Distance Learning Topics
Length: All presentations are 30-40 minutes [15-20 min. presentation followed by 15-20 min. interaction/activity]
Presentations can be adjusted according to age group:
Presentation A for grade 2-3 (Basic Overview)
Presentation B for grade 4-6 (Intermediate Overview)
Presentation C for grade 7-12 (Advanced Overview)
Presidential Library & Archives
Description: A look into the more than 17 million pages of primary source material maintained at the Roosevelt Presidential Library (the nation’s first Presidential Library), will provide a brief history of the Presidential Library System in general, and the Roosevelt Presidential Library specifically, shedding light on the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Great Depression, and World War II. Special emphasis will be paid to the use of primary sources as learning tools both in the classroom and in everyday settings.
Highlighted Skills/Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR’s original design sketch for the Library Museum
-National Presidential Library System Map
-Sample documents from the Library’s collection
-FDR’s dedication remarks (video clip)
-Original FDR document box
-Modern document box
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What is an archive?
-What are primary and secondary sources?
-How are materials preserved?
-How are archives used to explore and explain the past?
Description: The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is the premier research center for the study of the Roosevelt Era. With more than 17 million pages of primary source material in our holdings it offers a nearly endless stockpile of research resources. This session is an introduction to the skills and information needed to conduct online and onsite research in our archives.
Highlighted Skills/Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR’s dedication remarks (video clip)
-National Presidential Library System Map
-How to use the Library’s website for general research
-Introduction to the Library’s archives page
-How to use FRANKLIN (digital archive)
-Day by Day timeline and additional links and resources
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What is in the Roosevelt Presidential Archives?
-What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
-How are materials preserved and arranged?
-How can these materials be accessed and used to explore and explain events from the Roosevelt Era?
Description: The use of primary source material in classroom instruction can bring a lesson to life. This session shows how to select and adapt primary sources for use with students of all ages. Special emphasis will be given to showing students how to gather, assess and corroborate information from different sources.
Highlighted Skills/Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR’s dedication remarks (video clip)
-National Presidential Library System Map
-How to use the Library’s website for general research
-Sample documents from the Library’s collection
-Examples on primary sources in real life
-Assessing bias in sources
-Day by Day and additional links and resources
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
-What kinds of information can be gained from looking at primary and secondary sources?
-Are all primary sources created equal?
-How can these materials be accessed and used to explore and explain events from the Roosevelt Era?
Description: The Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum contains more than 17 million pages of primary source material from the Roosevelt Era. This session provides insightful tips and techniques for getting the most from any primary source collection.
Highlighted Skills/Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Example of primary and secondary sources
-Importance of searching secondary sources
-Formulating a thesis
-Keeping a research journal
-Citing sources
-Assessing bias in sources
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
-What kinds of information can be gained from looking at primary and secondary sources?
-Are all primary sources created equal?
-Avoiding common research pitfalls
President Roosevelt
Description: Until age 14, FDR was educated at home by tutors. His free time was spent exploring the woods and streams on his family’s estate, and his hobbies included collecting books, stamps and birds. This session examines the boyhood influences and activities that shaped the future President.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR’s birth announcement
-Boyhood pictures of FDR
-Samples of FDR’s stamp collection
-Samples of FDR’s book collection
-Samples of FDR’s bird collection
-FDR’s Groton report card
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did living on the Roosevelt Estate influence FDR?
-Who were the main role models who influenced FDR as a child?
-How are his early influences demonstrated throughout his Presidency?
-How did his upbringing compare to yours?
Description: “All that is in me cries out to return to my home along the Hudson River,” Franklin Roosevelt said near the end of his life. The Roosevelt Estate in Hyde Park, NY was a place where FDR’s ideals, ambitions and character were shaped. This session explores the magic the Hudson River Valley held for him.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR’s birth announcement
-Boyhood pictures of FDR at Hyde Park
-Maps of his tree plantings on the estate
-Documents showing FDR’s involvement with activities in the community
-Photographs of famous people visiting Hyde Park
-Photographs of his home, estate and Presidential Library
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did living on the Roosevelt Estate influence FDR?
-What was it about the Hudson Valley that inspired him so much?
-How did growing up in the Hudson Valley influence his Presidency?
-Why is place so important to who we are and who we become?
Description: FDR was a man with many interests and the means to pursue them. He loved to hunt, fish, plant trees, and sail and he collected stamps, books and birds. This session explores some of the activities pursued by Franklin Roosevelt.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Reproductions of some of FDR’s stamp collection
-Reproductions of some of FDR’s ship models
-Reproductions of some of FDR’s naval prints
-Reproductions of some of FDR’s book collection
-Photos of the original “Oddities” exhibit
-Map of FDR’s tree farm
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What do these hobbies and collections say about FDR?
-What skills or lessons might these hobbies have taught him that he then applied to his actions as governor or president?
-What are your interests and hobbies and what do you gain from them?
-Why are hobbies important?
Description: During his Presidential campaign, FDR assembled a special group of academics and experts to counsel him on policy. This session examines FDR’s special set of advisors who came to be called his “brain trust.”
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of FDR’s inner circle members (4-5)
-Photos of FDR working with his inner circle
-Photo of FDR in a toga on his birthday
-Copy of some of the books written by the inner circle (Grace Tully, Rex Tugwell, Francis Perkins)
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What kinds of people should/shouldn’t a president surround themselves with?
-Whose voice is missing from FDR’s inner circle?
-Who would you describe as being your inner circle?
-How were these people helpful to FDR?
Description: On April 12, 1945, with victory in Europe all but assured, Franklin Roosevelt was felled by a stroke. This session highlights the events surrounding that sad and historic day.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Sympathy letters written by citizens
-Newspaper announcing the news
-Accordion player crying and other reaction photos
-Photos of the funeral at Hyde Park, NY
-Photo of Vice President Harry Truman being sworn in
-Photo of FDR’s grave today
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why is the peaceful transfer of power upon the death of the President an important part of our American democracy?
-Discussion of the Constitution and Presidential succession history
-How involved should a Vice President be in an administration?
-In what ways was Harry Truman prepared to assume the presidency; in what ways was he unprepared?
Description: On January 6, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt shared with the country his vision for a world founded on “four essential freedoms.” This session brings into clearer focus the vision he held for all the world.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Copy of page 17 & 18 of the 1941 State of the Union address in which FDR mentions the Four Freedoms
-Video clip of FDR delivering the speech
-Images of the Four Freedoms paintings by Norman Rockwell
-Photos of the Great Depression
-Photos of World War II
-Pictures of the Four Freedoms Park in NYC
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What is the distinction between a freedom “of” and a freedom “from”?
-How was the concept of the Four Freedoms a thread in everything FDR did during his time as President?
-How are these freedoms threatened and defended in America, and the world, today?
-If a fifth freedom were to be added, what might it be?
-The Four Freedoms’ role in the creation of the UN
Description: This session demonstrates the personal courage and determination of Franklin Roosevelt in his struggle to overcome the debilitating effects of polio.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of FDR before polio
-Photos of FDR requiring support and assistance in overcoming the effects of polio
-The four known photos of FDR in a wheelchair
- Model of FDR’s wheelchair
-Photo of FDR’s leg braces
-Letter describing how painful the leg braces were to wear
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did polio shape FDR’s character?
-Why did FDR downplay his disability?
-The creation of the March of Dimes
-Disability awareness then and now
Eleanor Roosevelt
Description: Having been First Lady for 12 years and then pursuing a career as a social activist for 17 years on her own, Eleanor Roosevelt had a tremendous impact on the social conditions in this country and around the world. This session explores some of the causes to which she lent her considerable skills and encouragement.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of ER as a child
-Copies of some of the books she wrote
-Photos of ER and Marian Anderson
-Copies of “My Day” columns
-Photos of ER at the UN
-Eleanor’s draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why was Eleanor Roosevelt such a force for social change?
-What skills or traits did Eleanor Roosevelt use to advance her agenda?
-What role did Eleanor play in shaping policy during the Roosevelt Administration?
-What impact did she have on the role of First Lady?
Description:Though blessed with the Roosevelt name, fame and fortune, Eleanor Roosevelt’s early life was far from the comfortable, carefree and attentive life her husband had enjoyed. This session explores the many hardships and challenges that shaped a shy and insecure little girl into one of the most admired women in American history.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photo of ER as a child
-Photo of “Tiger Claw” necklace
-Photo of ER and her father
-Copies of letters between ER and her father
-ER’s wedding photo
-Photos of ER supporting the causes she believed in
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did the experiences of Eleanor’s young life impact her thinking?
-Why didn’t Eleanor shield herself from pain with her money and family name?
-What were the important turning points in Eleanor’s life?
-Why didn’t she run for office herself?
Description: This session highlights how Franklin Roosevelt’s vision for a world free of war led to the creation of the United Nations, and the invaluable contributions made by Eleanor Roosevelt as one of America’s first UN diplomats.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR’s sketch of the UN
-Letter from Harry Truman appointing Mrs. Roosevelt to the American delegation to the UN
-ER’s copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
-UN Flag
-Eleanor’s “My Day” columns
-Photos of ER at the UN
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What was FDR’s vision for the United Nations?
-How might the UN have been different if Eleanor Roosevelt had not been appointed as a delegate from the U.S.?
-In what ways has the UN been ineffective?
-In what ways has the UN been effective?
Great Depression and the New Deal
Description: The Great Depression was the greatest economic downturn in world history. This session explores the rising unemployment, financial crisis, and other hardships that threatened social and economic order in the United States and throughout the industrialized world.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of the Dust Bowl’s impact on nature
-Photos of the Dust Bowl’s impact on farms and people
-The Periodic Table of the New Deal
-Letters from people to the President and Mrs. Roosevelt
-FDR’s first Inaugural Address
-Fireside Chats (audio clips)
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What caused the Great Depression?
-Economic, social and emotional impacts during the Great Depression.
-The First 100 Days
-Did the New Deal work?
Description: In his first Inaugural Address, with the nation in the depths of the Great Depression, FDR promised “action, and action now.” This session explores how Roosevelt’s New Deal touched virtually every aspect of American economic life and forever changed the role of the federal government in the lives of Americans.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Periodic Table of the New Deal
-Political cartoons
-Letters to the President and Mrs. Roosevelt
-CCC brochures
-WPA posters
-Pictures of infrastructure created by the New Deal programs
Interactive Discussion Topics
-The 3 R’s (Relief, Recovery, Reform)
-Jobs provided money, identity and personal dignity
-Help for farmers, industry, youth and many others
-Paychecks and physical signs of progress
Description: When Roosevelt took office in March 1933, the nation was on the verge of financial collapse. This session explores the dramatic actions taken by FDR to prevent the collapse of America’s banking system during his first week as president.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-First Fireside Chat on banking
-Pictures of bank runs and closed banks
-Political cartoons
-Letters of reaction to the Fireside Chat
Interactive Discussion Topics
-The role of banks in keeping the economy stable for investment
-Impact of bank failures on individuals and communities
-Goal of Glass-Steagall banking reforms
-The importance of savings rates
Description: Before the New Deal, American workers had little power and few protections in the workplace. This session explores how FDR changed the balance of power between workers and management to improve working conditions and usher in the modern labor movement.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-WPA sign
-Wagner Act
-Photos of strike breakers
-Accounts of unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What were conditions like for workers before the advent of unions?
-How were conditions for workers made even more dire by the effects of the Great Depression?
-Protections and benefits for workers provided by the Roosevelt Labor Reforms
-Unions then and now
Description: In 1933, 90% of America’s farmers lived without electricity. This session explores how FDR sparked economic growth and improved living standards by bringing affordable electricity to rural Americans.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Map of U.S. at night before electrification
-Photos of families without electricity
-Photos of very primitive electrical devices
-Statistical charts and graphs showing increased productivity resulting from electrification
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How electricity made life better for farmers
-How electricity made farmers more productive
-Comparison of electricity in the 1930s to WiFi today
-The role of government in providing for affordable utilities
Description: FDR considered the creation of Social Security to be his greatest domestic achievement. This session traces the creation and passage of the Social Security Insurance Act, one of the most important pieces of social legislation in American history.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of people before Social Security
-Advertisements: jobs for young men only
-Social Security posters
-Photos of Townsend, Long, Coughlin
-Oversized Social Security card
-Letters from people who had their lives saved/improved by Social Security
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why is Social Security needed?
-Does Social Security work the way it was intended?
-How does Social Security work?
-The future of Social Security
Description: One of the lesser known aspects of the WPA, the Federal One Project, helped to ensure that the American creative spirit continued on in writing, visual arts, dance, and performance during the dark days of the Great Depression.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Examples of New Deal murals
-Examples of New Deal writing
-Examples of New Deal performances
-FDR speeches describing the importance of art (audio clips)
-Newspaper advertisements of shows and performances
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why were the arts so important to the Works Progress Administration and to the country?
-What impact did this art have in its own time? In our time?
-Should the government be in the business of promoting the arts?
World War II
Description: President Roosevelt led the nation to victory in the world’s most colossal military struggle. This session explores his extraordinary leadership and examines some of the major challenges he had to overcome to win victory in a global war.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Day of Infamy speech (audio clip)
-Photos of FDR with soldiers and sailors
-FDR and the Big Three
-Photos of the destruction of WWII
-FDR on ship with Naval cape
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why is the role of Commander-in-Chief so important?
-What limits does the President have on his power as Commander-in-Chief?
-How did being Assistant Secretary of the Navy help FDR as Commander in Chief?
-What does it mean to be a “War President”?
Description: Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor stunned the American public and galvanized support for the war. This session explores the questions “Should we have been, and could we have been, more prepared?”
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Day of Infamy speech (audio)
-Document from Peruvian ambassador
-Document from Navy
-Map of Ford Island
-Japanese army helmet
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why were we not prepared for an attack?
-What motivated the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor?
-What lessons can we learn from the attack?
Description: Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, people on the West Coast worried that members of the region’s large Japanese American community might be working with Japan’s military to plan acts of sabotage. This session explores the backlash endured by Japanese Americans as the nation prepared for war.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of the camps
-Anti-Japanese sheet music
-“Japanese Hunting” licenses
-FBI drag net map
-Poster of the “pack up and get out” notice
-Executive Order 9066
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What fueled anti-Japanese sentiments?
-What does Executive Order 9066 really say?
-What were conditions like in the camps?
-How do we achieve a workable balance between security and civil liberties?
-What lessons does this unfortunate period in American history hold for us today?
Description: This session tells the story of how a group of black men who were once considered of little value to the war effort, proved they could take down enemy aircraft abroad and racial barriers at home.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-1925 Army War Department report
-1941 Army brochure on commanding “Negroes”
-Col. Anderson & Eleanor Roosevelt photo
-Tuskegee Airmen song from the Tuskegee Airmen DVD
-Clips of interview with the airmen
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did the work of the Tuskegee Airmen change attitudes about blacks in the military?
-How do today’s racial tensions compare to those during the time of the Tuskegee Airmen?
-What lessons can other minority groups seeking to advance their rights learn from the Tuskegee Airmen?
Description: To fight a global war, America needed to mobilize its entire population on what became known as the “home front.” This session examines the unprecedented contributions and sacrifices made by the men, women and children who supported the war effort on the home front thousands of miles from the front lines.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Ration books
-Wartime advertisements
-Wartime Fireside Chat (audio clip)
-Spotters books
-Civil defense helmet
-Victory garden plans
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What is meant by the term “Total War”?
-How did the American home front experience differ from that of Europeans?
-Why was the support at home so important to our troops abroad?
-In what ways are we—on the home front of the “War on Terror”—being asked to contribute and sacrifice?
Description: This session discusses the last conference FDR attended between the world powers of Great Britain, Russia and the U.S., shortly before the end of World War II. FDR’s hopes and plans for post-war peace are outlined, including how those plans were impacted by his untimely death before the end of the war.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR addressing Congress upon his return from Yalta (video clip)
-The itinerary for the trip
-Photos from the conference
-Anna Roosevelt’s diary notes
-Map of the distance traveled
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What was at stake at the Yalta Conference?
-Why is FDR said to have “given away Eastern Europe” at the conference?
-What role did each of the Big Three play at the conference?
-In what ways did the Yalta Conference impact the post-war period?
Special Interest
Description: In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, FDR received a letter from baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Landis concerning the propriety of proceeding with the 1942 baseball season. FDR promptly responded to Landis’s inquiry expressing the value of baseball in time of war. This session highlights the relationship of various presidents and America’s favorite pastime.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-“Greenlight” letter
-Photo of FDR at baseball games (1935, 1936)
-1899 photo of FDR as manager of the baseball team at Groton
-Letters from other Presidential Library collections regarding presidents and baseball
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why is baseball so important that the President of the United States was asked to weigh in on its continuation during war?
-Why do Presidents typically throw out the first pitch to open baseball season?
Description: Franklin Roosevelt was, and continues to be, an inspiration and a role model to young people around the world. This session highlights the president’s support and involvement with the Boy Scouts of America.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Document of FDR’s statement for the Boy Scout Jamboree
-Audio of his address to the Boy Scouts describing why the National Jamboree was cancelled
-CCC photos
-FDR with Boy Scouts photo
-FDR and the Three Mile River material
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How were the values, ideals and principles of the Boy Scouts of America demonstrated in the Roosevelt Administration?
-How was the CCC similar to the work of the BSA?
Description: Eleanor Roosevelt was, and continues to be, a role model for young people around the world. This session examines some of her important traits and highlights her activities with the Girl Scouts of America.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Eleanor with Girl Scouts photos
-Eleanor’s “My Day” columns relating to the Girl Scouts of America
-Examples of some of the causes ER supported (National Youth Administration, NAACP)
Interactive Discussion Topics
-In what ways did Eleanor demonstrate the values, ideals and principles of the GSA?
Description: FDR had a love and respect for nature that began in his boyhood as he explored the forests, meadows and streams of his family’s riverside estate in Hyde Park, NY. This session explores how FDR turned his boyhood passion into national policy.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-FDR estate tree map
-Documents from FDR’s NYS Conservation Committee work
-Clips from The Plow That Broke the Plains and The River
-FDR’s bird collections
-TVA and soil conservation documents
-Dust Bowl photos
Interactive Discussion Topics
-In what ways did FDR’s childhood instill in him an appreciation of the importance of conservation?
-How did the policies and programs of the New Deal reflect FDR’s conservation concerns?
-What role did distant cousin Teddy Roosevelt play in developing FDR’s love of nature and conservation?
Description: Franklin Roosevelt was considered a master communicator. This session explores how he used the new mass communication medium of radio to reassure a nervous nation in times of economic and military crisis.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Clips from FDR’s banking Fireside Chat (audio)
-Political cartoons showing the reaction to FDR on the radio
-Vintage radio equipment
-Clips of old radio broadcasts (audio)
-“Take out your maps” WWII Fireside Chat (audio)
-Letters from people responding to his chats
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why was FDR’s use of the radio so effective?
-What tools and techniques did he use in the writing and delivery of his speeches?
-Why did the Fireside Chats strike such a chord with people?
-How well would FDR fare in today’s media world?
Description: Often portrayed as a stern and cheerless matriarch, this session presents a more balanced portrait of Sara Delano Roosevelt, mother of our 32nd President.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of FDR with Sara
-Photos of Eleanor with Sara
-Letters to Sara from FDR announcing their engagement
-Photo of office/study with Sara portrait
-Quotes from Sara regarding raising FDR
-Photo of FDR with “phony” deed for Library property
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did Sara Roosevelt’s parenting style prepare FDR for the Presidency?
-In what ways was FDR able to “play” his mother?
-Why was Sara Roosevelt cast as such a dour person?
Description: Often overshadowed by their incredibly accomplished and famous parents, this session examines some of the successes and failures of the Roosevelt children.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Photos of each of the Roosevelt children
-A family tree showing the children
-Brief timelines of their life events and accomplishments
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How was being the child of such famous and important parents a help or benefit to the Roosevelt children?
-How was being the child of such famous and important parents a drawback?
-How do the accomplishments of the Roosevelt children compare to those of other presidential offspring?
Description: This session traces the roots of the Roosevelt & Delano families culminating in the union of the 20th century’s most famous power couple.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Family tree going back to the first Roosevelt in America
-Family tree showing the TR side
-Documents about the businesses each of the families were involved in
-Photos of the various Roosevelt ancestors
-Documents relating to the careers and accomplishments of the Roosevelt children
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did wealthy river families live during the time of Roosevelt?
-What personality traits can be seen in the family lineages?
-How did the Roosevelts compare to other influential families of their time?
Description: This session presents rare color images of the Roosevelts, Depression-era America, and World War II.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Film clips of Eleanor in color (from “Her Star Still Shines”)
-Photos of FDR in color
-Photos of the Great Depression in color
-Photos from WWII in color
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How does color enhance or detract from a photograph?
-How does seeing color images of the Great Depression and World War II change your perspective on the events of the Roosevelt era?
Description: This session presents the customs and traditions followed by the Roosevelt family as they celebrated Christmas, one of their favorite holidays of the year.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Roosevelt Christmas cards
-FDR’s remarks at national tree lighting
-FDR’s documents for sending Christmas trees to Churchill
-Clip of Eleanor reading “A Christmas Carol”
-Pictures of FDR & Eleanor with Santa
-FDR’s Christmas list
Interactive Discussion Topics
-How did the Roosevelts celebrate Christmas during the dark times of the Great Depression and World War II?
-How did the Great Depression and World War II impact the ways that Americans celebrated the Christmas holiday?
-Why did the Roosevelts often celebrate Christmas at the White House rather than at Hyde Park?
Description: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt led the nation through the two greatest crises of the 20th century. This session examines some of the leadership skills and techniques they used to move the United States and the world towards a better future.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Eleanor’s letter to the DAR
-FDR’s D-Day Prayer
-Document & photos from FDR’s first Inaugural Address
-Photos from the Big Three Conferences
-Photo of Eleanor at the U.N.
Interactive Discussion Topics
-What makes a great leader?
-Are leaders born or are they made?
-In what ways did the leadership styles of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt overlap and diverge?
-What can we learn from their leadership successes and failures?
Description: This session tells the story of President Roosevelt’s little Scottish Terrier Fala. Fala was the President’s faithful canine companion who brought much needed fun and distraction to the war-weary President.
Highlighted Documents/Objects/Digital Features
-Fala’s toy sock and ball
-Photos of Fala with FDR
-Clip of the “Fala/Teamster” speech
-Clip of Fala & FDR riding in the car
Interactive Discussion Topics
-Why was Fala so important to FDR?
-What were some other famous or unusual White House pets?