President Kennedy Station Lesson

President Kennedy was a remarkable individual. While he intended to attend Yale Law School, his decision changed after realizing the US would enter World War II. After this, he worked in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. This helped lead him to the US Presidency, which he won in the 1960 election. During all of his government roles, Kenedy executed significant decisions. This included setting a goal to place an American on the moon and massive security decisions during the Cold War Luckily, the President Kennedy Station Lesson allows students to learn all about this fantastic individual in an exciting format! 

President Kennedy Station Lesson

This station lesson is perfect for accelerating and engaging your US History students! The fast-paced 55-minute station lesson keeps students focused while critically analyzing US History. 

Specifically, there are 6 stations to help students learn about President Kennedy during the Cold War. Topics include the New Frontier, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Berlin Wall, and more! One of the topics will require a computer since students will watch a video. Students will love diving into this fascinating period while moving around the classroom with their classmates. 

Implementing Stations 

If you’ve never used stations before, providing students with an overview is essential. This includes letting them know they will travel to 6 stations to learn about 6 topics surrounding President Kennedy. Each station has directions on the topic and a worksheet covering the material they need to focus on. 

Since students travel with a group, they have classmates to discuss the material and questions with. 

Example Schedule 

Every classroom has a different amount of instruction time. Thankfully, you can adjust the times for the President Kennedy Station Lesson as desired. You can even divide the stations between 2 days! 

As a guide, I follow this format for a 60-minute class. I provide a 5-minute introduction to the topic and station format. Then, students spend 8 minutes at each station. Since there are 6 stations, this takes about 50 minutes. To end class, I spend 5 minutes closing the lesson and answering any questions. Depending on this discussion, there can be a follow-up discussion about what students learned the next day. It is amazing to see how much students have to say and how many participate when they learn in a hands-on format. Honestly, this lesson makes class fly by since students always stay busy! 

 Editability 

The President Kennedy Station Lesson is all editable! So, you can modify or reduce questions. Additionally, you can add in extra notes based on the needs of your students. 

There is even an answer key to help teachers discuss and grade! 

 Helpful Tip 

It is easy to lose track of time when working in stations. So, I recommend setting a timer to keep things on schedule! This allows the teacher to walk around, help, and listen to discussions without worrying about the clock. 

Students will love working in stations after completing the President Kennedy Station Lesson! They will realize how much they learn when staying focused and on task. Best of all, students build their critical thinking skills when they have to put forth so much effort and discussion at each station. 

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