Students analyze a political cartoon from 1962 illustrating the urgency to calm Cold War nuclear tensions. Then, they make a timeline of major international crises of the Kennedy administration, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Berlin Crisis of 1961, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Next, they examine the causes and effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Finally, students turn to the ongoing questions related to the Kennedy assassination, using it to evaluate the validity of sources and how historians understand the past.
Objectives:
- Analyze the sequence of foreign policy issues in the Kennedy administration, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Berlin Wall, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Describe the ongoing questions surrounding John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
Scene 1 — Engage
Student Activity
Students read an overview of the Kennedy administration and its major Cold War crises, then examine photographs of Kennedy and Khrushchev alongside a 1962 political cartoon about the Cuban Missile Crisis. They analyze the cartoon’s symbols, caption, and overall message and post a written interpretation explaining what it suggests about nuclear tensions and U.S.–Soviet relations.
Teacher Moves
Introduce the experience focus and objectives, then invite students to share and discuss what the cartoon reveals about Cold War fears and hopes for peaceful coexistence, using student interpretations to highlight key symbols and meanings.
Scene 2 — Explore
Student Activity
Students read Bay of Pigs Invasion and Berlin Crisis: The Standoff at Checkpoint Charlie to learn the causes and effects of these crises. They then research the Vienna summit, the construction of the Berlin Wall, and negotiations for a limited nuclear arms treaty, and create a six-event timeline with dates and brief summaries. Afterward, they complete a drag-and-drop activity that explains how the crises were interrelated and how they escalated and then reduced Cold War tensions.
Teacher Moves
Select one or two strong timelines to share and discuss with the class, using them to clarify the sequence and connections among the crises and to preview the deeper study of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the next scene.
Scene 3 — Explain
Student Activity
Students watch selected segments of President Kennedy’s Cuban Missile Crisis Oval Office Address to experience Kennedy’s public explanation of the crisis, then read The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962 to learn the historical background. They complete a “Five W’s and How” graphic organizer, identifying who was involved, what happened, where and when it occurred, why it happened, and how the crisis was resolved.
Teacher Moves
Review and discuss students’ graphic organizers with the class, using their responses to clarify key details and reinforce understanding of the causes, events, and resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Scene 4 — Elaborate
Student Activity
Students read Kennedy Assassination to learn about the assassination and major alternative explanations. They then read A Half-Century Later, Documents May Shed Light on J.F.K. Assassination and evaluate the article’s objectivity and subjectivity by considering author perspective, possible bias, historical context, and agreement or disagreement with other sources. On a collaborative wall, they post conclusions about the article from a historiographical perspective and then review and respond to classmates’ posts with questions or constructive comments.
Teacher Moves
Support students in accessing the lengthy article as needed, then use their wall posts as discussion starters to emphasize how historians and journalists balance objectivity and subjectivity when interpreting contested events like the Kennedy assassination.
Scene 5 — Evaluate
Student Activity
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher Moves
Facilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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