COMMON CORE UNIT:



COMMON CORE ACTIVITY:

A Close Reading of George Washington’s Farewell Address

United States History and Government Data Analysis Committee

Marc Fleming

Olympia High School Assistant Principal

Scott Parsons Pamela Vail

Greece Athena High School Greece Athena High School

COMMON CORE UNIT:

A Close Reading of Washington’s Farewell Address

UNIT SUMMARY

This unit has been developed to guide students and instructors in a close reading of Washington’s “Farewell Address.” The activities and actions described below follow a carefully developed set of steps that assist students in increasing their familiarity and understanding of Washington’s address through a series of text dependent tasks and questions that ultimately develop college and career ready skills identified in the Common Core State Standards.

Reading Tasks: Students will silently read the passage, first independently, and then following along with the text as the teacher and/or students read aloud. The teacher will then lead students through a set of concise, text-dependent questions that compel students to reread specific passages and discover the structure and meaning of Washington’s Farewell Address.

Vocabulary Tasks: Most of the meanings of words in this selection can be discovered from careful reading of the context in which they appear. This practice is both called for by the standards and is vital. Teachers must be prepared to reinforce it constantly by modeling and holding students accountable for looking in the context for meaning as well.

Discussion Tasks: Students will discuss the passage in depth with their teacher and their classmates, performing activities that result in a close reading of Washington’s text. The goal is to foster student confidence when encountering complex text and to reinforce the skills they have acquired regarding how to build and extend their understanding of a text.

Writing Tasks: Students will paraphrase different sentences and paragraphs of Washington’s address and then write an analytical essay on their understanding of Washington’s Farewell Address. Students will be afforded the opportunity to rewrite their explanation or revise their in-class paraphrases after participating in classroom discussion, allowing them to refashion both their understanding of the text and their expression of that understanding.

Text Selection: George Washington’s presidency was bound to be historic because it was the first. He set many precedents that impacted the future of the office, from his creation of the Presidential Cabinet to his self-imposed two-term limit. At the close of his second term, Washington issued a letter to the American people wrapping up his two terms as president. In the letter Washington reflected on the issues facing the new nation, stressed the importance of unity and defended his administration’s record. Perhaps the most enduring part of the letter, however, was Washington’s urging to avoid “foreign entanglements.” The United States was still a fragile nation and could not afford to get involved in an armed conflict with European powers. Washington’s warning governed American foreign policy for decades to come.

Outline of Unit: This unit can be broken down into three sections of instruction and reflection on the part of students and their teachers, followed by additional activities, some designed for history/social studies and some for ELA classrooms.

SECTION 1 US Foreign Policy: Remaining Free of Foreign Entanglements

1. Students silently read Washington’s “Farewell Address.”

2. Then teacher reads Washington’s Farewell Address out loud to the class while students follow along in the text.

3. Students translate the first two paragraphs of the Farewell Address into their own words.

4. Students respond to guiding questions and tasks about the first paragraph, focusing on the CCS standards: RI. 9-10.1; RI. 9-10.2, 4 & 5; W. 9-10.9; SL. 9-10.1; and L. 9-10.4-6

5. After the discussion, students rewrite their translation of Washington’s paragraph.

6. Teacher concludes with a discussion of the first line of second paragraph.

SECTION 2 Justifying US Foreign Policy

1. Students are re-acquainted with the first two paragraphs of the Address.

2. Students read independently the third paragraph of the Address.

3. Teacher reads the text of the third paragraph out loud to the class while students follow along in the text.

4. Students translate the third and the fourth paragraphs into their own words.

5. Students respond to guiding questions regarding the third paragraph of Washington’s Farewell Address, focusing on the following CCS standards: RI. 9-10.1; RI. 9-10.3, 5 & 8; W.9-10.9; and SL. 9-10.1.

6. The class concludes with students revising their translation of the third paragraph.

SECTION 3 Setting Precedents

1. Students trace the accumulated meaning of the word “precedent” throughout the text, focusing on the following CCS standards: RI. 9-10.1; RI. 9-10.4, SL. 9-10.1; L. 9-10.4-6.

2. Teacher wraps up “precedent” conversation.

3. Students write a page length essay based on the structure of Washington’s argument, focusing on the following CCS standards: RI. 9-10.1, RI. 9-10.6 & 8; and W. 9-10.1, 4 & 9.

President George Washington’s Farewell Address

A Close Reading of George Washington’s Farewell Address

Section 1: Paragraphs 1-2

1. What does Washington mean when he says “the great rule of conduct for us” in regards to foreign nations?

2. After reading the 1st paragraph what is Washington’s goal in regards to our “political connexion” with foreign nations?

3. How does Washington believe represents our “commercial relations?”

4. What is Washington’s position regarding our “previous commitments?”

5. Do the United States and Europe have similar “primary interests.”

6. Why does Washington feel that the United States should not create “artificial ties” with European nations?

7. Paraphrase Washington’s main points from the first two paragraphs.

Section 2: Paragraphs 3-4

8. According to Washington what factors would allow for the United States to pursue a different course.

9. How does Washington believe that the United States can remain one people under an efficient government?

10. How does Washington believe that the United States remain peaceful and prosperous?

Section 3: Paragraphs 5-6

11. What does Washington believe should be our “true policy?”

12. According to Washington why is it unwise to extend entanglements?

13. When does Washington feel that temporary alliances are justified?

14. Paraphrase Washington’s main points from paragraphs 3-6.

Name __________________________________

US History and Government

Greece Central School District

A Close Reading of George Washington’s Farewell Address

Directions:

Using at least three pieces of evidences from the selection, students should summarize Washington’s main points supporting his believes regarding American Foreign Policy.

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“… The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is, in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connexion as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.

Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.

Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people, under an efficient government, the period is not far off, when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality, we may at any time resolve upon, to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.

Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice?

It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements. I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. I repeat it, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. But, in my opinion, it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them.

Taking care always to keep ourselves, by suitable establishments,

on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies…”

the quality or state of being changeable

characterized by careful observation of what is morally right

inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive

a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one’s mind or the weather

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