Washington’s Farewell Address

Overview

This 40-minute lesson invites 7th grade social studies students to explore George Washington’s Farewell Address. Students will analyze Washington’s warnings concerning political parties and foreign alliances to develop critical thinking and textual analysis skills, in alignment with Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Summarize the key points of Washington’s Farewell Address regarding political parties and foreign alliances.
• Analyze Washington’s warnings and explain their historical significance and relevance today.
• Engage in collaborative discussion, citing textual evidence to support their ideas.
• Write a brief reflection paraphrasing Washington’s advice and its importance.

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Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.2
Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information clearly.

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Materials Needed

• Copies of an age-appropriate excerpt of Washington’s Farewell Address (focusing on warnings about political parties and foreign alliances)
• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Markers
• Student notebooks/journals
• Projector (optional, for displaying excerpts or notes)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up & Introduction (5 minutes)

• Begin with a brief recap of Washington’s presidency and the context of his Farewell Address.
• Ask students to share: “Why do you think a president would give a Farewell Address? What might be important to warn future citizens about?”
• Jot down initial student ideas on the board to connect to the discussion.

2. Reading Activity (10 minutes)

• Distribute the excerpt of Washington’s Farewell Address.
• Read the passage aloud as a class.
• Paired reading: Students break into pairs to reread the excerpts and highlight or underline warnings about political parties and foreign alliances.

3. Guided Discussion & Text Analysis (15 minutes)

• Use the whiteboard to list Washington’s key warnings to organize the discussion.
• Facilitate a group discussion, asking questions like:
  • “What concerns did Washington express about political parties?”
  • “Why might Washington have warned against ‘entangling alliances’ with foreign countries?”
  • “Do you think these warnings were relevant at the time? Are they still relevant today?”
• Encourage students to cite specific lines from the text to support their responses (CCSS RI.7.1, SL.7.1).

4. Reflective Writing (8 minutes)

• Ask students to write a brief journal entry responding to this prompt:
  “In your own words, explain why George Washington warned against political parties and foreign alliances. How might his advice affect how we think about government today?” (Aligns with CCSS W.7.2)
• Encourage them to use evidence from the text and their discussion.

5. Closure & Exit Ticket (2 minutes)

• Have each student share one sentence from their journal as an “exit ticket.”
• Collect journals/notebooks to review understanding and textual support.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide vocabulary support sheets defining “political parties,” “alliances,” and other key terms.
• Use chunking and repetition during the reading for students who need it.
• For advanced learners: Encourage them to connect Washington’s warnings to later historical events (Civil War, WWI alliances).

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Assessment

• Informal: Participation in discussion, citing textual evidence.
• Formal: Written reflection assessed for comprehension, textual support, and clarity of ideas.

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Extension Idea

Have students research modern political parties and current foreign alliances, then create a short presentation on how Washington’s advice applies or doesn’t apply today.

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This plan incorporates critical reading, discussion, and writing—all key components of the Common Core—and encourages students to think deeply about a foundational text that shaped U.S. history.