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Selectio n Rev iew # 1
W ha t ’ s t h e B i g Id ea , B en Fr anklin?
Pages 7 - 27
1. Explain how Benjamin Franklin got a good education. Even though Franklin did not attend
school very long, he got a good education. This is because he read and studied many books
on his own. He used a lot of what he learned.
2. Why did Benjamin Franklin leave Boston? Franklin ran away from home when he was seventeen years old. He did not want to keep working as his brother’s apprentice. He moved to
Philadelphia and found a job as a printer.
3. Describe Franklin’s success in Philadelphia. Franklin began working as a printer in Philadelphia. Later, he owned his own newspaper. He also helped to improve Philadelphia. He started
America’s first library to lend books there. He organized the fire department. He had new ideas
on how to “light the streets, deepen the rivers, dispose of garbage, and keep people from slipping on ice in winter.” He also started the Leather Apron Club, a group of men who met to
argue about ideas.
4. Why did Franklin keep a list of rules for good behavior? Franklin thought that by following
rules for good behavior, people could improve themselves. The rules would help them “make
work easier, life more comfortable, and at the same time get ahead in the world.”
5. List at least three reasons why Benjamin Franklin was so successful in his work. Franklin
was smart, creative, and hardworking. He liked to learn about things in books and try out new
ideas. He was not afraid to take chances.
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Selecti on Rev i ew # 2
W ha t ’ s t he B i g Id ea , B en Fra n klin?
Pages 28-48
1. What was Poor Richard’s Almanac? Why was it so popular? Poor Richard’s Almanac was a
book that included a calendar, information on the weather and the holidays, and how-to advice.
Benjamin Franklin also added jokes and short one-line sayings about everyday living to his
almanac. These things made it very popular.
2. Name two of Franklin’s inventions that were widely used. Why were these inventions so
useful? Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod and a new iron stove that became very
popular. The lightning rod kept homes and buildings safe in thunderstorms. The new iron stove
heated homes better than other stoves. It was also cheaper and cleaner to use.
3. What “Big Idea” made Benjamin Franklin famous? Franklin’s “Big Idea” was that lightning
and electricity are the same. Up until this time, people thought that lightning was a mystery.
Franklin flew a kite topped with a long metal wire on a stormy day. An electric shock went down
the wire, through the kite string, and into a key Franklin had tied to the end. The experiment
proved that lightning was electricity. The discovery was an important one. It made Franklin
famous all over the world.
4. Why did Ben Franklin feel that America was being treated “like a country of apprentices”?
An apprentice must obey his master. In the same way, England felt that America had to obey
its king. It did not think the Americans were able to make their own decisions. Benjamin
Franklin ran away from Boston and his apprenticeship so that he could work on his own. In the
same way, the American people decided they did not want England to rule them any longer.
5. What part did Franklin play in the American decision to break away from England?
Franklin was one of the American leaders. Other patriots counted on him to help organize the
Revolution. He helped Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence.
6. How did Franklin help America during the war against England? Franklin was able to talk
France into helping America fight against England. Without the help of France, America might
have lost the war.
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Name:
L itera tu r e Te st # 1
W ha t ’ s t h e B i g Id ea , B en Fr anklin?
Pages 7 - 27
1. How did Benjamin Franklin get his education?
2. Why did Franklin go to Philadelphia?
continued...
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3. List several ways that Franklin improved the city of Philadelphia.
4. What qualities did Benjamin Franklin have that made him so successful?
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Name:
L itera tu r e Te st # 2
W ha t ’ s t h e B i g Id ea , B en Fr anklin?
Pages 28-48
1. Explain why Poor Richard’s Almanac was so popular.
2. Tell about the discovery that made Benjamin Franklin famous all over the world.
continued...
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3. What simile does the author use to describe America’s relationship to England? Explain the
simile.
4. How did Benjamin Franklin help America to win the war against England?
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Name:
Vocab u la r y Tes t # 1
W ha t ’ s t h e B i g Id ea , B en Fr anklin?
Pages 7 - 27
WRITE MEANINGFUL SENTENCES FOR THE FOLLOWING WORDS:
ordinary
observe
apologize
vain
practical
gradually
undoubtedly
seldom
improvement
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Name:
Vocabu la r y Tes t # 2
W ha t ’ s t he B i g i d ea , B en Fra n klin?
Pages 28 - 48
WRITE MEANINGFUL SENTENCES FOR THE FOLLOWING WORDS:
comments
stubborn
charming
unconscious
condemned
enthusiastic
immediate
Talent Development Secondary Program