Website Spotlight: John F. Kennedy



Website URL: http://millercenter.org/president/kennedy 

Introductory Note:

Welcome to one in a series of posts which spotlight quality websites that I use with my U.S. History survey course students at Azusa Pacific University to enrich the regular material in our learning modules.

Among the many worthwhile aspects of the Miller Center (University of Virginia) site, I ask the students to concentrate on the following four essays:

Life Before the Presidency
http://millercenter.org/president/kennedy/essays/biography/2
Campaigns and Elections
http://millercenter.org/president/kennedy/essays/biography/3
Domestic Affairs
http://millercenter.org/president/kennedy/essays/biography/4
Foreign Affairs
http://millercenter.org/president/kennedy/essays/biography/5

~~For a review of the Miller Center website:

TeachingHistory.org (National History Education Clearinghouse)
http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/website-reviews/14722

++++++++++

For additional quality material about President Kennedy:

1. American Presidents (American Experience)

The Kennedys
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/kennedys/

These are the specific links from the website that I ask my students to work through:

The Truth about Indochina (1954) [Kennedy critical of American involvement]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/jfk-indochina/

Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/jfk-minister/

Correspondence during Cuban Missile Crisis between Kennedy and Khrushchev
Some 10 items are available.

Letter from Kennedy to Ngo Dinh Diem 1961
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/jfk-indochina/

~~For reviews of the American Presidents website:

History Matters (The U.S. Survey Course on the Web)
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4106/
TeachingHistory.org (National History Education Clearinghouse)
http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/website-reviews/14714

+++

2. Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century
http://www.presidentialtimeline.org/

~~For a helpful review of this website--with clear guidelines on how best to navigate the site:
TeachingHistory.org (National History Education Clearinghouse)
http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/website-reviews/24401

a. Timeline John F. Kennedy
http://www.presidentialtimeline.org/html/timeline.php?id=35

b. Exhibits John F. Kennedy
http://www.presidentialtimeline.org/timeline/bin/

The Peace Corps, March 1961

c. Gallery John F. Kennedy
http://www.presidentialtimeline.org/html/gallery.php?id=35

+++

3. Living Room Candidate: A History of Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952-2008

http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1960

a. The text box on the right side of the screen displays information about the election: Overview, candidates, results.

b. Commercials: horizontal columns toward the bottom of the screen, grouped by candidate.

c. "For Teachers." Several excellent lesson plans.

d. "Online Resources." Great links to other resources about this election.

~~For reviews of this website:

History Matters (The U.S. Survey Course on the Web)
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6406/
TeachingHistory.org (National History Education Clearinghouse)
http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/website-reviews/14630
Richard Byrne (Free Tech 4 Teachers)
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/06/living-room-candidate-history-of.html

++++++++++

Concluding Note:

I hope you will use this blog post in conjunction with both the modules on my Learning Professor wiki and the numerous other posts in my Website Spotlight series.

1. The website spotlighted in this post fits within the following U.S. History survey course module on the wiki:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/Cold+War

2. Other blog posts in my Website Spotlight series--chronologically displayed by U.S. History survey course module-- can be found on this wiki page:
http://thelearningprofessor.wikispaces.com/WEBSITE+SPOTLIGHT