Biographical Resources

The Kennedy family on beach, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 1931.

John F. Kennedy
Biography of John F. Kennedy

Jacqueline Kennedy
Biography of Jacqueline Kennedy


Campaign, Election and Inauguration

President Kennedy delivers his Inaugural Address at the Capitol, Washington, D. C., 20 January 1961.

Lesson Plan: Political Debates: Advising a Candidate
Students analyze excerpts from the first Kennedy-Nixon debate (September 26, 1960) and a memo assessing the debate from one of Kennedy's advisers. They then watch a current political debate to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate they support.

Lesson Plan: Recipe for an Inaugural Address
Students consider what "ingredients" might go into the speech that will launch a President's term in office as they examine some of the most memorable inaugural addresses of the past.

Lesson Plan: Red States, Blue States: Mapping the Presidential Election
Students analyze the results of the 1960 election, collect data for a recent presidential election, and identify changes in voting patterns.

The Kennedy White House

The President's Desk: A Resource Guide for Teachers, Grades 4-12
Invite your students to take a seat at The President's Desk and discover what it means to hold the highest office in the land. This online interactive exhibit features JFK's treasured mementos and important presidential records. Primary sources ranging from recordings of meetings in the Oval Office to family photographs populate the site and provide an engaging and fascinating look into John F. Kennedy's life and presidency. The President's Desk Resource Guide provides an overview of the Desk and suggested curriculum-relevant lesson plans and activities. To access the President's Desk interactive exhibit: 

1963: The Struggle for Civil Rights
Bring the pivotal events of the civil rights movement in 1963 to life for your students through more than 230 primary sources ranging from film footage of the March on Washington and letters from youth advising the president to JFK’s landmark address to the American people and secret recordings of behind-the-scenes negotiations on civil rights legislation. To foster your students' understanding of this era, lesson plans on each of the seven topics are available in the "For Educators" section of the website.

President Kennedy addresses AMVETS by telephone from the Oval Office, 23 August 1962Lesson Plan: A President's Day
If you are elected to the nation's highest office, what are you actually expected to do? Spend a day at the White House with John F. Kennedy to learn about some of the president's most important roles and responsibilities.

Integrating Ole Miss
Students witness civil rights history firsthand through primary source material. Includes guiding questions for classroom activities and assignments.

Leaders in the Struggle for Civil Rights
These letters and telegrams from key figures help tell the story of the civil rights movement during the Kennedy years. Documents include communications from James Farmer, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Roy Wilkins, and Whitney Young.

Lesson Plan: Why Choose the Moon?
Using primary source materials, students investigate the motivation for President Kennedy's ambitious space program.

Americans in Space
Primary source material and classroom activities reveal why exploring space was a priority for the Kennedy administration.

Historical Resources

JFK in History
Contains topic guides with relevant primary source material.

Annotated Bibliographies about American History
Annotated bibliographies of both recommended biographies and literature about American history. Includes guidelines for critically analyzing biographies and history-based literature.