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Lesson Plans & Activities
Students consider the threat of nuclear weapons in the early 1960s and the opportunities and challenges in negotiating an arms control agreement.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
The Cold War
International Relations
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students consider what makes a non-violent protest march successful and by analyzing primary sources, they then evaluate the success of the 1963 March on Washington.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students use materials related to the 1960 presidential election to explore the elements of a successful political campaign.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Adapted from the longer lesson plan "What if Laws are Unjust?", this activity asks students to analyze Dr. King’s discussion of when laws are unjust from his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
Grade Level
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students examine the persuasive techniques in President Kennedy's "June 11, 1963 Radio and Television Report to the American People on Civil Rights" and evaluate the effectiveness of the speech.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civil Rights
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students analyze a letter to President Kennedy from a woman who had just lost her brother in South Vietnam and consider Kennedy’s reply which explains his rationale for sending US military to that country.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
The Cold War
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students examine a photograph from JFK's high school years and write a caption that reflects their knowledge gained through observation, research, and interpretation.
Grade Level
3
4
5
6
Time Required
0-1 hour
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Lesson Plans & Activities
Using primary source materials, students investigate the use of metaphor in presidential oratory and apply it to a piece of persuasive writing on a current national or global issue.
Grade Level
7
8
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students analyze excerpts from the first Kennedy-Nixon debate (September 26, 1960) and a memo assessing the debate from one of Kennedy's advisers. They then use the memo as a model as they watch a current political debate to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate they support.
Grade Level
7
8
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Civic Education and Engagement
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students analyze the results of the 1960 election, collect data for a recent presidential election, and identify changes in voting patterns.
Grade Level
3
4
5
6
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Civic Education and Engagement
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students use primary and secondary sources to research a mystery artifact -- a coconut husk with a message carved on it -- and determine the object’s historical significance.
Grade Level
3
4
5
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Curricular Standards
Common Core
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students consider how a president can generate support for one of his legislative initiatives and help a bill become a law by investigating the steps President Kennedy took in attempting to turn his June 1963 civil rights proposal into meaningful legislation.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students learn about gender discrimination in space exploration by analyzing a letter to President Kennedy from a female aviator training to be an astronaut.
Grade Level
5
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civil Rights
The Cold War
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Space
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students conduct historical research on individual and collective efforts to achieve gender equality in the United States by reading and discussing a nonfiction picture book, analyzing an historical photograph, and researching and taking action on the current gender pay gap.
Grade Level
3
4
5
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students learn about the historical context of the inaugural address and then analyze the speech from three perspectives—a young civil rights activist, a Soviet diplomat, and a Cuban exile.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Civil Rights
The Cold War
International Relations
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
On October 26, 1963, President Kennedy delivered a timeless speech at Amherst College about the importance of public service and the role of the poet in a democratic society. In this activity, students analyze the meaning of a significant portion of this speech, and then write a brief poem about the role of the poet in civic life.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
In this role-play lesson, students consider some strategies proposed in 1963 for achieving the goal of equal voting rights for African Americans in Mississippi.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students consider what "ingredients" might go into the speech that will launch a President's term in office as they examine some of the most memorable inaugural addresses of the past.
Grade Level
6
7
8
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
The Cold War
International Relations
The Job of the President
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Space
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students make the "trip" with JFK from the Democratic National Convention to the November 8, 1960 election, answering questions with information gleaned from the primary sources located in the Campaign Office in "The President’s Desk".
Grade Level
4
5
6
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Civic Education and Engagement
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Use primary source material to explore what voters can learn from political debates. Students then create a guide book to help voters select a candidate.
Grade Level
3
4
5
6
Time Required
2-3 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
In this lesson, students examine the official program for the March on Washington to learn about the event itself and about some of the people who played a leading role in the civil rights struggle. They research different organizations and civil rights leaders and then create a montage to depict the diverse makeup of the movement in visual form.
Grade Level
7
8
Time Required
2-3 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students analyze President Kennedy’s April 20, 1961 speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors framing the invasion as “useful lessons for us all to learn” with strong Cold War language. This analysis will help students better understand the Cold War context of the Bay of Pigs invasion, and evaluate how an effective speech can shift the focus from a failed action or policy towards a future goal.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
The Cold War
International Relations
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students examine primary source documents and recordings. They consider some of the options discussed by Kennedy's advisors during the Cuban Missile Crisis, what groups and which individuals supported each option, and the pros and cons for each alternative.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
The Cold War
International Relations
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
In this lesson, students learn about the purpose of the Peace Corps, gather information about the early projects, and reflect on the impact of the program.
Grade Level
4
5
6
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Geography
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
International Relations
Curricular Standards
Common Core
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
By studying historical nonfiction text, students learn how a president demonstrates leadership through ideas, words, and deeds. Students can analyze the text as a persuasive speech and identify the arguments Kennedy used to try to convince the nation that Americans of all races deserve equal treatment.
Grade Level
5
6
7
8
Time Required
3-4 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
The Cold War
International Relations
The Job of the President
Persuasive Writing and Speaking
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science