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GEORGE WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE

NATIONAL MONUMENT

PRESENTS

^When\ George\ Washington\ Was\ A\ Child^

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**CURRICULUM MATERIALS**

**When George Washington Was a Child -- K-2**

**[Previsit Materials]{.underline}**

These materials are posted on the park website under Teacher Materials
at [www.nps.gov/gewa](http://www.nps.gov/gewa). We encourage all groups
participating in this program to use these materials prior to their
visit.

**[Previsit Materials]{.underline}**

**[Essential Understandings:]{.underline}**

-   Everyday life long ago is different from life today.

**[Essential Questions:]{.underline}**

-   What can we learn about people and events from long ago?

**[Time required:]{.underline}** One class period

**[Virginia Standards of Learning addressed:]{.underline}**

K.1, K.2, K.7, K.9 1.1, 1.3 2.3, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9

**[Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum content standards
addressed:]{.underline}**

History: Kindergarten 5.0 A1b&2a&b, 6.0 F1&G1, Grade 1: 5.0 A1b&2a, 6.0
F1&G1, Grade 2: 5.0 A1&2, 6.0 F1&G1

**[An Introduction for Teachers:]{.underline}**

"While we have little information about Washington's early years, we can
begin to know the man by understanding the society in which he reached
maturity, be searching for his roots in a time and place. When
Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in a middle-sized plantation
manor house along the banks of Popes Creek, Virginia was the largest and
becoming one of the most powerful colonies. Its distinctive Tidewater
culture flourished in the years before the French and Indian War. It was
a society in which Washington's father, grandfather, and
great-grandfather before him were solidly entrenched, and he rapidly
absorbed its ideals and values, becoming their most famous
representative. From this culture he took the traits which defined his
character: his sense of public duty and his love of farming."

Almost all agricultural crops are classified as one of the two F's:
"fiber" or "food." This simple taxonomy overlooks what was the number
one agricultural income producer in Virginia in both 1732, the year of
George Washington's birth, and currently -- tobacco. Because Chesapeake
planters made or lost their fortune based on this one crop, this pungent
luxury could easily be the third F: "finance." Early in Virginia history
when other forms of cash were scarce, many economic exchanges were in
actual tobacco.

Augustine Washington partially paid for the builder of the house in
which his some George was born, with tobacco. Like all of their English
neighbors, the Washingtons lived here because they could grow and ship
tobacco. Ironically, the livestock and other crops that so quickly draw
the attention of our students were of little economic consequence to the
Washingtons and were all raised and grown to support the family and the
indentured servants and slaves who grew the plantation's only cash crop.
In good economic times (high tobacco prices in Britain) planters
exported many luxuries and even necessities from England. In bad times
they, like the servants and slaves always did, learned to use the
natural and agricultural resources of their own plantations. Few towns
or stores were established in this corner of the British Empire.

**[Procedure]{.underline}:** Read the When George Washington Was A Child
essay to or with your students. Have the students color the pictures
provided. Then have them arrange the pictures for the time line to show
the sequence of George Washington's life.

*When George Washington Was A Child*

George Washington was born a ***long*** time ***ago***, long before your
grandmother or grandfather were born. He was a ***real*** person. He was
born on a farm named Popes Creek Plantation. Farms were called
plantations in the ***past***. George's father was a planter. The
Washingtons and their neighbors planted tobacco. Tobacco was the cash
crop. It was traded for things instead of using ***money***. Slaves and
servants worked in the Washingtons' tobacco fields. They cooked the food
for the Washingtons. Slaves and servants worked at all of the chores in
the house and on the farm such as feeding the animals.

Popes Creek Plantation is on the Potomac River. Can you find the Potomac
River on a map of Virginia? The river was the colonial highway.
Everything traveled by boat. That is why most plantations were on the
water. The first towns in Virginia were located where ships could land.
The Potomac River was full of fish when George Washington was a child.
There were many ***natural resources*** like fish in the area where his
***family*** lived. One of George Washington's favorite foods was fish.
He liked to go fishing too. He went fishing even when he was President
of the United States.

Popes Creek Plantation was like a small town, or a ***community***.
George Washington's ***family***, servants and slaves raised everything
for their ***basic needs*** on the plantation. These were the things
they needed to live. The Washingtons, servants and slaves provided their
own food by raising animals, crops and gardens. They also made some of
their own clothing. Corn was another important crop for the Washingtons.
It came from the Native Americans. Both the people and the animals could
eat corn. Gardens were important on the plantation because there were no
grocery stores. Peas, carrots, beets, cabbages and squash were part of
the garden when George Washington was a child. The people living on the
plantation worked hard to grow food and make things they needed. They
wanted to avoid ***scarcity***, or not having enough. What is the
difference between things you ***need*** to live, and things you
***want***?

The Washingtons made most of the things they used on the plantation.
There were a lot of animals on the plantation when George Washington was
a child. The Washingtons raised them for food and other uses. The
Washingtons used wool from the sheep they raised to make cloth. Their
servants and slaves sewed the cloth into clothing. Do you make your
clothes yourself? Geese, ducks and chickens gave them eggs. George
Washington and his ***family*** used the feathers, such as goose quills,
for writing. They had pigs, too. Cows gave them milk. Calves grew up to
be oxen. The Washingtons trained oxen to pull plows, move trees and
carry firewood on the oxcart. People in the ***past*** used oxen the
same way we use tractors today.

The Washingtons raised horses for riding. When George Washington was a
child, people used horses and boats for ***transportation***. That's how
they got from their own plantation to other plantations or towns. George
Washington liked to ride and trained horses all of his life. Thomas
Jefferson said that George Washington was "the greatest horseman of his
age." How do you get to other places today? How has that ***changed***
since George Washington was a child?

The Washingtons lived in the main house. This was the "big" house with
the best furniture. It had fancy things like curtains, glass windows,
tables and chairs. A lot of the houses in the ***past*** did not have
these things. Do many of the houses in the ***present*** have windows,
tables and chairs? The kitchen was separate from the house when George
Washington was a child. The kitchen had a wood fire every day and could
catch on fire. It was easier to rebuild a kitchen than to rebuild a
whole house. The kitchen had a lot of work going on inside and outside.
Kitchen servants and slaves did chores like cooking, washing clothes,
making candles, making soap and making butter. How does the kitchen from
George Washington's time ***long ago*** compare to your kitchen today?
What do you think has ***changed***? What do you think is the same?

Daily life on a plantation was a lot different from your life in the
***present*** time. The things George Washington learned from growing up
on a plantation were important to him. They got him ready to do the
important things he did for our country. How do you think daily life has
***changed*** since George Washington was a child? George Washington
grew up on a plantation where everyone did chores and lots of work just
to provide food. Do you think you would have liked to live ***long
ago*** when George Washington was a child? What would you have liked?
What would you not have liked?

There are many stories about George Washington as a child. The story of
George Washington chopping down the cherry tree probably did not happen.
It probably is ***make believe***. However, other stories are
***real***. What is the difference between ***make*** ***believe*** and
***real*** stories?

George Washington was known for being honest. What does being honest
mean? Being honest helped George Washington become the "Father of Our
Country." George Washington was the first President of the United
States. He was such a great man that the capitol of the United States is
named for him (Washington, D.C.). His story is part of our country's
***history***, or ***past***. George Washington did helpful things for
the United States like being the first president. These
***contributions***, or helpful things he did, are why George Washington
Birthplace National Monument is a National Park. This place belongs to
everybody. It is part of the National Park Service. Have you ever been
to any other National Parks?

**[Vocabulary terms from Virginia Standards of Learning]{.underline}**

*Kindergarten*: history, long ago, make believe, past, present, real

*1^st^ grade*: basic needs, community, contribution, change, family,
money, wants

*2^nd^ grade*: community, natural resources, scarcity, transportation

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The following pictures show things that happened in George Washington's
life. Place them in the correct order, from what happened first to what
happened last.

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