JFK Library Teaching and Learning Tuesdays
"Ask not what your country can do for you –
ask what you can do for your country."
President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address

Welcome to the  JFK Library Teaching and Learning Tuesdays . 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. In the weeks ahead, new resources will be added to our online offerings !
Ready-to-Go Resources
Elementary & Middle School
Grades 3-8

Introduce your students to John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy through photographs, documents, and artifacts from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum collections. Accessible in slideshow or PDF form, these engaging narratives include questions, a glossary, and activities.
High School
Grades 9-12


President Kennedy’s inaugural speech addressed not only the American people, but also people throughout the world—including newly independent nations, old allies, and the Soviet Union. In this lesson plan, students are challenged to consider how the speech might have resonated with some of these audiences.
Forum Spotlight
Watch and Discuss a Past Forum
Colin Calloway, Dartmouth professor of history and author of The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, The First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation, and Julia A. King, St. Mary’s College of Maryland professor of anthropology, discuss recent historical research into Native American life with Philip Deloria, Harvard professor of history.
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
Maritime Nautical Flags
John F. Kennedy enjoyed sailing from the time he was young. He taught his siblings and his wife Jacqueline to sail on his sailboat, the Victura. Sailors like Kennedy sometimes use nautical flags to send messages to each other. Invite your students to explore President Kennedy's passion for the sea and create their own initials in nautical code. For an extra challenge, encourage them to complete the nautical code puzzle featuring a beloved Kennedy family pet. 
Census Day
Everyone Counts!
Census Day takes place on April 1, 2020. Help your students understand the importance of this constitutionally mandated nationwide survey conducted by the US Census Bureau.
Read and Recharge
When you work where you live – as both President John F. Kennedy and writer Ernest Hemingway often did – pets tend to show up whenever they like and remain unbothered by workplace behavior rules. In the hope of adding some joy (and historical knowledge!) to your day, here’s a selection of photographs from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s archival collections that involve cute animals living their best lives.
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.