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With the generous support of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, Mount Vernon and the Fairfax Network have partnered to provide schools with engaging and FREE distance learning broadcasts.

George Washington’s
Mount Vernon Estate,
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suggested Resources

Before and Beyond the Constitution: What Should A President Do?
A curriculum unit on the role of President as defined in the Constitution

The Executive Branch and the Constitution
Sections from the Constitution and several of its ammendments that apply to the presidency

What Was George Washington's Legacy to American Consitutionalism and Citizenship?
A lesson plan from the Center for Civic Education

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November 13, 2012 · Grades 9-12 & Educators · 60 minutes

Watch this program anytime as an on demand video .

What did the founding fathers intend the powers of the chief executive to be? How has judicial review added or subtracted from these powers? How has the President’s relationship with Congress evolved?

At Mount Vernon, students and educators joined host Julie Silverbrook, executive director of The Constitutional Sources Project, and historians Joseph Ellis and Carol Berkin for an exploration of executive powers. Professor Ellis has written biographies of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. His book Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation won a Pulitzer Prize in 1997. Professor Berkin is an expert on women in colonial America and the United States Constitution. Her best-known books are A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution and Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence.

This program was recorded at the Fourth Annual Capitol City Constitution Day Education Summit in recognition of the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution and Executive Power is a a co-production of the Fairfax Network, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens, and The Constitutional Sources Project (ConSource).

George Washington's Role at the Constitutional Convention

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Standards

Virginia DOE History and Social Science Standards of Learning

USI.7
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the challenges faced by the new nation by a) identifying the weaknesses of the government established by the Articles of Confederation; b) describing the historical development of the Constitution of the United States; c) describing the major accomplishments of the first five presidents of the United States.

VUS.5
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution of the United States and how the principles of limited government, consent of the governed, and the social contract are embodied in it by a) explaining the origins of the Constitution, including the Articles of Confederation; b) identifying the major compromises necessary to produce the Constitution, and the roles of James Madison and George Washington

GOVT.4
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Constitution of the United States by a) examining the ratification debates and The Federalist; b) identifying the purposes for government stated in the Preamble; c) examining the fundamental principles upon which the Constitution of the United States is based, including the rule of law, consent of the governed, limited government, separation of powers, and federalism.

National Social Studies And History Standards

Standards in History for Grades 5-12 — Era 3: Standard 3A
The student understands the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution and the new government it established.

Grades 7-12: Analyze the alternative plans considered by the delegates and the major compromises agreed upon to secure approval of the Constitution.

Contents of Historical Thinking Standards for Grades 5-12 — Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation
A. Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas. B. Consider multiple perspectives. C. Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including the importance of the individual, the influence of ideas.