Lesson
sson 2
Vocabulary
Vocab
bulary
inventor
SUMMARY Benjamin Franklin was
an American inventor, writer, and
leader. Today, we continue to benefit
from his inventions and ideas.
Reading
Readi
ing Skill
Compa
Compare
are and
C
Contra
t astt
Contrast
Different Alike Different
Objective
Understand the life of Benjamin
Franklin and his contributions.
USE THE
VISUAL
Direct children’s attention
to the pictures on pages 12
and 13. Ask: What can you tell about
Benjamin Franklin?
Benjamin
Franklin
Resource Manager
Classroom Presentation Toolkit
Vocabulary Card 11
Oral Language Card 3
Student Workbook, p. 9
Assessment Book, pp. 25–28
12
Background Information
Apprentice Ben Benjamin Franklin
was born in 1706 in Boston,
Massachusetts. Ben was the youngest
son in a family of seventeen children.
Ben’s father, Josiah Franklin, wanted
Ben to become a minister but soon
realized that his son was better suited
for the printing business. At 12, Ben
went to work with his brother James.
In those days, many boys were sent
out as apprentices to learn a trade.
Apprentices often worked for free for
as many as seven years. Some of the
more popular trades included bricklayers, blacksmiths, butchers, roofers,
cabinetmakers, and cutlers.
12
Unit 2 • Lesson 2
G eorgia
F ramework
Learning Center
Access My TLX Resources, Georgia
Framework Learning Center, Unit 4 for an activity where
students compare and contrast the past and present of
an industry.
p potlight
S
Votlight V
i ideos
deos To view videos related to Unit 2,
Lesson 2 visit www.macmillanmh.com and click on
Spotlight Videos.
C lassroomToolkit
P resentation
Access Classroom Presentation
Toolkit, Unit 2, Lesson 2.
Access the ExamView Suite to
create customized assessments for this lesson.
1 BEFORE READING
Early
y Days
PREVIEW
Direct children to look at the lesson
title and pictures. Ask: What do you
think this lesson is about?
Benjamin Franklin w
as an American hero
was
who lived a long tim
me ago. Ben was born
time
in Boston, Massachu
usetts, in 1706.
Massachusetts,
READING LINK VOCABULARY
Introduce the strategies below.
In those days,
days childr
ren did not go to
children
school for very long. Instead, they
learned a trade, or job. When Ben was 10
years old, he went to work for his father.
Ben helped to make soap and candles in
his father’s shop.
PREPARE
Build Background Ask: What do
you know about Ben Franklin? Tell
children that Ben Franklin lived a
long time ago.
Questions
1. When and where was Ben born?
(1706 in Boston, Massachusetts)
What was life like for Ben?
2. Contrast How is school life different today from school life long
ago? (Long ago, children did not
go to school for very long. Today,
children go to school for longer.)
When Ben was 10 years old, he
went to work for his father.
13
VOCABULARY STRATEGIES
inventor (p. 16) a person who makes
something for the first time
Context Clues Explain to children
that context clues are hints that help
readers determine the meaning of
unfamiliar words. Tell children that
sometimes a clue is found within the
same sentence as the unfamiliar word.
Clues can also appear in a sentence
before or after the word.
Read the second paragraph on page
13 aloud with students. Point to the
word trade. Explain that the clue
immediately follows trade. Ask children
if they can figure out its meaning. Have
children look for context clues for these
words: printer, almanac, statesman, and
inventor.
Unit 2 • Lesson 2
13
2 DURING READING
Citizen
Citi
izen Ben
READ FOR MEANING
When Ben was 12
2 years old, his father
sent him to live a
nd work with Ben’s
and
brother, James. B
en worked as a
Ben
printer. A printerr uses a machine
called a printing
g press to print pages
g
for newspapers and books.
Explain that these pages will tell
about Benjamin Franklin’s life.
■
Direct children’s attention to the
heading on page 14. Ask: What do
you think Ben will do? (Ben will be
a good citizen and do good things
for others.)
■
Ask children to look at the picture
on page 14. Point out the printing
press in the center and discuss
how it works. Explain that Ben is
on the far left. Ask: What is Ben
doing in the picture? (He is meeting, or talking to, two men.)
■
Ben moved to Philadelphia w
hen he
when
was 17 years old. At the time,
time
e, America
was still growing. Philadelph
hia was the
Philadelphia
biggest and busiest city in A
merica.
America.
READING LINK Compare and
Contrast Reinforce the lesson
reading skill using the activity at
the bottom of the next page.
Questions
1. Where did Ben move to when he
was 17? (Philadelphia)
2. Comprehend How did Ben make
life better in Philadelphia? (He
started the first library and fire
department. He also became an
author and a statesman.)
Background Information
Poor Richard’s Almanack In 1732,
Benjamin Franklin published Poor
Richard’s Almanack under the pseudonym of Richard Saunders. The
almanac, published yearly until 1758,
became popular for its aphorisms, or
witty sayings. Some well-known
examples include: “Early to bed and
early to rise, makes a man healthy,
wealthy, and wise;” “A penny saved is a
penny earned;” “Haste makes waste;”
and “Fish and visitors smell in
three days.”
14
Unit 2 • Lesson 2
14
CURRICULUM CONNECTION
ACTIVITY
History
Philadelphia: Then and Now
• Divide the class into groups. Ask children to
create a time line to show how Philadelphia
has changed since Benjamin Franklin’s time.
• Provide children with several resources that
they can use, including trade books, Internet
sites, and encyclopedias.
• Have groups present their time lines to
the class.
Ben loved his new city
y and wanted
to make it even better
better.
r. He started
the first library and th
he first fire
the
department. Ben also became an
author, or writer. He w
rote an
wrote
almanac. An almanac is a book
with advice for reader
readers.
rs.
Differentiated Instruction
To reach all learners, you can use
these optional strategies.
Approaching Level Have children
work in pairs to reread pages 14 and
15. Ask them to draw a picture that
illustrates how Ben showed
commitment.
Ben became a statesm
an, or leader. He
statesman,
joined other leaders to
o help our count
country
try
be free. Ben was one of
o the signers off the
Declaration of Indepen
Independence.
ndence.
On Level Ask children to summarize
pages 14 and 15. Then have them
write two or three sentences explaining why Ben is a good citizen.
How did Ben help
p our country?
Beyond Level Have children use
the information on pages 14 and 15
to write a short story about Ben’s life.
Citizenship
ELL Review the definition of
commitment. Pair students and ask
them to give an example of how they
have shown commitment.
Commitment
Commitment means to
give your time to
something important.
Ben showed commitment
by helping our country.
15
Ben became a statesman, or
leader and helped our country
be free. He signed the
Declaration of Independence.
READING SKILL Compare and Contrast
Use the graphic organizer to help
children compare and contrast Ben’s
life before and after his move to
Philadelphia.
Write About It
Summarize Have children use the
information to explain in two or three
sentences how Ben’s life changed after
he moved to Philadelphia.
Before Move
• born in Boston
• worked for his
father
• learned a trade
After Move
• started a library and
fire department
• wrote an almanac
• became a statesman
See Transparency GO11.
Unit 2 • Lesson 2
15
A Great
Grea
at Inventor
USE THE VISUALS
Ben loved to lear
learn
rn new things. He
became a great inventor. An inventor
is a person who m
makes
akes something for
the first time.
Tell children that these pages will help
them understand how Benjamin
Franklin’s ideas made life safer and
easier for everyone.
■
■
Have a volunteer read the definition of an inventor on page 16.
Then ask: What inventions do you
use today? (Answers might include:
cell phones, computers, Internet,
television, cars, etc.)
swiim fins, special glasses
Ben invented swim
called bifocals, and a stove that helped
e of Ben’s greatest
heat homes. One
th
he lightning rod.
inventions was the
Direct children’s attention to the
pictures on page 16. Point to the
girl with the swim fins. Explain that
Ben invented swim fins when he
was a boy. Ask: How might swim
fins help swimmers? (They help
them swim faster.) Ask: Why might
someone use bifocals, or special
glasses? (to help them read or see
better)
Questions
1. What are some things Ben
invented? (swim fins, bifocals,
stove, and lightning rod)
2. Synthesize What are some ways
we heat homes today? (furnaces,
space heaters, fireplaces, solar
energy or panels, etc.)
16
CURRICULUM CONNECTION
Background Information
Ben’s Inventions In addition to the
inventions mentioned on these pages,
Benjamin Franklin also invented many
other notable devices including an
odometer, a library chair, an extension
arm, and street lighting. Franklin
could have made a fortune from his
inventions, but he refused to patent
his ideas. He wanted his inventions
and ideas to benefit society.
ACTIVITY
Science
Fire Prevention
• Explain to children that many fire prevention
devices that exist today did not exist, or were
not used, during Benjamin Franklin’s time.
• Ask children to research inventions that
help prevent or stop fires, including smoke
detectors, fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers,
fire alarms, and fire hydrants.
• Have children give a presentation using
visuals to show what they have learned
about their inventions.
16
Unit 2 • Lesson 2
3 AFTER READING
Ben learned that ligh
lightning
htning
caused many fires. He
He
invented the lightnin
lightning
ng rod
to keep lightning fro
from
om
homes.
striking people’s hom
mes.
RETELL
As you guide children through a
summary of this lesson, write the
class’s retelling on the board.
Modeled Retelling
What was one of
o f Ben’s
greatest inventi
g
i ons?
inventions?
Say: Benjamin Franklin was an
inventor, author, and statesman.
His inventions and ideas are still
important to us today.
Questions
1. Why might someone use swim
fins? (to swim faster)
2. Comprehend What was one
way Ben made life better? (Ben
started a library and fire department; wrote a book; signed the
Declaration of Independence;
invented things to help others)
1. Vocabulary What is an inventor?
2. Compare and Contrast
Different Alike Different
How is your life similar
to Ben’s life? How is it
different?
3..
3
Discuss the Retelling
Have children discuss Benjamin
Franklin’s contributions.
How did Ben show commitment?
com
mmitment?
the lightning rod
17
Check Understanding
1. Vocabulary An inventor is a
person who makes something
for the first time.
2. Compare and Contrast
See filled-in graphic organizer
at right.
3.
Ben worked hard to
help others. He
started the first
library and fire
department in
Philadelphia. He invented many
things that made life better and
safer.
Ben’s Life
• born in Boston,
• learned a trade,
• moved to
Philadelphia, etc.
Both
My Life
Answers
will vary
Sample responses:
birthplace, recreation and interests,
school, etc.
See Transparency GO11.
Unit 2 • Lesson 2
17