Analyzing Washington’s Farewell Address: 5-Excerpt Jigsaw + Hamilton Extension

Washington’s advice on parties, debt, and foreign entanglements still gets quoted today. In this activity, students break the Farewell Address into five excerpts, translate the 18th-century language, and decide what he was really warning us about.

What’s inside

• 5 excerpts: unity, political parties, debt, relationships with foreign countries, and foreign alliances

• Vocabulary glossed beside each excerpt and a “summarize in 2-3 sentences” prompt

• Teacher notes with three share-out options (jigsaw, recap, or creative poster/cartoon)

• A “translate it” final task: modern-language rewrite, “social media manager” posts, or a visual

• An optional Hamilton extension (“One Last Time”)

• An answer key with sample summaries

Details: 45-90 minutes | Grades 8-12 | PDF, 9 pages

Also part of the Unit 3: Revolutionary Era plan.