FDR's First Inaugural Address

Analyze the inaugural speeches of selected presidents in this primary source analysis lesson plan. Middle schoolers collaborate to analyze an excerpt from Lyndon B. Johnson's inaugural speech and evaluate the speaker's argument,...

The Gettysburg Address is a powerful text. Use it to teach persuasion and the importance of word choice. The instructional activity detailed here includes a scaffolded background knowledge activity that includes image analysis of photos...

“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...

Take a close look at FDR's inaugural address. Learners read the text, answer text-dependent questions, and jot down some response ideas for discussion questions.

How do you read non-fiction, informational text?  How do you recognize the rhetorical devices a writer is using? How do you determine the tone of such a document? Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address provides a perfect vehicle for learners...

Use Nathanial Hawthorne's immortal text on the influence of religion on the early American settlements, as well as its continued impact on American culture, with a unit that focuses on The Scarlet Letter. In addition to Hawthorne's...

What stories can a desk paperweight and picture frame possibly tell us about the president of the United States? Pupils are transported to the desk of President John F. Kennedy through a highly interactive and engaging online interactive...

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...

Students discuss President Bush's goals for his second term in office. After reading an article, they identify the major themes of his second inaugural address. In groups, they brainstorm ideas and create murals to illustrate them...

Using Mark Twain's The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, invite your learners to consider the concept of virtue in a democratic society devoted to gain and self-interest. This stellar resource guides your class members through a close...