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Ben Franklin Timeline
Celebrate inventions such as lightning rods, bifocals, and stoves with a Ben Franklin Day. Young historians conduct research and write a paragraph about an accomplishment of Benjamin Franklin including an illustration...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Simple Machines, Ben Franklin and the Technology of the 1700s
Benjamin Franklin was an inventor, and he was fascinated by the mechanics of machinery. Using a fun exploration, pupils examine simple machines from the pre-Industrial era. Then, they must identify and build their own using common objects.
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Ben Franklin and the Rising Americans
Learners prepare for and learn through a walking tour of Philadelphia. In this history activity, students support their studies with a field trip. This activity could be adapted to suit regions with other historic places or museums.
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Ben Franklin
Learners study Ben Franklin and why he was an important person in our country's development. They draw a picture of him by following step by step oral instructions.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Lists to Live By: Developing a Self-Improvement Plan
Ben Franklin was a man with a plan. Learners investigate his plan for self-improvement using excerpts from Franklin's autobiography. Then, pupils develop their own plans and discuss how to sell them to others using the two-session lesson...
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Electricity and Magnetism: Ben Franklin and His Influence
Fourth graders explore electricity by examining the life of Benjamin Franklin. In this biographical lesson, 4th graders listen to the teacher read facts of Benjamin Franklin's life and analyze his contributions to our current...
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Ben Franklin's Inventions
Learners discover the life of Benjamin Franklin by studying his inventions. In this biography lesson, students identify the inventions of Benjamin Franklin and their impact on society today. Learners create a commercial in an...
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Benjamin Franklin- Philanthropist
Students research and read a profile of Benjamin Franklin. For this philanthropic lesson, students research the projects of Benjamin Franklin and determine which were philanthropic, which were governmental and which were business...
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Benjamin Franklin: Colonial Printer and Journalist
Fifth graders explore how important print media is to everyone's daily life. Students use present daily newspapers and they are to reproduce weather forecasts.
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Autobiographies: A Jigsaw Puzzle
Students read The Autobiography of Ben Franklin. Using construction paper, they cut out five jigsaw puzzle pieces in different shapes using the entire sheet of paper. They write events from their own lives on the puzzle pieces, thus...
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Making a Chiminea
A chiminea is an outdoor fireplace usually made from terracotta. Your class will make miniature versions of this useful heating device to practice specific sculpting techniques. This lesson spans four days. It includes vocabulary...
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Discovering Flight
Students discuss what wind can do such as cause a ball to roll, a book to open, water to move. They observe in the book, "Up, Up and Away!: the Sciene of Flight" things that fly and begin brainstoring things on paper that can fly. They...
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Symbolism and Aphorisms
Students describe the characters and the importance of symbolism in "To Kill A Mockingbird". They develop symbols that represent themselves and their school as well. They present these symbols on a poster and show them to their classmates.
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The Final Word
Pupils research biographies of Americans who advanced science. They create an obituary for the person to share what information they have gathered. They discuss the importance of the obituary as the "final word" of a person to complete...