We Can Start to Work Together: Robert F. Kennedy, the 1968 Campaign, and Respect
45 min
Walk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.
- What challenges are you facing?
- What fears or concerns might you have?
- What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?
Observation Questions
- In what ways did Robert F. Kennedy demonstrate respect in order to enhance life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for himself and others?
- What was Robert F. Kennedy’s identity during the 1960s? To what extent do you see emphasis on the virtue of respect in his words and actions?
- As he worked to influence American public life, how did Kennedy see his purpose?
Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.
- What is the historical context of the narrative?
- What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
- How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
- How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
- How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
- What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
- Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
- How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?
- Students will analyze Robert F. Kennedy’s character as a leader, and his commitment to respecting all people.
- Students will examine Kennedy’s understanding of respect as a necessary virtue.
- Students will understand why cultivating respect affects the future of the United States.
- Students will demonstrate respect in their own lives to protect freedom.