Purpose of Lesson:

To give students accurate biographical information about George Washington and to help them understand how Washington developed the values, principles, and skills that made him an effective and respected leader.

Subsidiary Goals:

1. To highlight events critical to the founding of the United States and its democratic form of government.
2. To help students understand the elements of leadership and the qualities that make a good leader.

Instructional Activities:

1. Discuss with your students the meaning of "leadership." Ask them to name some modern-day leaders in their school, their community, and in the world and national arenas. What are some of the personal characteristics that these people seem to have? Are they ambitious, hard working, sneaky, ruthless, honest, goodlooking, smart, etc.? Write the names of the leaders and their personal characteristics on the chalkboard.  Are all of the characteristics listed ones that we would consider to be "good?" Are all leaders good people?
2. Now ask your students, "Who was George Washington?" They will most likekly respond that he was our nation's first President, and that he led our troops to victory in the Revolutionary War. Then ask the students to describe George Washington in terms of his personal characteristics. Make a list on the chalkboard of the words they mention, including any that you think are "wrong."
3. Break the class into four groups. Assign each group one of the four sections from the "Timeline of George Washington's Life," which you can access using the "related link" located in the upper right-hand corner of this page. Using the suggested discussion questions included as a guide at the end of each section, have each group develop a presentation to make to the class as a whole. 
4. After all four groups have made their presentations, add more words to the list  describing Washington. Ask your students, "Was Washington a good leader?" Presumably they will answer in the affirmative. Circle all the characteristics that they think made him a good leader. Review the list and make a new list including only the characteristics the students think all good leaders should possess. Have the students use the list to create a definition of a good leader. As you continue to study other national or local leaders, evaluate them using this definition.
5. Finally, you might review the list of leadership characteristics your class developed and have the students discuss how the characteristics are important for them personally in making decisions and interacting with others at home and in school.