To be an effective public speaker, students need to understand a variety of elements, including use of  appropriate tone, natural gestures and effective eye contact. If stymied by stage fright, all of their hard work might feel for naught. In this interview style blog post, professional actors and teaching artists Victoria Reinsel and JJ Johnson share with Ford’s Education team some of their best strategies and advice for teachers and students to calm nerves and speak with confidence. In this interview style blog post, professional actors and teaching artists Victoria Reinsel and JJ Johnson share with Ford’s Education team some of their best strategies and advice for teachers and students to calm nerves and speak with confidence.

Here at Ford’s we believe that it’s never too early to learn about the Lincoln assassination. Whether you are looking for a way to introduce Lincoln’s assassination to elementary school students or an interesting novel to make history come to life for your own middle-school child, the Ford’s Education team has readers of all ages and skill-levels covered. 

Teacher Joyce Erb-Appleman shares how she helped a colleague use a close-reading approach to analyzing word choice to help students gain a deeper understanding of a primary source text.

Most visitors come to Ford’s Theatre to learn more about that one fateful night in 1865. But a school trip to Ford’s should be more than just seeing Booth’s gun and visiting the box where Lincoln was shot. How can you make sure that kids leave Ford’s with a better understanding of the bigger picture?

Arts Education Coordinator at Ford’s Theatre Jennie Berman Eng discusses coming to terms with Thomas Jefferson's complicated legacy and how teachers might address this in the classroom.

How does a field trip promote Civic Engagement? In the Civil War Washington Teacher Fellows program at Ford’s Theatre, we use places as primary sources to unlock the history right beneath our feet and make it come to life for teachers and students.

Giving students an opportunity to perform historic or original speeches is a great way to showcase learning. It’s also a powerful way to help them develop strong voices and perspectives on issues that matter. Time is precious. Discover guidance for planning and implementing a hassle-free student oratory performance that invites assessment and chance for your students to shine.

Teaching in Washington, D.C., affords teachers and students an abundance of real-life educational experiences; however, these opportunities require significant planning and organization from teachers. Ford’s Theatre makes the logistics easy, and students will remember the day for a lifetime.

The National Oratory Fellows program is a signature initiative of Ford’s Theatre, drawing on our institutional expertise in history, education and performing arts. It is a long-term teacher professional development program designed to build teacher capacity to use public speaking and performance as teaching strategies in middle and high school classrooms.

Washington, D.C., offers numerous opportunities to get out of the classroom and experience history, particularly when studying the Civil War. While Ford’s Theatre receives a large amount of attention, many other sites with engaging stories can be found around the city—in neighborhoods and places easily accessible to students that they may pass by on a daily basis.