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Lesson Adaptation Guides – Teacher Resource

Lesson Adaptation Guides | Teacher Resource

This resource contains two lesson adaptation options to help modify or scaffold the Teaching with Young Washington lesson for grades 7-9. Use it in tandem with the lesson plan. Not all resources are used in these adaptations.

Adaptation 1 emphasizes media literacy and writing, while Adaptation 2 focuses on character and discussion. Choose the approach that best fits your goals or students’ needs.

Materials

Teacher Materials

  • Strategies for Connecting Primary Sources to Film Clips
  • Reflection Rubric
  • Background Context for Young Washington
  • Extended Discussion Guide
  • Lesson Adaptation Guides
  • Video Clips

Student Materials

  • Story Explorer Profile Overview Sheet
  • Story Explorer Assignment Cards
  • Watch, Pause, Reflect: Young Washington Graphic Organizer
  • Primary Source 1: George Washington Diary, 1754
  • Primary Source 2: Letter to Mary Ball Washington, 1755
  • Primary Source 3: Letter to Dinwiddie, 1757
  • Primary Source 4: Rules of Civility
  • Primary Source 5: Resignation, 1783
  • Scaffolded Graphic Organizer for reflection
  • Character Biographies

Adaptation 1

Media Literacy, Primary Source, and Writing Focus

Objectives

  • Students will…
    • Explain how filmmakers make choices about what to include or leave out in historical films and how those choices shape viewers’ understanding of events.
    • Use their assigned Story Explorer profile (Phoenix, Mirror Holder, Virtue Seeker, or Media Decoder) to interpret a film clip and share observations with peers.
    • Examine at least one primary source and compare it to the film, identifying agreements, differences, and new details.
    • Write a clear, organized paragraph that uses evidence from both the film and a primary source to explain what might be different from a movie scene and how the source changes their understanding.

Anticipate

Ask students: “Imagine you’re making a short film about your life. You only have 5 minutes. What moments would you include? What would you leave out, and why?”

Follow-up Questions:

  • “Would someone watching your film know the full story of who you are?”
  • “How might their view of you change depending on what you show or don’t show?”

Transition: “Filmmakers must make choices too, especially when telling stories about real people like George Washington. Today, we’ll explore how those choices affect what we understand about history, and how primary sources can help us see what might be missing.”

Engage

  • Introduce Story Explorer Profiles Handout. Read aloud the overview and discuss the four profiles before letting students choose or assign roles using the Profile Cards. Arrange students into groups by profile type.
  • Prepare students to watch the video clip by:
    • Viewing the Young Washington Reflection Template Graphic Organizer together
    • Pointing out where students will write as they watch the video
    • Giving examples of things they might record based on their profile lens.
  • Omit Part 3 of the organizer for this adaptation.

Explore

  • Watch a film clip of your choice.
    • Pause the film clip at 2-3-minute intervals to allow students to write down their thoughts in Part 1 of the organizer and confer with their team.
  • Students take notes based on their profile lens.
  • In profile groups, share final observations.

Pause & Primary Source Work (15 min):

  • Then, re-arrange students into mixed groups to read a short primary source excerpt, and discuss three guiding questions and complete Part 2 of the organizer.
    • There are five primary sources to choose from based on the clip you chose to show:
      • Primary Source 1: George Washington Diary, 1754
      • Primary Source 2: Letter to Mary Ball Washington, 1755
      • Primary Source 3: Letter to Dinwiddie, 1757
      • Primary Source 4: Rules of Civility
      • Primary Source 5: Resignation, 1783

Simplified guiding questions:

  • “Does this source agree with the film?”
  • “What new details does it add?”
  • “What choices did the filmmakers make?”

Scaffolding note: Rules of Civility is suggested for this lesson adaptation due to its length and complexity. Choose or offer the other primary source options for students who need more challenge.

Reflect and Assess

Written Response

  • Using the profile overview and Young Washington scaffolded graphic organizer, students write 1-2 paragraphs to address the modified prompt with built-in scaffolding:
    • Choose one moment from the film. What details or perspectives might be missing from that scene? Use a primary source to support your ideas. How does the source add to or change your understanding of that moment?

Scaffolding note: This prompt is intentionally scaffolded to guide students through their writing. Each part of the question builds on the last, offering a clear structure for organizing their thoughts and evidence. Before students begin writing, take a moment to highlight this structure and explain how it can serve as a roadmap for their response.

Adaptation 2

Character Building, Story Analysis, and Discussion Focus

Objectives

  • Students will…
    • Describe how challenges and choices shape character, connecting their own experiences to historical examples.
    • Identify moments in the film that show George Washington facing challenges or making choices, and explain what these reveal about his character and virtues.
    • Use BRI’s Principles & Civic Virtues to select virtues demonstrated in the film and discuss how these traits relate to leadership and personal growth.
    • Prepare and share a verbal reflection that connects Washington’s story to their own understanding of character, using evidence from the film and their profile lens.

Anticipate

Ask students: “Think of a time when you faced a challenge or made a mistake. What helped you grow from that experience?”

Follow-up Questions:

  • “How do challenges help us figure out who we are?”
  • “What kinds of choices show someone’s character, even when no one is watching?”

Transition: “George Washington faced many challenges as a young person. Today, we’ll explore how stories about his early life help us think about character, growth, and the values that shape leadership.”

Engage

  • Introduce the Story Explorer Profile Overview Sheet Handout. Read aloud the overview and discuss the four profiles.
  • Allow students to choose or assign roles using the Profile Cards and arrange students into groups by profile type.
  • Explain that each profile offers a different way to understand Washington’s story.
  • Preview the Young Washington Reflection Template Graphic Organizer, pointing out where students will write as they watch the video and give examples of what they might record based on their profile lens.
  • Omit Part 2 of the organizer for this adaptation.

Explore

  • Watch a film clip of your choice.
    • Pause the clip at 2-3-minute intervals to allow students to jot down their thoughts in Part 1 of the organizer and confer with their profile group.
  • In profile groups, share final observations.

Pause & Discussion

  • Introduce BRI’s Civic Virtue list and provide students with a reference copy.
  • Re-arrange students into mixed groups to discuss the film and character themes using simplified guiding questions. Students complete Part 3 of the organizer by selecting virtues exhibited in the scene and describing the moral lessons that are evident in the clip.
  • Additional guiding questions:
    • “What challenge did Washington face in this scene?”
    • “How did he respond or grow?”
    • “What values or traits did he show?”
    • “How does this connect to something you’ve experienced or seen in others?”
  • Encourage students to listen for different perspectives and connect Washington’s story to their own understanding of character and growth.

Reflect and Assess

Verbal Reflection

  • Students use Part 4 of the organizer to prepare their verbal reflection using their profile lens and organizer notes.
    • Choose one moment from the film that shows Washington facing a challenge or making a choice. What does this moment reveal about his character or virtues? How does it connect to something you’ve learned about yourself or others?
  • Students can be paired, present to the class, or record their verbal reflections.

Optional: End with a class debrief or circle discussion:

  • “What do we learn when we study Washington not just as a hero, but as a person? How does his story remind us of the challenges young people face today? What personal or civic lessons can we take from his journey?”