George Washington's Socks

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider what you know about the American Revolution of 1776. Who were the colonists revolting against? What were their main concerns? Who were the leaders of this revolution?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question orients students with the historical context of the novel: the American Revolution of 1776. Students should understand that the colonies in the American continent united in the late-18th century to fight for independence from the British monarchy, who frequently imposed high levels of taxation on colonists. Several leaders were instrumental in maintaining the morale among the colonies, including General George Washington, Commander of the Continental Army and future president of the US. For classes who do not have prior experience with this subject, the second resource contains a variety of lesson plans related to the topics of the Revolution.

• This page from History.com informs readers about the Revolutionary War and includes videos as well as key events.
• These lesson plans from the Museum of the American Revolution invites students to analyze the Revolutionary War from different perspectives.

2. Who was George Washington? What role did he play in the formation of the United States?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider their prior knowledge of Washington within the context of the theme Duty and Responsibility of a Leader. For lower-level students, this question can be reframed as an in-class discussion, where students use the resources below to explore Washington’s role in the American Revolution; conversely, students may also conduct independent research prior to answering this question in a take-home assignment. For younger students, you might consider providing an abridged version of the biography resource, or you could assign one section for each pair of students to report on.

• This biography from Mount Vernon shares a thorough overview of Washington’s childhood, education, career, family life, and death, and it includes numerous photographs and historical images.
• This resource offers a more streamlined overview of Washington’s life and military career.

Short Activity

What does it mean to be a leader? Working in small groups, outline the key characteristics a strong leader should possess. Finally, identify one person, either a public figure or community member, who demonstrates these leadership qualities. Share your definition, example, and any relevant visual aids with your classmates in an informative presentation.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to explore the theme Duty and Responsibility of a Leader in the context of group work. After presentations, you might follow up the activity with a discussion of Empathy for the “Other” as one of the qualities of a leader, which would give students a stronger understanding of the connection between these two themes and their relevance in the novel.

• This article from Harvard Business School discusses the six characteristics of an effective leader.
• This teacher-facing resource from the National Endowment for the Humanities explores the qualities that made Washington a strong leader. It includes guiding questions, learning objectives, and lesson plans.

Differentiation Suggestion: For more advanced classes, this Short Activity prompt may be amended to include the following: Compare and contrast your selected leader with George Washington. In your opinion, which of their characteristics are similar? Which are different? Who demonstrates stronger leadership skills and why?

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Imagine that you were transported back in time to the 18th century. What present-day comforts would you miss the most? Which do you think you would be able to live without? Why?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to consider the theme Comfort in the Familiar in their own contexts. Students may initially consider frequently-used technology such as phones, cars, and computers; however, you might use this as an opportunity to remind students of the modern conveniences we take for granted, such as electricity, running water, medicine, public transportation, and even pre-prepared food. This Prompt works as either an in-class discussion or a take-home assignment and segues directly to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.