Ben Franklin - The"Idea Guy"

Elementary/ MS1

Language Arts/Social Studies

Syllabus

Title of Unit: Benjamin Franklin—The "Idea Guy"

Length of Unit: 2 weeks

Overview: This unit will expose students to a multidisciplinary exploration of Ben Franklin. We will learn about Ben’s life, his inventions, his writings, and his service to the colonies in the Revolutionary War. We will read a biography, several books on his inventions, a fantasy written by "Amos the rat that really thought of the inventions," and a how-to book on Ben’s experiments. We will attend the hands-on exhibition on Ben Franklin at the Atlanta History Center and view two videos on Ben. For fun, we may even do all of this while wearing "Ben Franklin glasses."

Materials:

Books

1. Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

2. Benjamin Franklin by Victoria Sherrow

3. How Ben Franklin stole Lightening by Roslyn Schanzer

4. What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz

5. Now & Ben by Gene Barretta

6. A Picture Book of Ben Franklin by David Alder

7. Handouts of Poor Richard’s Sayings

Visual Materials

1. Liberty’s Kids: Justice for All

2. A&E Documentary on Ben Franklin

Field Trip

The Visiting exhibition of Ben Franklin at the Atlanta History Center.

Projects and Activities:

1. A 2007-2008 calendar illustrated with Poor Richard’s Sayings.

2. A collage of "Ways to be a Better Person" based on Ben’s advice.

3. Exercises on sayings and inventions.

4. Scientific experiments.

5. Oral Readings and Reports.

6. Written assignments appropriate to unit.