Resources

• Video: First Lady Grace Coolidge In Pursuit of Respect
• Grace Coolidge, Open Door Poem Primary Source
• Grace Coolidge Pet Portrait Images Activity

Teacher/Facilitation Background

This video and lesson were developed in connection with the In Pursuit project: https://www.inpursuit.org/lessons. The essay for Grace Coolidge was written by historian Colleen Shogan. It can be read for additional teacher background on this topic, and it might be well-suited to classroom use for higher-level readers. The full essay is available here: https://www.inpursuit.org/lessons.

The essay provides an overview of Coolidge’s life – from her early days as a schoolteacher in New England to her public service as First Lady of the United States. The central lesson that Shogan’s essay imparts is: “Authenticity reminds us that being genuine in our actions and relationships is the foundation for public trust and a healthy democracy.”

This is one perspective on the life and work of Grace Coolidge. The video highlights another aspect of Coolidge’s legacy: the foundation of her actions in the practice of civic virtue, with a specific focus on the civic virtues of responsibility and respect. This lesson emphasizes how responsibility works alongside respect, showing how Grace Coolidge responded to personal and public challenges with care for others and a strong sense of duty. The Bill of Rights Institute defines these civic virtues in the following way:

• Responsibility: Acting on good judgment about what is right or wrong even when it is not popular. Individuals must take care of themselves, their families, and their fellow citizens/others in civil society and a republic and be vigilant to preserve their own liberty and the liberty of others.
• Respect: Regard for and defending the equal rights and inherent dignity of all human beings, including oneself.

Encourage your students to critically engage with the material in the video, the primary source, and other context you may be providing to come to their own conclusion and assessment.

 

Anticipate

• Distribute copies or project the photos of the Coolidge family with their pets. Ask students to consider the following:
  • First Lady Grace Coolidge never gave a public speech or press conference during her time in the White House, so the public had to learn about her in other ways. What did the public get to know about their First Lady and her family by seeing images like these in their newspapers?
  • When someone is famous or admired by the public, what are some other ways that they can impact their communities without directly telling others what to do?
  • How can showing responsibility in a private sense have a civic impact when carried out by a public figure?
  • As each student answers, invite them to connect their responses to the definitions of responsibility and respect as civic virtues.

Engage

• Before viewing:
  • You’ll notice how the video title names one civic virtue, but as we watch, we may see others come into play. Our job is to notice which virtues are actually shaping this leader’s decisions.
• Active viewing:
  • While the video plays, students should note the different people, groups, and responsibilities that Coolidge takes on and cares for.
• After the video:
  • Ask students to share the items on their lists and create a master list on the board.
  • Then, ask students to discuss the following questions, either as a whole group or with a partner before sharing more broadly:
• Because of her role as First Lady, what kinds of people or groups did she become responsible for?
• How might Grace Coolidge’s private responsibilities have taken on a civic meaning because of her public role?
• How did the combination of respect, care, and authenticity enable Grace Coolidge to fulfill her responsibilities across each of the facets of her life?

Explore

• Distribute the primary source document to students. If desired, read the “Building Context” section with the class before students read the poem. Assign students to read the poem alone, with a partner, or as a class.

Teacher note: This is an especially emotional source that discusses the death of a high-school aged child. It should be previewed by the teacher ahead of class.

• Answer the comprehension and analysis questions following the source text.
  • Option 1: Students answer these questions in writing and submit them to the teacher for assessment.
  • Option 2: Students answer these questions in writing, then share their answers with the class more broadly while the educator facilitates a discussion about any differences in student answers.

Assess/Reflect

• Say to students, “You have now encountered three different perspectives on Grace Coolidge: portraits of the First Lady and her pets, a video about her care for others, and a poem that she wrote about the darkest moments of her private life that took place while she was in the public eye. Answer the following questions to combine and compare the ideas from each of these sources.”
  • How do different types of responsibility take shape in Grace Coolidge’s life? How are some made visible to the public while others remain private?
  • In what ways did Coolidge serve as a model for the American public during her time as First Lady?
  • How could Americans in the 1920s put the lessons of her very public life to use in their own daily routines and local communities?
  • If you could have just one more source about Grace Coolidge to answer any questions that you still have about her life, what would that source be? How might it be able to solve any mysteries about her for you?

Extend

• Start by saying:
  • “Grace Coolidge offered specific care and attention to a variety of people (her family, the general public, the people who worked in the White House, and her students when she was a teacher). Consider the various kinds of people in your life and how responsibility might look differently when applied to each of these groups (friends, family, teachers, or teammates)”
• Have students make a list, in class or for homework, about the people, places, and things for which they are responsible. They should organize their list into two columns:
  • Responsibilities others can see
  • Responsibilities others cannot see
• Ask them to write an answer to the following question:
  • How can you be consistent in your practice of civic virtue and character in showing up for each person in the way that they need you?