George Washington Discussion Prompts and Pause Points
Before the Movie:
Who were American’s Founding Fathers? (Tap prior knowledge)
What do you hope to learn about George Washington? (Set goals)
During the Movie (Pause Points):
Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:
Timecode 0:39: Why was Washington the natural choice when it came to electing the first president? (Draw conclusions)
Timecode 3:47: How did Washington show his strategic strengths as president? (Identify details; Identify character traits)
Timecode 4:32: In what manner was Washington similar to the English tyrants he’d overthrown? In what way was he different? (Compare/contrast)
After the Movie:
Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the George Washington topic. (Make connections)
Do you think George Washington sensed that the Civil War was inevitable from the end of the Revolutionary War? Give reasons. (Draw conclusions; Reflect)
BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the George Washington Topic Page to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.
*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.