Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World

benjamin franklin: in search of a better world

Online Site Support Notebook: Programs with Schools

  • With a lead teacher or teachers, sponsor a "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" curriculum workshop for teachers in your area, using the curriculum web sites below.

  • Enlist a teacher or librarian to present a curriculum activity to a library audience of young people.

  • Encourage teachers at local schools to use "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" themes in the curriculum during the exhibition.

  • Encourage class visits to the library during the exhibit period and plan pre- and post-visit learning activities with teachers.

Selected Web Sites with Lesson Plans for Teachers

Developed by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary with additions by ALA. Please note that neither the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary nor the American Library Association maintain these sites and are not responsible for their content.

  • http://edsitement.neh.gov/


    Edsitement is a web site sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities in partnership with the National Trust for the Humanities, and the Verizon Foundation. Search the web site using the name "Benjamin Franklin" and you will find 13 sets of lessons plans for topics concerning Benjamin Franklin, targeted to selected age groups from kindergarten through grade 12.

  • http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/teachersguide.html


    Teacher's guide from the PBS series
    Benjamin Franklin. Eight lesson plans encourage students to explore Franklin's various qualities and accomplishments.

  • http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/lessons/ben_franklin/b.html


    Will the Real Ben Franklin Please Stand Up? Discussing Franklin's various roles in Colonial America. Includes websites, primary sources, and secondary sources for preparing lessons.

  • http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/gulfstream/index.shtml


    Gulf Stream Voyage. A project designed to teach the science and history of the Gulf Stream. Activities for various subjects, including the natural sciences, social sciences, and language arts.

  • http://www.webenglishteacher.com/franklin.html


    A list of resources for teaching Benjamin Franklin with a literary flair. Includes links to e-texts of Franklin's
    Autobiography, as well as reading comprehension, vocabulary enrichment, and discussion activities for his writings.

  • http://washuu.net/static.htm


    Static Electricity: Making an Electrophorus and a Leyden Jar


    Illustrated instructions for constructing two scientific instruments Franklin used in his experiments on electricity.

  • http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Franklin Calls attention to Franklin's contributions to Earth science, especially his climate studies. Discusses his observations of deforestation, the Gulf Stream, and volcanic eruptions.

  • http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/articles/0,6709,1076243,00.html


    Contains a downloadable teacher's guide and reproducible worksheet for students. Students can use the site to learn interesting facts about Benjamin Franklin, test their knowledge of him with an interactive quiz, and meet Benjamin Franklin scholar Walter Isaacson.

  • http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/franklin/franklin.htm


    A website created by an elementary school teacher and her class for the Franklin Institute. Useful and fun components include: timelines, quizzes, try-it-yourself science experiments, exercises on Franklin's sayings, and links to other resources online, in print, and on video. (Grades K-5)

  • http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/benfranklintimeline


    Ben Franklin Timeline Lesson Plan An adaptable lesson plan designed to learn about Franklin's life and contributions to the United States. (Grades K-5)

  • http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/realbenfranklin


    Students learn to interpret Franklin's wit and wisdom by paraphrasing his aphorisms. Lesson extensions challenge students to think deeply about the historical context of his writing and its pertinence to the present-day. (Grades 6-8)

  • http://www.americanwriters.org/classroom/videolesson/franklin_vlp.asp


    Video clips and questions in conjunction with the C-Span
    American Writers program featuring Franklin and his
    Autobiography. Choose from three themes: inventions, printing, and diplomacy. (Adaptable for all grade levels)

  • http://www.adprima.com/social24.htm


    Helps students understand the place of Franklin's inventions in today's world and the world Franklin inhabited when he invented them. (Grade 5)