Guided Reading Level J

Transcription

1 America's First President Guided Reading Level J No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY Written by Justin McCory Martin Illustrated by Bert Dodson Designed by Maria Lilja ISBN-13: ISBN-10: X Copyright 2007 by Scholastic Inc. Published by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in China

2 George Washington was president of the United States from 1789 to George Washington is often called the father of our country. He was the first president of the United States of America. Keep reading to learn about this important leader.

3 Young George loved to ride horses. George was born on a farm in Virginia in Virginia was one of 13 colonies ruled by England at that time. America was not even a country yet.

4 This is a rule George copied from a book of manners. Young George rode his horse to school. He was good at math. He was not as good at spelling.

5 George used special tools to measure the land. When George was 16 years old, he left home to find work. Some people thought he was a grown-up because he was so tall. George got a job measuring land and making maps.

6 George s dream was to become a soldier. When he was 20, he joined the Virginia army. George was very brave. Soon he was put in charge of many other soldiers.

7 Martha had two children from her first marriage. Their names were Jacky and Patsy. George also dreamed of having a family. He married a woman named Martha Custis. George left the army and became a farmer. But soon he had to return to the army.

8 These were some of England s rules for the colonies: a The colonies had to give money, called taxes, to England. The colonies had to give English soldiers food and shelter. The colonies could not trade freely with other countries. At that time, a war was starting because the colonies did not like England s rules. The colonies formed an army. George was chosen to lead it.

9 The war between England and the colonies was called the Revolutionary War. George s army had problems. There were not enough uniforms and tents. The soldiers were not trained. Many of them were farmers. How could America win the war?

10 The Declaration of Independence was written in It said that the colonies were free from England. George was a great leader. He trained his soldiers. He inspired them, too. George ordered that the Declaration of Independence be read to the army. The soldiers all cheered.

11 The English soldiers played a sad song as they gave up. The war lasted eight long years. There were many battles. But the colonies did not give up. The English finally asked for peace. George s army had won the war. 10

12 George became president on April 30, This shows what he wore that day. brown suit powdered hair shoes with silver buckles white silk stockings The colonies became their own country, the United States of America. The new country needed a leader. George was a hero, so he was elected to be the first president. 11

13 George signed many laws to help Americans. Being president was a very hard job. There was a lot of work to be done. George traveled to different states. He learned about problems and tried to solve them. 12

14 Alexander Hamilton Thomas Jefferson George Washington Thomas Jefferson later became the third president of the United States. George could not run the country all by himself. He chose people to help him such as Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. 13

15 After he was president, George returned to his farm. George was elected president two times. People even wanted him for a third time. But George thought the country needed a new president. Finally, he returned to his home in Virginia. 14

16 The Washington Monument is in America s capital city, Washington, D.C. The city is also named after George Washington. Today, there are many places named after George Washington. His face is also on the one-dollar bill and the quarter. America will always remember George Washington as a brave leader. 15

17 Glossary colony (noun) land controlled by another country elected (verb) chosen for a political job by voting inspired (verb) encouraged to do something manners (noun) polite behavior monument (noun) a building or other structure built to help people remember a person or event trade (verb) to buy and sell things uniform (noun) a set of clothes worn by everyone in a group 16

18 Guided Reading Level: J Word Count: 692 Average Words Per Page: 43 Spotlight Nonfiction Feature: List, Diagram George Washington America s First President George Washington ( ) is famous for being our country s first president. Born in Virginia, George Washington always had an interest in being a soldier. But when the American Revolutionary War broke out, he proved himself to be a natural leader. During the war, George Washington led the colonies to a stunning victory over England and later, as president, united a new, independent nation. Invite children to tell what they know about the president of the United States. Ask: What is the president s job? Next, explain that long ago we did not have a president. In fact, the United States was not even a country! Discuss that being president today is a Introducing the Book very difficult and demanding job. But being our country s first president may have been even harder! Tell children that they will read about the man who helped form our nation and who became our first president. Spotlight Nonfiction Features: List and Diagram Explain that nonfiction text sometimes includes lists of facts. Before reading a list, children should read the heading to find out what the list is about. Have volunteers read aloud the heading and each point on page 7. Remind children of another kind of list they may have seen: steps in a process. This type of list is often used for directions and includes words like first, next, and last. Ask: Does the list on page 7 show steps in a process? (No.) How can you tell? (Each fact takes place at the same time.) Lead children to see that the heading on page 7 gives the main idea and each fact provides a detail. Next, explore the diagram on page 11. Explain that a diagram is a picture that can show the parts of something. It often has labels for each part. Point out that this diagram shows what George Washington wore on the day he became president. Invite children to read the labels aloud and trace the arrows to find each part of his outfit. Using the Reproducible Give children copies of page 47 and point out that the book tells the story of George Washington s life in sequence, or time order. Have children use information from the book to complete the event description in each box. Then invite them to trace the path with their fingers, reading the events in order that led up to George Washington s presidency. Book Links A For more information on George Washington, try these titles: George Washington and the General s Dog by Frank Murphy (Random House, 2002) George Washington s Breakfast by Jean Fritz (Coward McCann, 1969) A Picture Book of George Washington by David A. Adler (Holiday House, 1989) 46

19 Name Date Path to the Presidency Many events happened in George Washington s life that led up to his presidency. Write the missing information in each box. Then read the events in order. George was born in Virginia in the year When he was 16, George When George was 20, he Scholastic Teaching Resources, page 47 During the Revolutionary War, George Finally, in 1789, George Washington

20 Name Date Sequencing Timeline Write the person s name on the line. Then write important events in the order in which they happened. Important Events in s Life

21 Name Vocabulary Chart Date Record new words on the chart. First, write the vocabulary word. Next, write what it means. Then, use the word in your own sentence. Word What It Means Sentence Using Word

22 Name Date Character Map Write the person s name in the center box. Then fill in the other boxes. Important Events in the Person s Life: His or Her Accomplishments: Name: What the Person Was Like: How I Feel About the Person:

23 Name Date Venn Diagram Write one person s name over each circle. Write facts about this person in that circle. In the center, write what the two people had in common. Name Name Both