Lesson Plan

"The Measure of a Man's Success in Life is Not the Money He's Made. It's the Kind of Family He Has Raised.": Separating the Myth from Reality in the Life and Times of Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.

A young Joseph P. Kennedy sits wearing a suit at a desk, writing on a sheet of paper with a quill and facing the viewer.
Grade Level:
High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Subject:
Social Studies
Lesson Duration:
60 Minutes
Common Core Standards:
9-10.RH.1, 9-10.RH.2, 9-10.RH.3, 9-10.RH.4, 9-10.RH.5, 9-10.RH.7, 9-10.RH.8, 9-10.RH.9
State Standards:
Massachusetts Social Studies Curriculum Frameworks
USI.T6
Rebuilding the US: Industry and Immigration
USHII. T2
Modernity in the US: Ideologies and Economics
USHII. T4
Defending Democracy: The Cold War and Civil Rights at Home
Additional Standards:
NCSS
1.Culture
2.Time, Continuity, Change
3.People, Places, Environments
4.Individual Development, Identity
5.Individuals, Groups, Institutions
6.Power, Authority, Governance
7.Production, Distribution, Consumption
8.Science, Technology, Society

Essential Question

How should we view and evaluate a person in history?

Objective

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Identify who Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. was and what role he played in United States history.
Evaluate the ways in which historians form a complex picture of controversial historical figures.

Preparation

The students will first respond to the opening question.
After a brief discussion, they will examine photographs alone or with a partner. The class can then discuss their findings. 
Each student will then read the site bulletin. 
Students will watch the video: Smashing Mythology: Joseph P. Kennedy and Bootlegging.
Then students will examine letters in small groups and answer prompts. 
They will also examine an excerpt from one of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.'s speeches as well as quotes from historians.
Students will answer this final question: Who was Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and how should he be remembered? 

Procedure

Introduction:

Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. is considered an enigmatic, and often controversial, figure. Using photos, letters, and secondary sources, students will attempt to understand the life and legacy of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and connect his story to some of the larger historical events of the twentieth century. In addition, they will consider the complex issues connected to the interpretation of historical figures. 

Opener:

Name a few famous people from history. Describe the characteristics that make them memorable. Are all famous/memorialized people admired? Is it possible for someone to be both remembered as famous and infamous? Why or why not?

Lesson Resources

Photos

Examine the photos below and answer the following questions for each of the photos. Teacher Reference Notes are included for each photo.
  1. Examine the photos. What’s happening? What do you see or think that you see? 
  2. Why was the picture taken? 
  3. Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (he has round glasses) is in every photo. What inferences can you make about his personal traits, values, and socio-economic status from these photos?
  4. What questions do you have about the photos? 
  5. What questions do you have about Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. from examining these photos?

Site Bulletin

Read the Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. site bulletin and answer the following questions.
  1. In what ways did Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.'s ethnic and religious identity and his educational background have an impact on him?
  2. How would you describe Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.'s work ethic? How do you think it shaped his career?
  3. How did becoming a husband and father change his life? Was he able to establish a balance between family life and work? Explain your reasoning.
  4. Why did he become involved in public service? How did the start of World War II impact his career?
  5. What happened to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in 1961? How do you think this impacted his family? Why?
 

Video

Watch the video: Smashing Mythology: Joseph P. Kennedy and Bootlegging and answer the following questions:
  1. What were the 18th Amendment (National Prohibition Act) and the Volstead Prohibition Enforcement Act?
  2. What did Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. do that may have been controversial during Prohibition? Did Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. break the law during Prohibition?
  3. What does this part of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.’s story tell us about how he and his family are viewed by historians and the general public?

Letters

You will be assigned a letter to read with a partner. Read the letter together and respond to the following prompts on a separate sheet of paper. Prepare a short presentation where you share your answers to the prompts.
  1. Identify the sender and recipient. Why did they correspond?
  2.  Summarize the content of the letter.
  3. What are you learning about Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and other members of his family from reading these letters?
  4. What do these letters tell us about his life and character?

Quotes

As a class or individually, students will read and discuss the following quotes. While reading they will answer the following questions:
  1. What does this quote mean? 
  2. How does this connect with readings and letters that you have examined thus far?
  3. What does this tell us about Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.?

Quote from Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.'s October 1940 speech endorsing Franklin D. Roosevelt for a third term in office:

“…I have a great stake in this country. My wife and I have given nine hostages to fortune. Our children and your children are the more important than anything else in the world. The kind of America that they and their children will inherit is of grave concern to us all. In the light of these considerations, I believe that Franklin D. Roosevelt should be reelected president of the United States.”

Quote from David Nasaw, historian and author of The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy:

“Joseph P. Kennedy was a man of boundless talents, magnetic charm, relentless energy, and unbridled ambition. His life was punctuated by meteoric rises, catastrophic falls, and numerous rebirths, by cascading joys and blinding sorrows, and by a tragic ending near Shakespearean in its pathos. An Irish Catholic from East Boston, he was proud of his heritage but refused to be defined by it. He fought to open doors that were closed to him, then having forced his way inside, he refused to play by the rules. He spoke his mind—when he should not have. Too often, he let his fears speak for him. He was distrustful, often contemptuous of those in power—and did not disguise it. His anger and his hatreds were legendary, especially at those whom he believed had betrayed him.”

“This is the story of an outsider who forced his way into the halls of power and became both a witness and participant to the major events of the past century: booms, busts, wars and cold war, and the birth of a new frontier.”

Quote from Fredrik Logevall, historian and author of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956:

“Say what one will about Joseph P. Kennedy, it’s not every multimillionaire father who takes such broad interest in his children, who believes in them so fervently and who, together with his wife, instills in them, from a young age, a firm commitment to public service.”

Conclusion

Concluding discussion: Based on all the evidence we have examined, who was Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and what are some ways in which he could be remembered? Why? 

Contact Information

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Last updated: February 9, 2023