George Washington, Surveyor, 1748
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Part A: Young George Washington I n Part A students will be introduced to George Washington before GOALS the French and Indian War, when he was a prominent young Virginian In Part A little known outside of his local world. They will see an ambitious students will: young man dedicated to hard work, proper behavior, and love of duty Examine (and country)—intent on building a solid reputation and making a their preconcep- tions about name for himself. These characteristics (especially his concern with repu- George tation) stayed with Washington throughout his lifetime. Earning money, Washington owning land, and pursuing a military or public career were ways in Expand which Washington carved out his reputation and fulfilled his ambitions. their knowledge of the events of Washington’s For Part A, Level One Level One (Grades 4-6) early years use Resource Pages 1–8 and Images 1–6 on the CD-ROM. Getting Started Analyze 1 Ask your students what they know about excerpts from All the written resources in this George Washington. (Answers will Washington’s undoubtedly include: first president, general, writings in order guide are considered primary “the man on the $1 bill,” and so on.) Then ask to answer the sources. Be sure that students students if anyone knows about Washington’s Focus Question: understand that primary sources life as a young man. Their answers (born in What can you can be journals, letters, diaries, Virginia, chopped down a cherry tree, athletic, learn about tall, and so on) will undoubtedly include a young George speeches, and public documents, combination of myth and fact. Begin a wall Washington’s as well as comments on chart—Who Was George Washington?— personality and manuscripts. All of the selections which you and students can add to (and ambitions by correct) throughout the study. Include what reading his here were written by George students think they know about journals? Washington. As students use Washington’s personality as a young man these personal writings from an (honest/did not tell a lie, brave, sports-minded, icon of American history, they and so on). You may want to set up a T-Chart categorizing What Washington Did and will learn that, more than What Washington Was Like. secondary sources, primary 2 Encourage students to correct any miscon- sources allow one to “see” the ceptions or misinformation on the wall chart inner workings of a person. as they learn more about “the true George They let the person speak for Washington.” To extend this study, set up a resource corner with materials in which the himself or herself. class can learn more about Washington’s life. (See the Additional Sources file on the CD-ROM.) 5 Part A: Young George Washington 3 As a resource on Washington’s early years, Reading and Reflecting distribute Resource Page 1: Timeline: Young The Young Surveyor George Washington. Make Image 1: Map of 1 Discuss the act and art of journaling, the Virginia Colony available at the same time, Be sure students making links to any journal writing activities understand that so that students can locate key places described. Suggest that students use the related to your classwork. Tell students that surveyors they are going to learn more about measure the timeline as a mini-biography to provide background knowledge as they read. Washington by reading some of his own land and locate journal entries. As background, use Resource boundaries of 4 Pointing out that Washington was the Page 2: Washington as a Record Keeper. land ownership. nation’s first president, open a discussion on 2 Resource Page 3: George what kind of person might become president Hand out of the United States. Ask the class what Washington, Surveyor, 1748. Explain that Tell students that qualities such a person would need to have 16-year-old George Washington wrote these another calendar (determination, energy, intelligence, patriotism, two journal entries about his first trip to system—the ambition). If some of your students think the wilderness. Washington and others were Julian calendar— that they would like to be president one day, surveying land on the Virginia frontier was used in ask them to tell the class why they have this for Lord Fairfax, an important landowner. Great Britain and ambition and how they hope to reach it! the colonies 3 Students can use Image 1: Map of the until 1752. 5 Tell the class that they are going to have Virginia Colony and Image 2: Washington as According to the an opportunity to meet young George a Young Surveyor to place the event Julian calendar, Washington long before he became geographically and to imagine the scene. Washington president, and, through his personal writings, 4 Point out to students that Resource Page 3 was born on to find out more about the kind of person he includes the original text from Washington’s February 11th, was. To focus students’ investigation, write journal as well as an adaptation in modern not February the Focus Question on the chalkboard: English. Have the students read the adapted 22nd. What can you learn about young George version of the excerpt to themselves first. Washington’s personality and ambitions by Working individually or in pairs, they should reading his journals? answer the Guided Reading Questions on the handout. 5 Ask students to think about the Focus Question and to cite evidence from the documents as they discuss the journal entries. Part A: ~What do you think Washington might have Level One learned as a surveyor? (practical skills such as Level Two how to survive in the wilderness, how to work Making with others) Connections Part B: ~What does the excerpt say about Level One Washington’s character? (He was a hard worker; inexperienced and young, but decisive. Level Two He was neat and proper, perhaps a tad snobby Making —disliked poor bedding and fleas!) Connections George Washington wrote this page in his school copy book when he was 13 years old. 6 Part A: Young George Washington ~What decisions did Washington make? (to selections on the handout—the journal work hard; to undress, then dress again; to sleep entries as Washington wrote them—and be in the future by an open fire) sure that students understand what makes them a primary source (that they were written A Word Wall ~In this account, does Washington appear by Washington, not about him). Discuss what ambitious? Do you think that he wants to would be a can be learned from a private journal, helpful teaching better himself or his situation? (He shows that written for oneself. he was a hard worker, concerned about getting tool to use as the job done. He learned from his mistakes, 8 Then discuss the spellings, capitalizations, students work and he knew how to be more comfortable in and “shorthand” that Washington used. Ask their way the future.) a volunteer to try to read the entries aloud through these and point out that this is a good technique primary source ~Does this reading change your image of to help in figuring out what some of the documents. George Washington? (Students undoubtedly “oddly spelled” words mean. If your students think of Washington as commander of the find the original wording and spelling fasci- Tell students Continental Army or in fancy clothes in nating, you may want to use Resource Page that Image 5 positions of power in his later years. Here 4: Spelling the Washington Way to help them shows a map Washington faced frontier conditions, complete understand more about 18th-century writing. with lice and fleas. He was confident but drawn by somewhat humble at the same time.) Making a Name for Himself Washington in 1753. Using his 1 Explain that, in the next journal selection, 6 Ask the class to consider Washington’s surveying skills, Washington is five years older. Intent on actions and personality. Add a list of these Washington making a name for himself, he volunteers to key points to your wall charts. drew a map so serve the governor of Virginia. His mission is accurate that 7 Depending on your students’ familiarity to deliver a message to the French who are it was later used with primary sources, discuss why occupying lands that the British claim in the to plan modern Washington’s journals are such a valuable Ohio River Valley. The message asks the roads. resource. Have the class look at the original French to leave. Washington delivers the message to the French, but is told that they have no intention of following this request. Eager to deliver the French reply to the governor, Washington heads home. The excerpt deals with one event in the long and dangerous trip back to Williamsburg (with guide Christopher Gist). As background information, read aloud the description of the journey on Resource Page 5: Washington’s Journey to Fort LeBoeuf. 2 For visual and geographic background, display Image 3: Map of the Journey to Fort LeBoeuf; Images 4a, 4b, and 4c: Washington on the 1753 Expedition; Image 5: Historic Map of the Ohio River Valley. After his 1748 trip to survey some of Lord Fairfax’s 5 million acres in the Shenandoah Valley, young George took a job as surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia. 7 Part A: Young George Washington 3 Hand out Resource Page 6: Return from 5 Discuss the excerpt. Ask students to think Fort LeBoeuf, 1753. Have the students about the Focus Question and to cite read the adapted version of the excerpt to evidence from the documents in their answers. themselves first and then answer the questions on the handout.