John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Rhetoric of JFK’s Inaugural Address
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your. country.” Did you know that John Kenneth Galbraith, Adlai Stevenson, and Theodore Sorensen helped John F. Kennedy craft his 1961...
K12 Reader
Find the Meaning: JFK's Inaugural Speech
Analyze a seminal speech from the 20th century with an activity focused on President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. After reading an excerpt from the address, pupils use a worksheet to practice their reading...
Curated OER
Write Obama's Inaugural Address
Students practice their public speaking skills. In this interdisciplinary instructional activity, students study speeches delivered by Lincoln, Wilson, F. Roosevelt, and Kennedy. Students write the text Obama's inaugural...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You
Ask not what the activity here can do for you, but what you can do with the activity. The answer is quite a lot! Young scholars revisit JFK's famous inaugural address with a focus on his plea for civic engagement. There's...
Staples Foundation For Learning
The President’s Desk
What stories can a desk paperweight and picture frame possibly tell us about the president of the United States? Pupils are transported to the desk of President John F. Kennedy through an engaging interactive site. The guide offers...
K12 Reader
Alliteration in Literature and Rhetoric
Middle schoolers are asked to identify the alliteration used in John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, Emily Dickinson's "May-Flower," and a passage from Robert Lewis Stevenson's Kidnapped.
Northshore School District
American Voices and Their Audiences
Those new to teaching an AP level language and composition prep course and seasoned veterans will find much to treasure in a unit that is designed to help young language scholars develop the skills they need to analyze the language...
Curated OER
In The Words of Abraham Lincoln...
Students explore the words of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln lesson plan, students analyze segments of "The Gettysburg Address," his annual address to Congress in 1862, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby. Students conduct further...
Curated OER
Perspectives on Civil Rights
Learners examine speeches of the Civil Rights Era. In this American history lesson, students listen to speeches delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. Learners respond to guiding questions as they listen to the...
Curated OER
Digital Dreams
Learners write a speech. In this dreams lesson, students define the word dreams and list their own dreams. Learners read and discuss Langston Hughes work, read and discuss excerpts from speeches by JFK and Martin Luther King,...
Curated OER
Recasting Language through Found Poetry
Discover the concept of found poetry in this engaging lesson. Secondary students will explore the poem "Natural Selection" and compare it to the writings of Charles Darwin in Origin of the Species. Students chose a text and create...
Curated OER
You're Hired!
Students participate in a simulation of being a speech writer for the President. They listen to and analyze speeches and present one of their own.
University of Maryland
Voices of Democracy: John Fitzgerald Kennedy, "Inaugural Address" January 1961
John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech is one of the most famous speeches in American history. Teachers can use this lesson plan to teach Language Arts standards, as well as Social Studies standards. This lesson plan includes pre-reading...
CommonLit
Common Lit: President Kennedy's Inaugural Address
A learning module that begins with "President Kennedy's Inaugural Address" by President John F. Kennedy, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...
American Rhetoric
American Rhetoric: John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address
This is the text, audio, and video [4:31] of President John F. Kennedy's first Inaugural Address on January 20, 1961.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Speech: Rhetoric and the Art of Persuasion
This is a complete unit on rhetoric and persuasion including key words, what to expect, handouts, lessons, self-quizzes, audio and speaking assignments, and an in-depth final assessment using JFK's Inaugural Address with a grading...