{"id":1987,"date":"2009-11-11T16:05:11","date_gmt":"2009-11-11T21:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/1987"},"modified":"2009-11-11T16:05:11","modified_gmt":"2009-11-11T21:05:11","slug":"teaching-civics-with-childrens-literature-farmer-george-plants-a-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/2009\/11\/11\/teaching-civics-with-childrens-literature-farmer-george-plants-a-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Farmer George Plants a Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"george.jpg\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Farmer George Plants a Nation<\/a>\u00a0written by Peggy Thomas<\/a>\u00a0and illustrated by Layne Johnson, <\/a>from the maps of Mount Vernon printed on the inside cover of the book to the extra resources found at the end of the book, seeks to teach readers about George Washington from an angle different from that\u00a0used in most biographies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead of opening the story by introducing George Washington as the nation’s first president, Peggy Thomas<\/a>\u00a0begins by describing Washington as he pursued his primary occupation: farming. Thomas<\/a>\u00a0includes\u00a0this quotation taken from Washington’s 1760 journal, “Spent the greatest part of the day in making a new plow of my own invention” which shows how dedicated he was to improving farming techniques.\u00a0\u00a0The story continues to unfold by explaining Washington’s growing disatisfaction with the British government in terms of the way they handled and taxed the produce he grew and his superb leadership in the Revolutionary War. Even as Washington assumed the presidency of the United States, he continued to look for improvements in agricultural from which all farmers could benefit.<\/p>\n

Peggy Thomas<\/a>\u00a0does an excellent job of tying George Washington’s political successes with his agricultural contributions. Washington himself also linked these two different spheres\u00a0in his quote, “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.”<\/p>\n

Curriculum Connections\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Farmer George Plants a Nation<\/a>\u00a0can be used in classrooms ranging from second to fifth grade to provide a look at the life of George Washington\u00a0and identifies his contributions in the Revolutionary War and his\u00a0leadership of\u00a0the United States\u00a0in its early years. (VA SOL 2.11, VA SOL 3.11b, VA SOL VS.5b, VA SOL VS.6a, VA SOL US1.6c)
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n