Imagine that in 1931, when Churchill looked the wrong way crossing a New York City street and was struck by a taxi driver, he died instead of sustaining severe injuries. The obituary in the paper the next day might have talked about his contributions to the Great War (World War I), listed a dozen or so books he authored, and described his election to Parliament and his military failure at Dardanelles in 1915. Fast forward to 1940 - would Lord Halifax have surrendered to Hitler when Britain's position seemed hopeless, turned over the Royal Navy to Germany resulting in the defeat of Russia, too? And what else would now be under Hitler's control?
For students today, the scenario outlined certainly seems like past history, but Churchill's legacy lives today in the freedoms we enjoy. And there is much to understand about his legacy, to make it relevant and meaningful for the students of the 21st century. Churchill Museum's classroom lesson plans are designed to help inspire and educate students about Winston Churchill's life and leadership. The students will experience three themes that represent Churchill: his life and times, his wit and wisdom, and his leadership.
Winston Churchill: Life and Times aims at upper elementary students who examine a scrapbook of Churchill images, research his life from clues in the pictures, and, in doing so, define their own concept of his life and how it relates to the present.
Winston Churchill: Wit and Wisdom asks middle school students follow the power of Churchill's word, as they make sense of history through his writings and speeches.
In Winston Churchill: Leadership, high school students develop an understanding of leadership through Churchill's examples.
Several overarching goals support the Churchill Museum's curriculum. After completion, students should:
“Leave the past to history especially as I propose to write that history myself.”
