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Lesson Plan
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Analyzing the Inaugural Address

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address, the...
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Activity
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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Recipe for an Inaugural Address

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
An inaugural address represents the first moments of a new beginning. Using John F. Kennedy's speech as a model for guided practice, groups examine the ingredients of an inaugural address. Individuals then repeat the analysis process...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Presidential Candidates

For Students 11th - 12th
Build critical analysis skills with this cartoon for the classroom. Upper graders answer three critical thinking questions to help them analyze a political cartoon, which depicts how Presidential Candidates are judged and chosen. Put...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Must Not Be Enemies: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students complete a unit of lessons on the historical context and significance of Lincoln's inaugural address. They analyze archival documents, campaign posters, historical photographs, and primary source documents, and listen to songs...
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Lesson Plan
Great Schools

My First Presidential Election

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Register, establish a platform, make campaign speeches, and design campaign advertisements with a study of presidential elections. Young citizens engage in various activities that mimic the election process.
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Activity
PBS

Presidential Leadership and the Goal to Unify | America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Traditionally, a United States President's Inaugural Address establishes the tone and vision for his presidency. It has stressed the goal to unify the country and bring the political parties together after what are often divisive...
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Worksheet
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Humanities Texas

Primary Source Worksheet: Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address

For Students 8th - 11th Standards
Your young historians will be intrigued to read and analyze Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, which discusses the president's take on the causes of the Civil War and connections between the North and the South.
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Lesson Plan
Ford's Theatre

A Comparison of Lincoln’s Inaugural Addresses

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Speech, speech! Analyzing speeches is no easy task. High schoolers learn the important process of annotation as they work together to analyze Lincoln's inaugural address. Then groups of four work to annotate a second speech at a more...
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Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Student Symposium and Resulting Action

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Your class may not be able to vote yet, but that doesn't mean they can't feel like they're part of the presidential election! The resource creates a symposium where pupils debate about a selected topic in current events during an...
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Lesson Plan
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Analyzing the Rhetoric of JFK’s Inaugural Address

For Teachers 9th - 12th
“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...
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Interactive
Mr. Nussbaum

Abraham Lincoln Reading Comprehension—The Presidential Years (Part 1)

For Students 5th - 7th Standards
Hail to the Chief! Your class learns about Abraham Lincoln winning presidency and choosing cabinet advisors through a reading passage and paired multiple choice questions. The resource offers great practice for state tests and improves...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Election of 1864

For Teachers 9th - 12th
An interesting lesson plan uses a hands-on-activity and group discussion to explore the 1864 presidential election and Lincoln's plans for ending the Civil War. Designed for high school, the resource also requires historians to...
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Lesson Plan
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Smithsonian Institution

George Washington: A National Treasure

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Take a closer look at the life and presidency of George Washington with this great set of lesson plans and worksheets. The resource includes a timeline of the president's life and multiple opportunities for primary source and image...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Before and Beyond the Constitution: What Should a President Do?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss the powers and responsibilities of the President, list some precedents established during Washington's presidency, and match presidential actions with the type of Executive power it is.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Campaign Echoes

For Students 9th - 11th
Get on those thinking caps, because your class is going to analyze a political cartoon related to the 2008 presidential elections. Included is a large image of the cartoon, background information, and three guiding questions which can be...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Campaign Fundraising

For Students 9th - 12th
Although this political cartoon analysis assignment has your scholars glancing back at the 2008 presidential campaign, its message is relatable anytime. Background information provides context, giving learners access to the cartoon,...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Nov. 4, 2008 | Obama Is Elected President

For Students 9th - 12th
Read this interesting background information regarding the presidential election of 2008. Your class will read the provided passages and then answer four critical thinking questions that require them to consider the reading and what they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gettysburg Address (1863): Defining the American Union

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Students explore the Gettysburg Address. In this U. S. history lesson, students examine Abraham Lincoln's speech and it's themes of freedom, equality, and emancipation.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Union In Peril: Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address

For Students 8th - 12th
In this research skills worksheet, students research the noted website to discover details about Lincoln's Inaugural Address and then respond to the provided analysis questions.
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Lesson Plan
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Museum of the Moving Image

Political Ads in Historical Context

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Campaign ads target both timely issues and general themes. Presidential campaign ads from 1952 and 1988 provide class members an opportunity to compare how the topics ads choose to address can dramatically influence election outcomes.
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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Giving Speeches: George Washington's First and Second Inaugural Addresses

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students discuss the purpose of the President of the United States giving an inaugural address. They describe their impressions of any inaugural speaches they have heard or read. Students research events leading up to Washington's first...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Like Father, Like Son: Presidential Families

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine the role of the President. They discuss the President's responsibilities and compare both father/son presidents (Adams and Bush).
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Lesson Plan
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C-SPAN

Debates

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
How do the presidential debates of 2016 compare to the debates from the 1980's? What about the 1960's? Evaluate a chosen candidate or issue from the 20th and 21st centuries with a lesson plan focused on political debates. Middle and high...
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Interactive
Teaching American History

A Word Fitly Spoken: Lincoln's Most Famous Speeches on Union

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Abraham Lincoln's words carried American democracy through one of its most tenuous and violent moments in the nation's short history. Explore an interactive timeline that places events of the 19th century in the context of Lincoln's...