Educators
The Memorial serves as a powerful outdoor classroom, which supports instruction in U.S. History, Government, Civics, Social Studies, Leadership Studies, and Disability Studies.
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial serves as a powerful outdoor classroom that supports instruction in U.S. History, Government, Civics, Social Studies, Leadership Studies, Art & Design, and Disability Studies. Through sculpture, landscape architecture, historical quotations, and immersive design, students can explore the challenges and triumphs of the Roosevelt era while making connections to issues that continue to shape American life today.
Planning a Field Trip
We recommend preparing students before arriving at the Memorial. Introducing key historical themes ahead of time helps students engage more deeply with the site and its stories.
Suggested topics include:
- The Great Depression
- The New Deal
- World War II
- Eleanor Roosevelt’s work in human rights
- How Polio shaped Franklin D. Roosevelt’s leadership and public image
Encourage students to read primary sources such as Fireside Chats, inaugural addresses, letters, or wartime speeches before visiting the Memorial.
Educators may also wish to explore how art and design can tell history. The Memorial was designed by renowned landscape architect Lawrence Halprin and uses water, stone, sculpture, and space to create an emotional and historical journey through Roosevelt’s presidency (Learn about the designer and artists at https://fdrmemorial.org/meet-the-artists/).
On-Site Learning Ideas
The Memorial works best when students are actively observing, questioning, and reflecting. Consider incorporating:
- Quote analysis exercises using the Memorial inscriptions
- Sculpture interpretation discussions
- Exploration of New Deal programs represented throughout the site
- Reflective writing prompts about leadership, democracy, and public memory
- Observations about how landscape design shapes emotional experience and storytelling
Educational Resources
Downloadable lesson plans, virtual tours, and primary source materials can support both pre-visit and post-visit learning.
Lessons & Teaching Resources
- National Mall: FDR Memorial Lessons and Resources
- FDR Presidential Library Curriculum Guides
- National Park Service Memorial Quotations
- Monument Lab Field Trip Guide — A resource that can be used at the FDR Memorial and other historic sites to help students engage critically with public spaces and monuments.
- You can also use this informational guide as you walk through the memorial: FDR Memorial Tour Guide.pdf.
Lessons on Eleanor Roosevelt
Lessons on FDR's Disability & Disability History
- DC Heroes in the Disability Rights Movement