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Summary and Objective
Students will begin to understand that Benjamin Franklin was an extraordinary man. He was a businessman, author, scientist, inventor, patriot, statesman, and founding father. By exploring art and literature, students will expand their knowledge and deepen their understanding of the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Show several portraits of Benjamin Franklin. Ask students to turn to a partner and share ideas about the following: Who do you think this person is? Did this person live long ago or in the present? What can you tell about this person? After the students have shared their ideas with the class, tell the students this person is Benjamin Franklin. Ask students what questions they have about Benjamin Franklin. List their questions on a chart.
Step 2.
Read aloud a children's book about Benjamin Franklin. (My personal favorite is Ben and Me by Robert Lawson. It is a "biography" about Ben Franklin as told by his mouse, Amos.) Discuss important aspects of Ben Franklin's life presented in the book.
Step 3.
Show images of Franklin that include inventions, the lightning experiment, and the Constitutional Convention. Discuss these images using the following questions: What do you see in the picture? What is happening in the picture? What can you tell about Benjamin Franklin from the picture? Ask children to share their thoughts.
Step 4.
Introduce Poor Richard's Almanac. Share images of the almanac, or a fascimile (available on amazon.com). Explain what an almanac is. Read some of Poor Richard's well-known proverbs, and list them on a chart. Discuss the meaning of the proverbs.
Step 5.
Working with a partner, students brainstorm what they have learned about Benjamin Franklin. They write down their ideas, and then present them to the class. List what the students know about Benjamin Franklin on a chart. Refer to the questions students had about Franklin. Discuss the answers to those questions.
Step 6.
Students create a broadside about Benjamin Franklin. The broadside should include a title, one or more illustrations, 5 facts about Benjamin Franklin's life (events, accomplishments, inventions), and at least 1 proverb from Poor Richard's Almanac. Show students the broadside "Proclamation For Proroguing the General Court" as an example.
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