
Thirteen Days: John F. Kennedy, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Purpose
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
- What was President Kennedy’s role in the Cuban Missile Crisis?
 - What was Kennedy’s purpose?
 - What decision did Kennedy make in the Cuban Missile Crisis? Why? Do you believe it was the right decisions? Why or why not?
 - How did President Kennedy’s purposeful decision in the Cuban Missile Crisis help protect freedom?
 
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 President Kennedy’s purposeful decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
 - Students will apply their knowledge of purpose to their own lives.