Curated OER
The Kennedy Administration
From his inaugural speech to the Bay of Pigs, major events concerning the Kennedy presidency are discussed. Slides provide an array of images and web links to highlight some of the bigger issues surrounding President Kennedy. The...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
The Cuban Missile Crisis: How to Respond?
For 13 days, the United States stood on the edge of nuclear War. The Soviet Arms buildup in Cuba is the focus of an activity that asks groups to analyze how the governmental role each of John F. Kennedy's advisors played went on to...
Curated OER
An American President in American Art
Learners discuss the life and death of both Elaine De Kooning and the president she painted, John Kennedy. They learn how Kooning chose to describe President Kennedy through abstract expressionism and why her choice of color and...
Curated OER
Understanding JFK's Presidency through his Speeches
Students reflect and discuss the major events that happened in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's. For this U.S. History lesson, students read and analyze the famous speeches during this time frame, then complete a...
Curated OER
The Vietnam War 1954-1975
Discuss the full travesty of the Vietnam War. Whether it's for history class, Memorial Day, or Veterans Day, this slide show is sure to make an impact on learners in the upper grades. Vivid images, concise language, and the complete...
Curated OER
Resolving Kennedy's Legacy
Students examine the Kennedy presidency. In this presidential history activity, students watch "Resolving Kennedy's Legacy." Students then discuss the provided questions regarding the presidency and write position papers about about the...
K12 Reader
The Greatest President
Who is the greatest US president? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? FDR? Find out the opinions of your young historians with this cross-curricular writing prompt that engages them in researching the accomplishments of these influential...
Curated OER
Chapter 28: Red Flags and Velvet Revolutions: The End of the Cold War, 1960-1990
Set your historians up for testing success using this interactive flashcard tool. It is one of many learning strategies offered in this thorough online resource. Although designed for use with a text, the site is valuable independently....
Curated OER
The Kennedy Years
Eighth graders read text and view films about the Kennedy administration. In this preseidential administration lesson, 8th graders interview someone who lived during Sputnik, write summaries of lectures, and create posters demonstrating...
Curated OER
Tale of Two Speeches
Students view and read portions of John F. Kennedy's Cuban Missile Crisis speech from October 22, 1962. Later in the year, students recall what they remember about the speech and use a Venn Diagram to compare it to Patrick Henry's...
Center for History Education
A Presidential Decision - The Bay of Pigs
The lesson examines President Kennedy's response to the Bay of Pigs Crisis and Cold War tensions. Academics learn how the information President Kennedy had affected his response to the question of whether to invade Cuba. Scholars...
Center for History Education
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Cold War tensions led to hostile actions. Scholars use primary sources to understand the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis during President Kennedy's administration. The lesson provides primary sources and a graphic organizer to...
Curated OER
Presidents Picture Book
Students create a picture book of the U.S. presidents. They study general information about the U.S. presidents, write a sentence about each president, and create a picture book about the U.S. presidents.
University of North Carolina
Presidential Decisions During the Vietnam War
To begin a study of the Vietnam War, groups assume the role of a US president, examine primary source documents, and based on this limited information, must decide on the United States' actions during the Vietnam War.
Curated OER
Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy
Pupils discuss the election of 1960. They examine the political styles of important leaders, the issue of money, and the issue of fair play in American politics. Students explore the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
Curated OER
Cuban Missile Crisis: Teaching Activities
Students create a timeline of the important events of John F. Kennedy's presidency. They construct a timeline of the major events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They compare the Missile Crisis events with their presentation in the movie...
Social Studies School Service
DVD Lesson Plan: Thirteen Days
Here you'll find a fine teacher reference for presenting the film Thirteen Days, a dramatic interpretation of the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Kennedy administration. It includes a brief description of the film, learning...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Dueling Telegrams: 1963 Verbal Power Play Between Wallace and JFK
Information, inferences, and innuendos. Text and subtext. Class members examine telegrams exchanged between President John F. Kennedy and Alabama Governor George Wallace, studying both what is stated and what is implied by the...
Curated OER
Birthplace of John F. Kennedy: Home of the Boy Who Would Be President
Students explore the upbringing of John Kennedy and how it effected his culture, character and personality. They investigate their own family traditions, values, and interests.
Curated OER
"The Missiles of October": The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
Students investigate the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962 and how that presence triggered an international crisis. The options available to the president as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each are articulated in...
Curated OER
President Kennedy and Kentucky Politics
Young scholars explore the interactions between Kentucky Governor Bert Combs and President Kennedy. They examine JFK's interest in Kentucky politics and construct history through Governor Bert Comb's interview.
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...
C-SPAN
Presidential Candidate Firsts
Hilary Clinton may have been the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, but she was only one example of an historic candidacy. Class members use video clips curated from C-SPAN to examine historical firsts in...
Carolina K-12
The Cuban Missile Crisis
This is the perfect introduction to the Cuban Missile Crisis for your young learners. The lesson includes an engaging mock air raid, in-depth discussions, audio of President Kennedy's speech to the nation, and an event overview.