Objectives: The student will be able to:

1. recognize George Washington as a leader and first president of the United States.

2. recognize some of the many ways we remember and honor George Washington.

Description of lesson/activity:

Activity 1

1. Introduce George Washington to the children by showing them a picture or poster of George Washington. Ask the children to share any information they know about George Washington. Write the children's responses on a chart entitled "George Washington."

2. Read the book Young George Washington: America's First President , by Andrew Woods. Discuss the new information learned from the book and add this information to the chart. Discuss what Washington's life was like, including clothing, transportation, food, jobs, homes, etc.

Activity 2

1. Review with the children the information recorded on the chart in Activity 1 about George Washington. Discuss that George Washington was our first president and a great leader. Explain that some people call George Washington the "Father of our Country." Ask the children why they think Washington was called the "Father of our Country."

2. Read the poem "February 22," by Leland B. Jacobs,found in Teaching K-8 , February 1992.

The poem can be written in enlarged print on a chart. Discuss with the children what the poem said about George Washington. How does that information compare with what was recorded on the chart from Activity 1?

3. Explain to the children that because George Washington was such an important person and did so many things to help our country that we want him to be remembered. Ask the children if they know ways in which we honor and remember George Washington. Write the children's responses on a chart.

4. Discuss some of the ways we honor George Washington including the Washington Memorial, celebration of his birthday (February 22), and the placement of his picture on our money--the quarter and the one dollar bill. Have pictures of the Washington Memorial, highlight his birthday on the class February calendar, and display enlarged pictures of a quarter and a one dollar bill.

5. Have children work in small groups, possibly during a center time, to examine quarters and one dollar bills. Children can use colored pencils to make rubbings of the portrait of George Washington on the head of a quarter.

6. Give each child an enlarged copy of George Washington's picture on the head of quarter. Have the children glue this picture on the back of paper plate. Discuss that one quarter is worth 25 cents or 25 pennies. Have the children write 25 cents on their paper quarter. The children should then turn the paper plate over. Provide cups of pennies and have the children count out 25 pennies on to the paper plate. Children can work in small groups during a center time or work in pairs to count the pennies.