1of10

Activityengage

THE L IFEOF LEEHARVEYOSWALD

WhatpoliticalandculturalforcesmayhaveinfluencedLeeHarveyOswald’slife?

OVERVIEWStudentsinvestigateLeeHarveyOswald’sbiographyandanalyzepoliticalandculturalforcesthatmayhaveinfluencedhim.

Program

DIRECTIONS1.Define“assassinate.”

Askstudentswhatthewordassassinatemeans.TellstudentsthatLeeHarveyOswaldassassinatedPresidentJohnF.KennedyonNovember22,1963,inDallas,Texas.Ask:Whywouldanyonewanttoassassinateapresident?SincetheKennedyassassination,manytheorieshavebeendevelopedastowhyOswalddidwhathedid.Manytheoriesarebaseduponthepoliticsandcultureofthetime,andhowthesemayhaveaffectedOswald’sthinking.TellstudentstheywillinvestigateOswald’slifestorytounderstandthepoliticalandculturalforcesthatmayhaveshapedhisactions.

Forthecompleteactivitywithmediaresources,visit:http://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/life-lee-harvey-oswald/

Yourwebbrowser(Safari7)isoutofdate.Formoresecurity,comfortandthebestexperienceonthissite: Updateyourbrowser Ignore

2of10

2.ReadtheNationalGeographicGeoStory,KennedyandOswald:APresidentandHisAssassin,andanswerguidedquestions.

Dividestudentsintosmallgroupsandmakesureeachgrouphasaccesstoacomputer.DirectstudentstoviewtheNationalGeographicGeoStory,KennedyandOswald:APresidentandHisAssassin.DistributetheKennedyandOswaldQuestionshandouttostudentsandinstructthemtoreadtheGeoStoryandanswerthequestionsonthehandoutwiththeirgroup.Whilestudentsareworkingtogethertoanswerthequestions,eachstudentshouldrecordthegroupanswerindependentlyinhisorhernotebook.

AfterallowingeachgrouptimetofinishreadingtheGeoStoryandansweringthequestions,discussthequestionsasaclasstoclearupmisconceptionsandensureallstudentshaveaccurateresponses.

3.AnalyzesegmentsofLeeHarveyOswald’slifeinsmallgroups.

Allowstudentstoremaininthesamesmallgroups,andmakesureeachgrouphasaccesstoacomputer.AssigneachgrouponesectionofOswald’slifetoresearchindepthusingprimarysources.DistributetoeachgrouptheappropriateprimaryresourceorresourcesaboutthesectionofOswald’slifethegroupwillberesearching.Then,distributetheOswaldGraphicOrganizerworksheettoallstudents.InstructstudentstousetheprimarysourceorsourcestoanswerthequestionsinthegraphicorganizerabouttheirassignedsectionofOswald’slife.

4.Studentssharewhattheylearnwitheachothertocompletetheirgraphicorganizers.

3of10

Aftereachgrouphasreadthesourcesandcompletedtheappropriatesectionsofthegraphicorganizers,calltheclassbacktogether.Breakthewholeclassupintonewteams.Eachnewteamshouldhaveonememberofeachoriginalgroup,meaningeachteamshouldhaveafullworkingknowledgeofOswald’slife.Withintheseteams,havestudentssharewhattheylearnedduringtheirresearchwiththeiroriginalgroup.TeammembersshouldtakenotesontheirgraphicorganizersaseachindividualteammembersharestheirfindingsonaparticularphaseofOswald’slife.

Oncetheteammembershavecompletedtheirgraphicorganizers,havethemworktogethertocometoconsensusonanoverallquestion.Ask:WhichsectionofOswald’slifemayhavehadthegreatestinfluenceonhisdecisiontoassassinatethepresident?RemindteamstociteevidencefromtheirOswaldGraphicOrganizertosupporttheirresponse.

5.Studentsreturntotheiroriginalteamsanddiscuss.

Bringtheclassbacktogether.Breakstudentsupintotheiroriginalgroups.Ask:WhichsectionofOswald'slifemayhavehadthegreatestinfluenceonhisdecisiontoassassinatethepresident?Withintheirgroups,havestudentssharetheanswerstheydevelopedintheirpreviousteams.Havegroupsdiscusstheseanswerstoseeifthereisconsensus,althoughtheredoesnothavetobe.Therecanbedifferencesofopinion,butresponsesmustbebackedbyevidence.

6.HaveaclassdiscussionabouttheculturalandpoliticalinfluencesonLeeHarveyOswald.

Askeachgrouptoshareitsconsensus,ordiscussionpoints,withtheclass.Promptstudentstoprovideevidencesupportingtheirreasoning.Discussany

4of10

similaritiesanddifferencesbetweengroupresponses.

ModificationAssessstudentlearninginawrittenformatbyaskingstudentstorespondtotheassessmentquestioninanessay.

TipAssignstudentstogroupsinadvancetoensuresmoothtransitionsduringtheactivity.

ModificationIfyoudonothaveaccesstocomputersoracomputerlab,askstudentstoreadtheGeoStoryandcompletetheOswaldandKennedyQuestionshandoutathome.

InformalAssessmentAskstudentstorespondtothefollowingquestion:BasedonyourknowledgeofOswald’slife,whichsegmentofhislifedoyouthinkhadthebiggestinfluenceonthemanhebecame?Assesslearningbasedonevidencestudentsusetosupporttheirevaluations.

ExtendingtheLearningHavestudentscomparethepoliticalandculturalforcesthatshapedLeeHarveyOswald’slifetothepoliticalandculturalforcesthatshapedJohnF.Kennedy’slife.DistributeaT-charttoallstudentsandaskthemtoreadtheNationalGeographicGeoStory,KennedyandOswald:APresidentandHisAssassin.IntheT-chart,tellstudentstoidentifyinfluencesonOswaldinonesectionofthechartandinfluencesonKennedyintheothersectionofthechart.

5of10

Afterlistinginfluences,distributeaVenndiagramtoallstudentsandaskthemtocompareandcontrasttheinfluencesonOswaldandKennedyintheVenndiagram.Then,discussthesimilaritiesanddifferencesinthepoliticalandculturalforces.

OBJECTIVES

Subjects&DisciplinesSocialStudiesUnitedStateshistoryWorldhistory

LearningObjectivesStudentswill:

analyzetheculturalandpoliticalforcesthatinfluencedLeeHarveyOswaldbyreadingaGeoStoryandexaminingprimarysourcedocuments

TeachingApproachLearning-for-use

TeachingMethodsDiscoverylearningDiscussionsReading

6of10

SkillsSummaryThisactivitytargetsthefollowingskills:

21stCenturyStudentOutcomesInformation,Media,andTechnologySkillsInformationLiteracyInformation,Communications,andTechnologyLiteracyMediaLiteracy

LearningandInnovationSkillsCommunicationandCollaborationCriticalThinkingandProblemSolving

21stCenturyThemesGlobalAwareness

CriticalThinkingSkillsAnalyzingEvaluatingUnderstanding

NationalStandards,Principles,andPracticesNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUMSTANDARDS

•Theme3:People,Places,andEnvironments•Theme5:Individuals,Groups,andInstitutions

7of10

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS (ISTE STANDARDS*S)

•Standard2:CommunicationandCollaboration•Standard3:ResearchandInformationFluency•Standard4:CriticalThinking,ProblemSolving,andDecisionMaking

PREPARATION

WhatYou’llNeedMATERIALS YOU PROVIDE

PencilsPens

REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY

InternetAccess:RequiredTechSetup:1computerpersmallgroupPlug-Ins:Flash

PHYSICAL SPACE

Classroom

GROUPING

Large-groupinstruction

RESOURCES PROVIDED: WEBSITES

8of10

WarrenCommissionReport:LeeHarveyOswald:BackgroundandPossibleMotivesLeeHarveyOswald:TroubledYouth

RESOURCES PROVIDED: HANDOUTS & WORKSHEETS

KennedyandOswaldQuestionsOswaldGraphicOrganizer

RESOURCES PROVIDED: UNDEFINED

PBS:AmericanExperience:LeeHarveyOswaldWarrenCommissionReport:BiographyofLeeHarveyOswald

RESOURCES PROVIDED: ARTICLES & PROFILES

APresidentandHisAssassin

BACKGROUND&VOCABULARY

BackgroundInformationLeeHarveyOswaldremainsacontroversialhistoricalfigure.Oswaldlackedanurturingenvironmentinhisyouth.At17,heenlistedintheMarines,wherehequalifiedasasharpshooter.HegrewincreasinglyattractedtoMarxismandcommunismand,at19,madehiswaytotheSovietUnion,whereheappliedforSovietcitizenship.

HopingtobeallowedtostudyinMoscow,OswaldinsteadwassenttoworkinMinsk.There,hetiredoftherealitiesofexistenceintheSovietUnionandgrewdisillusionedwithcommunismaspracticedthere.HereturnedtotheUnitedStateswithhisRussianwife,Marina.Afterafewaimlessyears,OswaldmovedhisfamilytoNewOrleansandevenattemptedtomovetoCuba.

9of10

ThepotentialmovetoCubafellthrough,andOswaldreturnedtoDallas,takingajobattheDallasSchoolBookDepository.ItisfromthisbuildingthatheassassinatedPresidentJohnF.KennedyonNovember22,1963.

PriorKnowledge["BasicknowledgeofColdWartensionsbetweentheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion","KnowledgeoftheAmericanrelationshipwithCuba,specificallytheBayofPigsinvasionandCubanMissileCrisis"]

RecommendedPriorActivitiesNone

VocabularyTerm PartofSpeech Definition

assassinateverb tomurdersomeoneofpoliticalimportance.ForFurtherExploration

Reference

NationalArchives:JFKAssassinationRecords:WarrenCommissionReportAssassinationArchivesandResearchCenter:WarrenCommissionHearings:VolumeXVI-Oswald's"HistoricDiary"

Video

Youtube:LeeHarveyOswaldInterviewwithWilliamK.StuckeyonAugust17,1963

Websites

JFKPresidentialLibraryandMuseumSixthFloorMuseumatDealeyPlaza:Exhibits:JohnF.Kennedyandthe

10of10

MemoryofaNation

PARTNER

©1996–2017NationalGeographicSociety.Allrightsreserved.