Spring 2020 Education Series
JFK Library Teaching and Learning Tuesdays
From the Library's Department of Education and Public Programs Team
May 19, 2020 (Week 8)
Service and Courage


Featuring primary sources, lesson plans, activities and more focusing on JFK's call to service and the importance of courage in American life
Ready-to-Go Resources
Elementary School
Lesson Plan
Ask What You Can Do: Kennedy’s Call to Service
Grades 1 - 6
John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address inspired children and adults to see the importance of civic action and service. In this lesson, students analyze a quote from the speech and create artwork about their own community service to share with us at socialmedia@
jfklfoundation.org or tag #AskWhatYouCanDo2020 on social media. 
Middle & High School
Activity
Joining the Struggle: Young Activists in Birmingham, AL 1963
Grades 7 - 10
In Birmingham, Alabama during the spring of 1963, African American children and young adults joined their elders in peaceful demonstrations to overturn the city’s harsh segregation laws and practices. In this activity, students consider young people’s rationales for participating in the Birmingham Campaign, and the risks and rewards of their inclusion.

Photo Credit (both images):
Bill Hudson/Associated Press
High School
Activity
Kennedy on the Poet’s Civic Role
Grades 9 - 12
On October 26, 1963, President Kennedy delivered a timeless speech at Amherst College about the importance of public service and the role of the poet in a democratic society. In this activity, students analyze the meaning of a significant portion of this speech, and then write a brief poem about the role of the poet in civic life.
Forum Spotlight
Watch and Discuss a Past Forum
A Conversation with
President Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter  discussed his new book,  A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power with  Ronan Farrow , who served as special advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and currently is host of MSNBC's  Ronan Farrow Daily .
A Conversation with
Barbara Lee
Congresswoman  Barbara Lee  discussed her distinguished career and contemporary civil rights issues with  Kenneth Mack , professor of law and history at Harvard University.  
Kennedy Library Forums are webcast live and recorded whenever possible. Written transcripts of most recorded events are also available. View our past Forums or visit our YouTube channel to view past Forums .
Activity of the Week
Make a Mini Spacecraft 
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. Shepard served in the Navy during World War II and then continued his dedication to public service as an astronaut. Your students can explore this historic moment by making their own mini Mercury spacecraft complete with a parachute. They can experiment with the measurements of the cup, string, and parachute to determine which configurations keep the spacecraft in the air the longest. 
JFK Library Program Update
High School Audience
The Profile in Courage Essay Contest
This national writing competition introduces students to the concept of political courage and challenges them to craft a research essay on the political courage of a US elected official. The 2020 Contest results, including a link to the winning essay, will be announced in next week’s edition. The 2021 Contest opens on September 1, 2020 and the deadline is January 15, 2021.
Educational Game Resource
JFK Challenge : Free iPad App
The free JFK Challenge app for iPad brings American history to life for kids by turning them into astronauts and Peace Corps volunteers. Fly to the Moon or help people around the world with this exciting offering from the JFK Library.
In Case You Missed It...
JFK Library's Teaching and Learning Tuesdays 5/12
Last week's email featured the " The Kennedys Honor the Governor of Puerto Rico with an Historic Concert " and " Art as a Civic Language " activities, A Conversation with Misty Copeland Forum, the " Design Scrimshaw! " activity, and the Ernest Hemingway issue of the New Frontiers Newsletter .

In addition, all past emails from this series are available on the Library's website.
Suggestions or Feedback?
Interested in a particular topic or type of resource? Reply to this email and let us know what you are looking for and we will do our best to incorporate it into this weekly guide!

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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125
(617) 514-1600
Open 7 Days 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.