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This November 2, 2022 conference for teachers of grades 3 - 8 and school librarians will explore how illustrations and images can deepen children's understanding of and interest in history. Join keynote speaker Ekua Holmes and guest illustrators Don Brown, Laura Freeman, and R. Gregory Christie to learn how to get students excited about history, stimulate their historical imagination, and challenge them to think critically about the past.
Detailed information on selecting source material, citing sources, and links to web resources with specific formats.
Explore the high school curricular resources through Massachusetts Frameworks.
Bibliographies of excellent books about American history for elementary and middle school students. Check out the guidelines for selecting high quality books.
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
The Education Department at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum created these teaching resources for History Makers, a professional development program for third- and fifth- grade
Immerse yourself in the dynamic history of the Kennedy Administration.
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
Students read, listen to, and summarize excerpts of President Kennedy's June 11, 1963 speech on civil rights. They reflect on its resonance today and create images of a better future.
Grade Level
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
Guided Programs
Students consider the question, "How do people bring about change in the government and in their communities?" They investigate photographs, video, oral history, and documents to discover the story behind the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and President Kennedy's role in it. After visiting museum exhibits related to the civil rights movement, students reenact the demonstration, drawing on the hopes, dreams, and inspiring words from this historic event.
Grade Level
4
5
Time Required
2-3 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)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students learn about the speakers at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. They reenact the March and recite excerpts from the speeches delivered that day.
Grade Level
4
5
6
Time Required
2-3 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)
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Lesson Plans & Activities
In this lesson, students analyze "Sea Joy," a poem Jacqueline Kennedy wrote when she was a young girl, and then write their own poems using sensory imagery.
Grade Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture
Biographical Resources
Curricular Standards
National Council of Teachers of English
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students learn about ancient symbols and ornamental and architectural elements to identify some symbols of American democracy in the White House as an introduction to the origins of common symbolic representations of the United States and its values.
Grade Level
5
6
7
8
Time Required
0-1 hour
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
English Language Arts
US History
World History
Curricular Resource Topic
Arts & Culture
Curricular Standards
Common Core
C3 Framework for Social Studies
National History Standards (UCLA)
Massachusetts Framework - English Language Arts
Massachusetts Framework - History and Social Science
Resource Guides / Packets
On December 25, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s most powerful space observatory, was launched. This massive telescope was named after the administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968. The Kennedy Library’s website has extensive materials by and about Webb that can be useful for curricular materials and students’ online research.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Science
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
The Cold War
Space
James Farmer co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality in 1942. The organization aimed at "erasing the color line through methods of direct nonviolent action."
Lesson Plans & Activities
Students consider the language a president might use in trying to create the right balance in tone for both American and foreign audiences when discussing US involvement in other parts of the world.
Grade Level
9
10
11
12
Time Required
0-1 hour
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
While the JFK Library and Museum is closed to the public, we will be sending a weekly digest of digital content in hopes of giving you opportunities to learn, be inspired, or find comfort in the days ahead. This includes curricular material curated by our Education team that parents and educators can easily incorporate into their daily lessons for K-12 students.
The department of education and public programs is dedicated to providing additional support to educators during this difficult time. This weekly resource guide provides "ready resources" including lesson plans, activities, videos, primary sources, and reading material for student and teacher engagement.
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
PX 65-105:179 August 1959 Senator John F. Kennedy in his Senate Office. Photograph by John Vachon for LOOK Magazine, in the LOOK Magazine Collection, Library of Congress. Creator: Photograph by John
Every year, the Kennedy Library recognizes up to 100 middle school students from across Massachusetts with the John F. Kennedy Make a Difference Award for the impact they have made in their communities through service projects.
Guided Programs
This interactive, biography-based program introduces elementary students to the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy using archival material from the collections of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. In a follow-up activity, students consider the quote “Ask not what your country can do for you…” and create an illustration that shows how they are helping their family, neighborhood, school, or community.
Grade Level
3
4
5
Time Required
1-2 hours
Curricular Resource Subject Area
Civics and US Government
English Language Arts
US History
Curricular Resource Topic
Biographical Resources
Civic Education and Engagement
Civil Rights
International Relations
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
John Lewis was committed body and soul to nonviolent action. In 1960, he participated in the first mass lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville. As a Freedom Rider, he was badly beaten by a white mob in Montgomery. In 1963, at age 23, he became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. SNCC ("Snick") had been formed three years earlier at a conference convened by Ella Baker, executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.