“Failure” and “hardship” probably aren’t the first words that come to mind in describing the legacy of the first United States president, George Washington. While Washington is generally viewed through a lens of strength in leading the colonies through the American Revolution 250 years ago, a new film aims to deepen the nation’s understanding of his evolution as a young work in progress.
In theaters July 3, Young Washington focuses on the leader’s early years—before the presidency—highlighting the experiences, mistakes, and decisions that shaped his leadership.
To help youth across the country better understand these early chapters in Washington’s saga and legacy, the Bill of Rights Institute and George Washington’s Mount Vernon are distributing curriculum-aligned lesson plans and discussion guides to more than 90,000 educators for use in the classroom this fall. They are also providing a centralized digital hub for classroom access and student engagement.
The Bill of Rights curriculum addresses questions that focus on how stories about Washington’s early life shape our understanding of leadership, civic virtue, and American identity, and how stories of setbacks and self-discovery shape who we become. As a result, the curriculum reflects a shift toward applied civics by using story to help students not just study history but also see it as a playbook for leadership and decision-making.
The curriculum encourages students to critically analyze the film as a historical source and apply historical thinking skills through sourcing, contextualizing, and corroborating. It also encourages students to connect film depictions to real primary sources and reflect on civic virtue or moral lessons tied to the film.
Ultimately, the Bill of Rights Institute’s initiative aims for civics to be non-idealogical, nonpartisan, and apolitical. Young Washington provides an opportunity for students to understand that they can tackle tough questions in history and civics and not fear disagreement with one another.