To wrap up a unit on George Washington, I asked my students to write thank you notes to him (“But Miss Haines! How are we going to mail them?”). I explained that a good thank you note can have as few as three sentences:
- Thank the person for their gift/service/contribution.
- Say something nice about the person/their gift.
- Reiterate why you are thankful.
I also asked them to include a greeting and closing and decorate the front of the card. This lesson had two goals, one personal and one curricular. Students had to understand how to write a thank you note, a skill they can use their whole life, and they also had to prove they understood what George Washington did for our country. This lesson also created an opportunity for all students to have their work displayed in the hall.
Most students said very poignant things about how hard he worked as a general and as president. They summarized stories about his life and thanked him for his service to the United States. There were also some humorous ones, such as…
Dear G. Wash, Thank you for working hard as president. You did such a good job! I would go out with you. Thanks again for all you did.
She got it. 
Thank you for this particular contribution to American education. It is clear you are a hard-working teacher who cares about her students. I would go out with you, but I don’t date over the Internet.
Thank you again.
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[...] “Thank you, George Washington” (My Teaching Portfolio) shares a class writing assignment and gives an example of one wondrous result. [...]
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