Anniversaries or markers of significant incidents tend to receive lots of media attention, usually around the date of the original event. Arguably, no other event has received as much attention as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which has garnered increasing interest and speculation since that Dallas day in November of 1963. Whether at home watching television, reading news via social media or talking with acquaintances, students will hear of and likely have questions about the assassination of one of our most popular presidents. The classroom is a great place to address this most notable and sad event in American history, and here, you can find some resources for JFK assassination lesson plans. Perhaps the best way to focus on it and ensure student engagement is to focus not only on the assassination itself but also the theories surrounding it, as well as the sense of mystery JFK’s death creates to this day. Giving students the resources to research and develop their own ideas is a surefire way to motivate even the most reticent history scholar: give them a chance to solve one of history’s greatest mysteries…..or prove it’s no mystery at all.
This is the BEST resource for all things Kennedy, including articles and videos!
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/2013/11/the-legacy-of-president-john-f-kennedy-50-years-later/
Definitely check out the Zapruder film, both the original and discussions of it and remember to note the man with the umbrella in the corner…..
Zapruder film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq1PbgeBoQ4
Stills from the Zapruder film
http://life.time.com/history/jfk-assassination-1963-key-stills-from-the-zapruder-film/
Theories
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/16/us/jfk-assassination-conspiracy-theories-debunked/
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861003,00.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/18/3762977/in-jfk-conspiracy-theories-facts.html
http://www.trutv.com/conspiracy/assassinations/jfk/introduction.html
Lesson Plans
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Home/Education/Teachers/Curricular%20Resources
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/views-of-jfk.cfm
http://people.mrdonn.org/john-f-kennedy.html
http://www.lessonsonamericanpresidents.com/john_f_kennedy.html
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/john-f-kennedy/
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