Rather than focusing on conspiracy theories, the author relates events as they unfolded before him and discusses the impact these events had on him. The teacher leads a group discussion about the article based on prompts included below under Discussion Questions. After the discussion is completed, students write a short, first-person essay about how a national or world event affected them. Students should include where they were when they learned of the news, how they learned of the news, and how they felt about the event. They should include any relevant details of the day that would make the experience more vivid for others.
Students interview a person in their parents' or grandparents' generation.
The interview should focus on how the national or world event about which they wrote affected the person they interview. As an alternative students may interview this person about his or her memories of and reactions to President Kennedy's assassination. Responses to the interview questions should be entered in the student's journal. Students will be evaluated based on participation during group discussion, the autobiographical essay, and journal entries based on their interview. Research the events following the assassination of President Kennedy and its impact on the United States.