Teaching American History

TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY The Cold War through the Kennedy Years John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum June 25-June 29, 2007 June 25 – 28: 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM June 29: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

“It was unbelievable to hear this part of history live and get a chance to listen to these truly inspiring people.” “One of the best workshops I’ve done in 33 years of teaching!”

- Comments from teachers on previous Teaching American History programs For the third consecutive year, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, in partnership with Boston Public Schools, is offering a five-day institute for teachers on the history of the Cold War. The program will take place from June 25-29, 2007 at the Kennedy Library, and will focus on people, places and events of the early 1960s, including Berlin, Vietnam, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Each morning will begin with a talk by Dr. David Engerman of Brandeis University, who studies the history of US-Soviet relations and teaches courses in modern American diplomatic, intellectual, and political history. Following his opening talk, teachers will have the opportunity to engage with distinguished guest speakers who bring an “eyewitness” perspective. Last year’s guests included: Sergei Khrushchev, the son of Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev, who worked on the development of Soviet missiles and spacecraft and was editor of his father’s memoirs; Carl Kaysen, an influential foreign policy adviser to President Kennedy, who served as Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs; Seymour Topping, who covered the French-Indochinese War for the AP in the early fifties and in the 1960s was The New York Times’ chief Moscow correspondent and chief correspondent for Southeast Asia; and Walter Carrington, who was one of the seven original overseas directors of the Peace Corps and later served as U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and Nigeria.

Each afternoon, Kennedy Library educators Nina Tisch and Sam Rubin will introduce documentary materials from the Library's collections relating to the events and topics being examined that day. Teachers will have the opportunity to meet in smaller groups to discuss ways of incorporating these primary sources into their classroom curricula. Those who wish to earn Professional Development Points (PDPs) may develop and submit lesson plans based on resources gathered during the institute.

This program is open to all high school and middle school history teachers, whether or not they teach in the Boston Public Schools. The charge for teachers who do not teach in the Boston Public Schools is $100. There is no charge for Boston Public School teachers.

For further information on the program, call Nina Tisch at 617.514.1647 or e-mail [email protected].