Winter Book Discussion
Book: Alexis Coe, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
Alexis Coe’s irreverent, well informed, and highly readable biography of George Washington will serve as an entry point into reconsidering how and what we teach about the era of the American Revolution. Along with some supplementary readings and primary sources, You Never Forget Your First will help us examine the myths about “the father of our country,” the realities of Washington’s life and work, and his attitudes toward and relationships with indigenous and Black people (free and enslaved), as well as his actions as the first president of the United States and the towering example he set for future generations. Throughout the program we will think critically about how Washington’s story can inform our understanding of the themes and content our students need to know about the revolutionary era.
Dates: Tuesdays, January 16, 23; February 6, 13, 2024
Times: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Course Format: On Zoom
Registration Fee (includes a copy of the book if you don’t have one):
$500 professional development only
$650 with the aligned 1 credit course. Credit provided by VTSU Center for Schools.
Assignments for those taking this for graduate credit:
- Actively participates in the Book Discussions (20%)
- Applies primary source analysis to the content during each session. (40%)
- Final Assignment. (40%) Due March 5
In a 2- to 3-page reflection, consider the ways in which the central themes discussed in the sessions might be applied to your teaching OR
Develop a primary source activity or discussion that deepens student understanding of a key concept or topic in the readings.