A five-paragraph biography of George Washington fills pages 1 and 2 of this 5-page 2nd grade reading sheet. It follows him from his birth in Virginia in 1732 through his work as a surveyor, life at Mount Vernon, command of the Continental Army and two terms as the first President. Eight questions follow on pages 3 and 4, and page 5 holds the answer key. The passage also says plainly that enslaved people were forced to work at Mount Vernon.
RI.2.1
“Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.”
Questions 1 to 4 and 7 ask where, who, which, what and why about the passage.
RI.2.4
“Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.”
Question 5 asks students to work out what surveyor means from the sentence right after the word.
Five paragraphs with a picture of Washington near Mount Vernon. Surveyor and terms are in bold, and the story covers farm life, the war and the two terms as president.
Three multiple choice questions on where he was born, who did the hard work at Mount Vernon and which army he led. A short answer asks for a place named after him.
A multiple choice question on what a surveyor does, a true or false item that needs a phrase from the text as proof, and a written answer on why he stepped down after two terms.
One written question on why people called him the Father of His Country, answered with two facts from the passage.
Letters for the multiple choice questions, two quotes that show question 6 is false and sample written answers for questions 7 and 8.
Two sittings
Read page 1 one day and page 2 the next. The break falls between the war and the presidency, which is a natural place to stop.
Prove it
Model question 6 before students try it alone. They must copy a phrase from the text, and finding one is harder than it looks.
Mount Vernon paragraph
Pause at the paragraph on Mount Vernon. It says enslaved people were forced to work there, so give students a moment to ask questions before question 2.
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