American Experience

History

Activity 1
Have the entire class read profiles of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Robert Francis Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy. Now divide the class into three groups. The first group should create a resume that John F. Kennedy might have prepared in 1960 if he were “applying” for the job of president. Include information on past jobs and accomplishments that Kennedy, as an applicant for the presidency, would want to emphasize. Also include his educational background and any personal information that might increase his chances of getting the job. (The group might want to assign different students to research different sections of the resume.) At the top of the resume, below his name, list some goals he planned to pursue if elected president. The other two groups should prepare similar resumes for Robert Kennedy in 1968 and Ted Kennedy in 1980.

When the groups are finished, circulate and compare the resumes. Which of the three do you think is the most impressive “application” for the presidency? What factors not shown on the resume might alter your opinion about which of the three candidacies most deserved to succeed?

Activity 2
Read the timeline. The Kennedys lived through and participated in many of the great events of the twentieth century, including the “roaring twenties,” the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the “Reagan revolution.” Choose one of these events and find a photograph, film clip, primary source, or song that in your view best captures the spirit of the time. (An example would be Martin Luther King, Jr.'s “I have a dream” speech for the civil rights movement.) Then present this to the class, explaining the reasons for your choice, and describe how one or more of the Kennedys helped shape — and were shaped by — this era.

After everyone has made a presentation, hold a class debate on the following topic. True or false: for all the power and celebrity the Kennedys obtained, they did not have a critical impact on any of the great events of the twentieth century.