A balding man in a dark suit waves toward a crowd of men in suits. Signs are held representing various US states.

For Teachers

1956, August - Democratic National Convention. Adlai Stevenson II begins his second run for president.; courtesy Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

Activity Starters

These activity starters can be used to stimulate discussion, generate test or homework questions, or to guide student projects. The activity starters are listed in order from the simplest to the most complex. Each Activity Starter addresses several of the National Standards for History in the Schools (developed by the National Center for History in the Schools at UCLA) as stated in the National Standards for History Basic Edition, 1996.

The Discussion Questions associated with each Archive article can also be used as activity starters.

  • The period of greatest political prominence in Adlai's life was the postwar period from 1945 until his death in 1965. Identify 10 major issues in the U.S. occurring during that time.

  • Describe Adlai's position on one of the major issues of the postwar period. Identify the principle(s) on which Adlai would have based his position.

  • Choose one of the major issues in the postwar period and describe:

    • The current state of affairs regarding this issue

    • The history of this issue for the past 40-50 years

  • Describe the main influences that have directed the history of one major postwar United States issue over the past 40-50 years. Consider:

    • Influential people

    • Influential ideas

    • Key events

  • Choose a major issue of the postwar period and hypothesize what might have been different if Adlai had been elected president in 1952 and 1956.

Project Ideas

Below are just a few examples of student projects that could result from the Activity Starters or the Discussion Questions. Many of these would be appropriate for gifted student activities, as well as for accommodating multiple learning modalities.

The Adlai Quotes, Adlai's Life, and Resources pages of this site, as well as any of the primary sources in the Adlai Archive, are an excellent source of material for speeches, essays, and multimedia projects.

Speaking/Performance-Related Activities

  • Whole class discussion

  • Small group discussion

  • Speech Class debate — Select a topic, such as isolationism, wherein one side would represent Adlai's viewpoint and one would represent an opposing view

  • Performance — Dress like Adlai or his contemporaries and perform a monologue or skit.

  • Game Show — Adapt the What Did Adlai Say? online quiz into a live classroom game activity.

Writing and Technology-Related Activities

  • Research paper

  • Students choose an aspect of Adlai's life, ideas, or values, that is of personal interest to them, and write an essay about it.

  • PowerPoint presentation

  • Brochure/pamphlet — Imagine it is 1952 or 1956. Create an election pamphlet promoting Adlai Stevenson or one of his opponents.

  • Website

  • Create a timeline

  • Class or school newspaper articles

  • Journal writing

  • Write your own story or article from the perspective of Adlai Stevenson II.

  • Create a test or quiz complete with answer key.

Art-Related Activities

  • Poster — Select a concept from Adlai's Core Ideas or an Adlai quote and create a poster that interprets it, integrating its historic context and illustrations

  • Collage — Showcase past and present news headlines on a selected topic

  • Scrapbook containing photos, articles, reflections

  • Create a scrapbook of "primary sources" that tell about yourself

  • Symbolic or metaphoric 3-D model

  • Political cartoon

  • Postcard

  • Board game — make game board, playing pieces, write rules for playing the game

  • Want something more? Combine any or all of these ideas and showcase students' work in an Adlai E. Stevenson II History Fair. Invite families or other classes to submit their own projects, or partner with another school for an even larger event.

Discussion Questions

Teach and learn by asking questions. Adlai's speeches and articles, as well as articles about Adlai, provide a wealth of opportunity for classroom discussion. Each document in the Adlai Archive includes a series of discussion questions.

Consider using some or all of these questions for whole group, small group, or partnered discussion. Ask additional "why" questions to help prompt students to form their own interpretations and opinions. Extend the ideas students generate in the discussions by having them apply what they have learned in an Adlai-related project.

The discussion questions are derived from the following teaching concepts: perspective-taking (what would Adlai think today?), historical context, liberalism vs. communism, globalization and the challenges of development, and international law.

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