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Media Galleries
Explore photographs related to JFK's youth.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Curricular Standards
Common Core
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Hands-On History Activities
Students can use outlines of astronauts to make one-of-a-kind portrait collages.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Space
Hands-On History Activities
Students can learn how to suit up for space, and then color a spacesuit and create an astronaut puppet.
Grade Level
1
2
3
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Space
Hands-On History Activities
Students can create their own campaign buttons to support a candidate or a cause of their choice.
Grade Level
4
5
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Campaign, Election, & Inauguration
Civic Education and Engagement
Curricular Standards
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Hands-On History Activities
Students can explore late eighteenth-century America in style by making their own tricorn hat and a cravat to match the popular colonial and federal style worn by presidents — including George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson — as well as many colonials and founding leaders.
Grade Level
1
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture
Resource Guides / Packets
These annotated resources - gathered for a special conference held at the Kennedy Library in 2009 - provide students and teachers with useful documents, images, maps, timelines, and essays about issues related to nuclear armaments since the development of the first atomic bomb.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
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
Hands-On History Activities
Students can learn about the suffrage movement and its symbolism in MA, and then color a bluebird sign.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
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
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Hands-On History Activities
On May 5, 1961, Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became the first American in Space when he completed a 15-minute sub-orbital flight aboard the "Freedom 7" spacecraft. Students can explore this historic moment by making their own mini Mercury spacecraft complete with a parachute.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Space
Resource Guides / Packets
Explore "The President's Desk: A Resource Guide for Educators" and discover more than fifty-five curricular-relevant lesson plans and activities for grades 4-12 based on the online interactive exhibit, "The President's Desk."
Grade Level
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture
The Cold War
International Relations
The Job of the President
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
Hands-On History Activities
Invite students to explore President Kennedy's passion for the sea and create their own initials in nautical code.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Hands-On History Activities
Students can make their own Origami LEM (Lunar Excursion Module) as they explore the historic Moon-landing on July 20, 1969 and learn more about the technology of spaceflight.
Grade Level
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Space
Hands-On History Activities
Students can explore President Kennedy's passion for the sea by making their own origami sailboat and naming it.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Hands-On History Activities
Encourage students to make their own American flag with popsicle sticks and learn more about its history and the meaning behind its colors.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Curricular Standards
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Hands-On History Activities
Students can use outlines of presidents and first ladies to make one-of-a-kind portrait collages.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Curricular Standards
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Resource Guides / Packets
Annotated bibliographies of both recommended biographies and literature about American history. Includes guidelines for critically analyzing biographies and history-based literature.
Grade Level
3
4
5
6
7
8
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
Science
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture
Bibliographies
Biographical Resources
Civil Rights
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
Guided Programs
Students learn tactics for answering a document-based question similar to those on the AP US History exam using documents from the Kennedy Library archives. Though emphasis is placed on developing strategies for document analysis, we also provide students with an introduction to the content they will need to answer the question.
Grade Level
10
11
12
Time Required
0-1 hour
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civil Rights
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
Hands-On History Activities
Invite students to explore President Kennedy’s appreciation of scrimshaw and design their own unique work of art.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture
Biographical Resources
Resource Guides / Packets
In 1961, President Kennedy signed Executive Order 10924 establishing the Peace Corps. Teachers who are working on civic engagement projects with students may be particularly interested in primary and secondary sources related to the formation and first years of the Peace Corps including audio, video and textual materials.
Grade Level
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
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
Hands-On History Activities
Students can make their own suffrage sash inspired by those worn by suffragists in the 20th century.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
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
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Guided Programs
Students work on a document-based question similar to those on the AP exam using documents from the Kennedy Library archives, and strategize tactics for successfully analyzing primary sources.
Grade Level
10
11
12
Time Required
2-3 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civil Rights
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
Hands-On History Activities
Students can make their own suffrage sunflower and discover more about the popular symbols and colors used by suffragists in the campaign to secure the right to vote for women.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
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
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Resource Guides / Packets
These resources guide elementary students to become biography detectives as they investigate Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy’s life. Three classroom activities feature documents, photographs, and a giant timeline.
Grade Level
3
4
5
Time Required
3-4 hours
5+ hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
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
Hands-On History Activities
Students can learn more about how suffragists represented themselves by creating a change-making suffragist zine, a self-published booklet.
Grade Level
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Civic Education and Engagement
Curricular Standards
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Guided Programs
Why do archives matter? If you were creating a museum about Kennedy and his administration, what would you put in it? What kind of work is done at an archive and a museum? In this virtual program, students consider how history is constructed as they learn about the holdings and work of the Kennedy Library.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
The Arts
Civics and US Government
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture
Civic Education and Engagement
The Cold War
The Job of the President
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Hands-On History Activities
Use examples of historic presidential china to inspire your students to create their own design with a paper plate and craft materials.
Grade Level
1
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture