Education, MY Classroom
What Words did Benjamin Franklin Introduce us to?
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Jun
Jun
Benjamin Franklin
Fittingly, I am writing this as a thunderstorm brews here in Penang. Today, June 10th, marks the anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite experiment.
Do you know when that took place? It was way back in 1752.
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Read more about it on History.com.
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The tale of the kite experiment is also told here in story format.
Benjamin Franklin was highly accomplished. He was a was a statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor and diplomat.
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History.com features this profile of Franklin.
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You can learn more about Franklin on US History, including his experiments and inventions. Your child may also enjoy the fun and games section of the website.
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For those keen to delve deeper, here is Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography.
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There are also lots of videos introducing Benjamin Franklin to be found online, e.g.,
Because Franklin’s theories were so new, he needed to invent new words to explain them. On this anniversary of his kite experiment, why not explore how many words related to electricity your child knows?
On the theme of electricity, those of you rearing STEM enthusiasts may be interested in the following websites with electricity-based science activities:
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Kids Science Experiments – Electricity
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8 Electric Science Projects for Kids
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Fizzics Education Electricity Experiments
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10 Awesome Electricity Science Experiments for Kids from Frugal Fun for Boys & Girls
Almanacs
Does your child know what an almanac is?
Franklin was behind the publication of Little Richard’s Almanack which was brought out once a year from 1732 to 1758.
Almanacs provide a yearlong calendar, listing dates and days of the week, together with information on times for sunrise and sunset and for phases and tides of the Moon. This information is crucial for farmers.
Other information that is typical of almanacs, and indeed was to be found in Poor Richard’s Almanack, includes astronomical and astrological information, weather predictions, a calendar, math exercises, and poems and sayings. Indeed, many of the saying live on. These include:
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“One today is worth two tomorrows.”
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“Diligence is the mother of good luck.”
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“He that speaks much is mistaken.”
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“Beware of little expenses: a small leak will sink a great ship.”
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“It is better to give many injuries than to give one.”
In reading about Poor Richard’s almanac, I fondly recalled my Granny who always had a copy of Old Moore’s Almanac to refer to. Moreover, upon discovering the list of sayings, the following resonated with me as something she used to say:
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“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
Why not discuss some of these sayings with your child today? Can they make sense of them? Are they able to explain them in their own words?
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Continue the discussion with more Ben Franklin vocabulary and quotes.
What started as an ‘on this day’ teaching and learning activity idea proved to be a lovely trip down memory lane. I hope you find some useful ideas in it for supporting your child’s learning.