Lesson Plans

The “20 Questions” series of worksheets from George Washington’s Mount Vernon are designed to guide students through a structured exploration of primary sources. Each set of questions move from concrete observations to analyses of people that lived in the past. The last questions ask students to make larger conclusions about the culture of the time in order to inform a final writing prompt. Included with each worksheet are primary sources from George Washington’s world.

Plan a birthday party for George Washington in your classroom. Students join either a Birthday Party Planning Committee or a Parade Committee to plan a celebration to honor George Washington's birthday. 

A cut-and-color activity sheet that encourages students to find George Washington in their school or community. 

A set of coloring pages about George Washington and the American Revolution. These coloring pages can be interactive (and colored digitally), or downloaded. 

A lesson asking students to investigate and analyze the historical context of the Revolutionary War song, Yankee Doodle. As a culminating activity, students are asked to create their own additional verses about George Washington to the tune of the song.

Two activity sheets with information and short activities introduce young students to President George Washington. Students learn about George Washington's election as President and his journey from Mount Vernon to New York City for his inauguration, as well as what happens during a presidential inauguration. 

A printable board game that follows George Washington's journey from Mount Vernon to New York City for his inauguration in April 1789. The board game prints best on 11x17 paper.

This activity explores how music was one of the main forms of communication on the battlefield. Students will work together to create musical signals that convey marching directions. They will then show how they work as a team to give and follow those commands as a well-organized military unit. 

A lesson plan to help students gain an understanding of the lives of the enslaved people on Mount Vernon.  The students will use a primary source document, entitled the French’s Slave Census 1799, to research an enslaved individual in order to answer questions and write an introduction about the person. This lesson was created by 2017-2018 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Donella Smither.

A post- distance learning program activity for your classroom that uses Washington's library collection to understand his personal research and interest. Students will identify different subjects within his collection and compare them to the subjects studied within their own classrooms today. 

This lesson compares the lives of Frank Lee and Doll, two individuals who were enslaved at Mount Vernon. It provides simplified biographies and guiding questions.

Find a book about horses, pigs, sheep, or cows - all animals at Mount Vernon! - and use this book report to record your findings.

Use these matching cards to name the types of animals that live at Mount Vernon.

These grab-and-go activity suggestions support instruction in colonial textiles and foodways, using archaeology and other primary sources to demonstrate different aspects of colonial life.

These activity sheets provide grab-and-go activity ideas about the foundation of the U.S. Constitution, government, and presidency. With different options for Elementary, Middle, and High School students, these activity suggestion sheets have something for every grade level. These sheets were created by 2024 LifeGuard Teacher Fellows Emily Finch and Tamera Johnson.

Use this helpful notetaking sheet to have young students record observations about an archaeological artifact.