Last updated: June 10, 2022
Lesson Plan
Becoming George Washington: Unit 1: Young George Washington - Grade 4-6
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- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 90 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 6-8.RH.1, 6-8.RH.2, 6-8.RH.4, 6-8.RH.7, 6-8.RH.9, 6-8.RH.10, 4.RI.1, 4.RI.2, 4.RI.3, 4.RI.4, 4.RI.6, 4.RI.9, 4.RI.10, 5.RI.1, 5.RI.2, 5.RI.3, 5.RI.4, 5.RI.6, 5.RI.7, 5.RI.8, 5.RI.9, 5.RI.10, 6.RI.1, 6.RI.2, 6.RI.3, 6.RI.4, 6.RI.5, 6.RI.7, 6.RI.10
- State Standards:
- College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for State Social Studies Standards
- Additional Standards:
- National Standards for History: Historical Thinking, Standard 2, 3, 4 and Era 2 Standard 1B
- Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts.
Essential Question
What can you learn about young George Washington's personality and ambitions from reading his journals ?
Objective
Student objectives: Students will…
• List what they know about Washington, correcting items on their list as they research the man
• Analyze his 1748 writing as a surveyor
• List three ways he has changed by reading his 1753 writing on a military mission
Background
By studying young George Washington’s writings as a 16-year-old surveyor and writings from his first military trip five years later students will learn about his character and ambitions. The lesson will also help dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about Washington. Students will be introduced to a young man who is strong, brave and ready to make a name for himself.
Young George Washington Grades 4-6, has a 6 page lesson plan for the teachers and the following additional material: Additional Sources, Resource Pages 1-6, Images 1-5 and an answer key. The lesson uses Washington's own words, images and maps to show his character and ambitions and how he matures over time. The lesson highlights two of young Washington's adventures, his 1748 trip as a surveyor and his 1753 military trip to ask the French to leave the area.
Check out the other unit for Grades 4-6
Unit 3: Becoming a Leader Grades 4-6
Preparation
Download the PDF lesson plan with the resources and images
Make copies for the students
Teach and discuss with the students
Materials
Download The Lesson Plan Young George Washington Grade 4-6
Download The Images Young George Washington Grade 4-6
Download The Resource Timeline Young George Washington Grade 4-6
The student resources includes Washington's original writings and modern adaptions of those writings.
Download The student Resources Young George Washington Grade 4-6
Lesson Hook/Preview
We can learn about Washington's personality and ambitions by reading his early writings and seeing how they change over time.
Procedure
Follow lesson procedures in the downloadable lesson plan document.
Vocabulary
Surveyor: a person who measures the land and locates boundaries of land ownership
Assessment Materials
Answer Key Becoming George Washington
Additional Resources
George Washington's Remarks
Becoming George Washington: Bibliography and other resources
Becoming George Washington: Introduction to the teacher's resource guide
The Fort Necessity National Battlefield website offers information about George Washington and the Battle at Fort Necessity.
Related Lessons or Education Materials
Fort Necessity National Battlefield has an eight unit teacher's guide on the French and Indian War for Grade 4-6 entitled "The French and Indian War 1754-1763".
The following are the links to the eight unit curriculum:
Unit 1: Who Were the People Involved?
Unit 2: What Were They Fighting For?
Unit 3: How Did the Conflict Begin? (This includes two lessons on George Washington)
Unit 4: How Did the War Progress?
Unit 5: How Did the Conflict End? What Were the Consequences?
Unit 6: How Did the French and Indian War Set the Stage for the American Revolution?
Unit 7: Biography Cards (there are nine American Indian, nine French, nine British biographies)
Unit 8: Primary Documents and Artifacts
The teacher's resource guide "Becoming George Washington" also has units for students Grade 7-12:
Unit 2: Young George Washington Grades 7-12
Unit 4: Becoming a Leader Grades 7-12
Unit 5: Analyzing documents
This teacher's resource guide was written by Carolyn P. Yoder for French and Indian War 250, Inc. and was made possible by the Grable Foundation and the US Dept. of Education.