation. Post-Instructional Exercises feature a systematic reassessment of skills developed using a different visual. Adapting this model, a teacher can develop similar exercises using other kinds of visuals such as pictures, slides, graphs, tables, maps, and time lines. (Author/JR)