JFK Field Trip

One thing I learned was that John F. Kennedy didn’t really want anything to do with politics for the beginning of his life. He had other plans to teach (I think?), but he decided to go into politics instead. Another thing I learned was that he went to Harvard. A third thing I learned was that he had enjoyed being on boats and being on the ocean and that’s why he decided to go into the Navy.

I found the actual museum exhibits the most interesting. I liked looking at the different things they had from him and his family. The museum had his wife’s clothes, her jewelry, and letters and papers that belonged to JFK. It was interesting to see behind-the-scenes of JFK and his family. The museum also had his oval office recreated, which I found interesting. I liked seeing things I wouldn’t have normally been able to see and things that showed a different side of JFK. Many people would have the chance to see his personal items. I thought these parts of the museum were the most interesting and told you the most about JFK and what he was like about a person. I also enjoyed seeing the piece of the Berlin wall, the picture of his whole family, and the space exhibit.

One way the field trip could be improved was by spending less time being told background information on JFK. I thought the woman leading the class discussion gave some interesting facts and videos. I also thought the phone conversation was interesting. However, I think it was just a little bit too long. Then we had to go watch two more videos that, while interesting, took a while. I think that many of the kids who went on the trip would have liked spending more time looking at the different displays more thoroughly. I know that I felt rushed and that I kind of had to speed through the rest of the museum when we were given time to walk around. I felt that I didn’t get to see everything that I would have liked to. Maybe if the woman led us around the different things and told us some more information as we went along, it could have been better. 

I think that John F. Kennedy was a very important person. I think he was a very respectable president and that he did do enough in his presidency for people to view him as one of the best presidents of all time. I think he was just what the country needed at the time. He was younger and brought on a new perspective of the country that Americans needed. JFK helped end the Cuban Missile Crisis in a very concise manner and prevented anything else from happening. He began to work with Civil Rights, which was a very big issue at the time and very important to most of the country. He helped push the movement further. He had many other ideas that he was not able to put into action because of his death. However, many of these plans were developed further by his vice president after his death. Had he not died, it is unknown whether any of his other plans would have succeeded or if he would continue to be a good president. But, from what we saw of him and from what continued on after his death, I think it gives him enough credit to be one the best presidents of all time.