The political and economic climate during the 1930's was uncertain and tumultuous. But Americans' minds and hearts were eased with the reassuring words of their president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and addresses over the radio. High...

Students examine Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fireside Chats. In this presidential history lesson, students listen to the radio broadcasts of select FDR Fireside Chats. Students analyze the effectiveness of his messages to the public as well...

Comprehending the role of key players and events of WWII is a task all learners must undertake. Here, they respond to three critical thinking questions regarding the roles Roosevelt and Stalin played during the war as well as Germany's...

Fifth graders write a speech.  In this history instructional activity, 5th graders define the word infamy and listen to a speech by FDR.  Students work in groups to summarize his speech and rewrite sections of the speech.

Discuss classical appeals of rhetoric through the speeches of Winston Churchill and FDR. Learners read, annotate, and analyze the speeches by the men before using a graphic organizer to track the use of ethos, pathos, and logos. 

Young historians use the prompts on a worksheet to analyze President Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech. They identify the intended audience for the speech, the devices FDR used to persuade his audience, the responses promoted, and the...

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...

Students, in groups, describe a photo to the class. They determine which New Deal program is depicted in each of the images based on the research they conducted.

Students practice their reading comprehension skills by reading about Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal programs. They answer questions related to the reading to test for comprehension.

FDR's December 7, 1941 address to the nation is the focus of a reading comprehension exercise that asks middle schoolers to read an excerpt from the Pearl Harbor speech and determine the president's purpose.

Students consider that many presidential aides now speak "off the record," in essence conveying a message from the president. They examine why most Presidents have fewer press conferences the deeper they get into their terms of office.

Students discuss how they get information on important events or activities that occur in the national government today. They evaluate the New Deal, utilizing document analysis worksheets imbedded in this plan.

Five brief readings with questions support practice with various literacy skills. In some cases, learners identify whether underlined words are spelled correctly. Other times, they answer reading comprehension questions about the text or...

This is the text and audio of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first Fireside Chat "The Banking Crisis" on March 12, 1933, in Washington D.C.

A transcript of the very first Fireside Chat given by FDR in 1933. He addressed the American people about banking.

This is the text and audio of President Franklin Roosevelt's speech to the 77th Congress entitled "The Four Freedoms" on January 6, 1941.

The viewing goals for this lesson were for students to use a visual text, Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech (played first without sound), to identify visual cues & understand why he may have chosen to use certain...

A learning module that begins with "FDR's First Inaugural Address" by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...

A learning module that begins with "'Day of Infamy' Speech" by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...

Excerpts from Franklin Roosevelt's delivery of the May 7, 1933 Fireside Chat highlighting the purpose and goals of the New Deal.

President Franklin Roosevelt's Fireside Chat, the banking crisis address to the nation in May 1933. He presents his plans to end the trouble with the banks.