Presenters:
Alec Dakin
Anthony Robinette
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The First American:
George Washington
March 27, 2007
These notes are not meant to be a summary of the presentation. Instead, they are my reflections on what was presented.
In the first part of their PowerPoint presentation, Alec Dakin and Anthony Robinette introduced the idea that George Washington was the first American: first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his country men. Although this idea is becoming a tired cliché, they were able to weave this theme throughout their presentation as we learned that Washington was also the first patron of the arts, the first in interior decorating, and the first in gambling. Also, “firsts” during his presidency set precedent for future presidents.
The integration of “firsts” could be an excellent way to set up a teaching module about Washington the next time I teach this class. One thing I could do is break students into teams and give each of them a first to research and to report back to class.
During the presentation, Mr. Dakin and Mr. Robinette showed “The Greatness of George Washington.” In just under three minutes, the video clip gives a nice view of the tribulations faced by the soldiers at Valley Forge as well as Washington’s role. As part of the clip, the narrator asks the rhetorical question, “What sustained Washington.” He answers the question by citing a story about when Isaac Potts saw George Washington in solitary prayer.
During the discussion, one student expressed a concern that the clip pushed Washington’s religious views too strongly. I could see his point, but I really liked the video—not so much as a view of Valley Forge—but as a clip I could show when I teach the concept of perfectionism.
Another film clip that worked very well was a section on Washington found as part of PBS’s The American President. This excerpt did an excellent job showing how Washington established the image of the presidency.
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