Procedures

• SET UP

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

  You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handouts and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

  You can also save and share the following Google resources for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Docs).

  Handout: Choice Board (Google Slides).

  In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

• WARM UP

  Pose the following brainstorming questions to your students, directing them to record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose:

  • Describe how an individual becomes President of the United States.
  • What factors influence how the public chooses their preferred Presidential candidate?

• INTRODUCTION

  Play this introductory video clip [Clip #1] (6:10), which features an archival newsreel-style film documenting the 1960 presidential election, for your students. Direct your students to answer each of the following questions in their graphic organizers.

  • Who were the Democrat and Republican candidates for President and Vice President in the 1960 election?
  • Based on the clip, on what points did John F. Kennedy campaign? Compare these points to those of Richard Nixon’s.
  • Describe the travel and campaigning methods of the two candidates, as evidenced by the video clip.
  • When was Election Day in 1960, and on what offices and issues did the people vote?

• VOCABULARY

  Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view and define the vocabulary terms that will appear in the lesson in the chart in their graphic organizer handout. The vocabulary words are also listed to the right on this webpage. We recommend having your students define and present the terms in a jigsaw activity to save time.

  Depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students define and present the terms in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student takes one or two words. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson. Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms included in each video. We recommend you previewing the video clips to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.

• ENGAGEMENT

  Direct students to the engagement section of their graphic organizers. Have students view both video clips, which feature campaign advertisements from the Nixon campaign [Clip #2] (1:13) and the Kennedy campaign [Clip #3] (1:02). Direct your students to take notes and answer each question below in their graphic organizers. Encourage your students to share their responses with a partner or small group when finished.

  • Compare the imagery in each advertisement.
  • What issue(s) does each candidate discuss or reference, if applicable?
  • How does each candidate compare himself to the other, if applicable?

• CHOICE BOARD EXPLORATION

  Next, have your students choose (or assign) four of the nine topics listed on the choice board (Google Slides). Have students watch the related clip(s) and answer the questions for each section. Direct students to prepare to present their findings with the class when finished.

• “Checkers” Speech (of 1952)

  Clip #4: An Excerpt of the "Checkers" Speech (4:34), Responding to allegations that he operated an illegal “slush” fund, Senator Nixon talked about his finances and denied any wrongdoing. The address is often referred to as the “Checkers speech” because he referred to his dog Checkers as the type of gift he received from supporters. Mrs. Nixon sat in a chair near her husband.

  Clip #5: Impact of the "Checkers" Speech (1:46), Irwin Gellman discussed the impact of Richard Nixon's Checkers Speech. The Richard Nixon Foundation hosted this event at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California.

  • CLIP #4: In responding to allegations that he operated an illegal “slush fund” while running for Vice President in 1952, to what does Richard Nixon attribute his assets, debts, and sources of income?
  • CLIP #4: For what does Nixon say he and Pat have “satisfaction?” What one gift does Nixon say he received and plans to keep?
  • CLIP #5: In discussing the speech, how does Irwin Gellman describe the “general tenor” of how Richard Nixon is viewed?
  • CLIP #5: Based on the clip, how did “liberal commentators” reach to the Checkers Speech? What does Gellman say about this view?

• Dwight D. Eisenhower and Pat Nixon

  Clip #6: Dwight D. Eisenhower and Pat Nixon (3:45), Irwin Gellman discussed the impact of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Pat Nixon in the 1960 Presidential Election.

  • Describe the “mythology” surrounding Dwight D. Eisenhower’s role in the 1960 Presidential Election.
  • How does Irwin Gellman respond to these claims? What examples does he provide?
  • Based on the clip, how did women vote in the 1960 election?
  • According to Gellman, what role did Pat Nixon play in the campaign?

• The Vice Presidential Candidates

  Clip #7: Lyndon B. Johnson (3:00), Irwin Gellman discussed the impact of John F. Kennedy's running mate, Lyndon B. Johnson.

  Clip #8: Henry Cabot Lodge (4:07), Luke Nichter and Irwin Gellman discussed the impact of Richard Nixon's running mate, Henry Cabot Lodge.

  • CLIP #7: According to Irwin Gellman, would John F. Kennedy have won the 1960 election without Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate? Why or why not?
  • CLIP #7: What does Gellman say about Johnson and “corruption,” and how it has been covered in media?
  • CLIP #8: What does Luke Nichter “wonder about?” According to Nichter, how did Lodge and his role compare to the other three candidates?
  • CLIP #8: How does Irwin Gellman respond to “the fable” of Lodge?

• Arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Clip #9: The Arrest and Reaction (4:33), Radio host Virginia Prescott and author Stephen Kendrick discussed the impact of the arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 1960 presidential campaign. This was a virtual event hosted by the Atlanta History Center.

  Clip #10: Arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (3:57), Irwin Gellman discussed how the arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the candidates' responses influenced the outcome of the 1960 election.

  • CLIP #9: Which candidate did Martin Luther King, Sr. originally prefer, according to Virginia Prescott?
  • CLIP #9: According to Stephen Kendrick, how was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s arrest an “October surprise?” How did the Kennedy and Nixon campaigns respond, and what was the impact?
  • CLIP #10: According to Irwin Gellman, what was the “fable?” From 1936 to 1960, what percentage of black voters typically voted for the Democratic candidate?
  • CLIP #10: Based on the clip, what impact did Kennedy’s action have?

• Religion

  Clip #11: Religion as a Decisive Factor (2:58), Irwin Gellman discussed how religion was a decisive factor in the 1960 election.

  Clip #12: John F. Kennedy on Religion and the Presidency (3:41), Senator John F. Kennedy addressed a special meeting of the Greater Houston Ministerial Association at the Rice Hotel in Houston, Texas. He spoke about the separation of church and state, the issue of having a Catholic as president, and the role that his religion had played up to that point in the 1960 presidential election.

  • CLIP #11: How many of John F. Kennedy’s voters were Catholic? What percentage of the Protestant vote did Richard Nixon receive?
  • CLIP #11: According to Irwin Gellman, what did the Kennedy campaign do when a landslide “didn’t happen?”
  • CLIP #12: Summarize John F. Kennedy’s comments regarding the separation of church and state.
  • CLIP #12: What does Kennedy say about the “finger of suspicion,” and what is his view of the role of religion in Presidential elections?

• Fraud

  Clip #13: Fraud (4:14), Irwin Gellman re-examined the role that fraud played in the 1960 Presidential election.

  Clip #14: Voting Recount in Chicago (3:19), History professor William Rorabaugh responds to an audience question about vote recounts in Chicago during the 1960 Presidential election.

  • CLIP #13: Compare the two maps that are displayed in the clip. How does Irwin Gellman compare these maps to today’s political climate?
  • CLIP #13: Based on the clip, which two states could Richard Nixon have won to become President? What does Gellman mean when he says, “all Kennedy had to do was keep his base?”
  • CLIP #14: According to William Rorabaugh, what was found during vote recounts in Chicago, Illinois? What does he suggest about both parties?
  • CLIP #14: How can computers determine evidence of vote tampering?

• The First Debate

  Clip #15: 1960 Presidential Debate (3:06), Author Joel Swerdlow and Professor Stephen Wayne discuss the first televised presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

  Clip #16: Kennedy-Nixon Debate Excerpt (4:40), John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon discuss education during the first presidential debate in 1960.

  • CLIP #15: What was the “plan” that was devised, according to Joel Swerdlow?
  • CLIP #15: According to Swerdlow and Stephen Wayne, in what way did voters view the winner of the first debate differently? Why?
  • CLIP #16: Summarize and compare the content of Richard Nixon’s and John F. Kennedy’s responses.
  • CLIP #16: Watch the clip twice (once normally and one without the video). Compare your impression of the candidates’ performances in the video and audio-only versions.

• The Impact of the Debates

  Clip #17: Impact of the Debates on the 1960 Election (1:39), Boston Globe correspondent Tom Oliphant talks about how the 1960 debates shaped voter's decisions.

  Clip #18: The Great Debates (3:19), Irwin Gellman discussed the impact of the debates on the 1960 election.

  • CLIP #17: According to Tom Oliphant, which candidate did the viewers of a focus group prefer after viewing all four debates?
  • CLIP #17: What percentage of voters had their decision affected by the debates? Who did these voters generally vote for?
  • CLIP #18: What does Irwin Gellman say is “nonsense?” What does he say happened instead?
  • CLIP #18: What was the “initial” reaction to the first debate and what impact did John F. Kennedy’s performance have, according to Gellman?

• Election Results

  Clip #19: Election Results (7:01), This newsreel-style film for the U.S. Information Agency by Hearst Movietone News documents election day and the final results of the 1960 presidential election.

  • What “kinship” do the voters have, as mentioned in the clip? How many people voted in the 1960 Presidential Election?
  • What role did the television networks play on Election Day? What became “obvious” early on?
  • How many electoral votes were required to become President, and what were the “key states” in the election?
  • What ultimately happened in the 1960 Presidential Election?

• CLOSURE

  Allow time for your students to prepare their findings from the lesson with their peers. After your students are finished sharing their findings from the choice board exploration activity with the class, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt in their graphic organizers, and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: Having now learned about the 1960 Presidential Election from a variety of primary and secondary sources, describe why you think John F. Kennedy won the election. Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.

• OPTIONAL EXTENSION

  Have your students conduct additional research into the life and career and of one of the individuals discussed in the lesson (a list is included below). Direct your students to prepare a presentation that includes five key life events, five life accomplishments, five life difficulties, and the how these factors impacted the outcome of the 1960 Presidential election. Have your students share their presentations with their peers and compare their findings with their peers'.

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Henry Cabot Lodge
  • John F. Kennedy
  • Lyndon B. Johnson
  • Mamie Eisenhower
  • Pat Nixon
  • Richard Nixon