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Birthday Greetings, Ben Franklin (January 13, 2006, Two)

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Program Summary

Benjamin Franklin, famous for so many things in his lifetime and since, has been gone for years, but his science and spirit are alive and well among us. A landmark exhibit celebrating the 300^th birthday of this legendary character has been staged, appropriately enough, in Philadelphia, the city in which he lived for most of his life.

The iconic image of Ben Franklin is of his electricity experiment – kite, key, thunderstorm. You are probably aware that he invented the Franklin stove and bifocals, wrote “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” was an intrinsic part of the American Revolution, co-wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and served as United States ambassador to France, where, he once remarked, he was more famous than the man in the moon. What you probably don’t know is that Franklin received only two years of formal education; that he didn’t believe in patenting inventions, feeling that science belongs to the public; that he and his wife were never formally married; that he electrocuted himself once during an experiment (he survived); that he was the first to chart the Gulf Stream during his trans-Atlantic voyages; or that he was briefly a vegetarian.

Ira and his guests explore the life and character of the great man, who never lost his love of learning and actively shaped the nature of the American spirit.

Guests

HW Brands, author of "The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin" and Dickson, Allen, Anderson Centennial Professor in the department of history at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas

Page Talbott, associate director and chief curator of the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary; editor author of "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Related Links and Resources

The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Benjamin Franklin : A Documentary History - JA Leo Lemay
Benjamin Franklin | PBS
National Constitution Center: Benjamin Franklin : In Search of a ...

For Discussion:

• • Why is Franklin a good example of the self-made man? What are some of the things he was interested in?

  • What did he invent? What were his inspirations for them? Were they all successful?

  • Franklin often published letters, opinions, stories, and more using pseudonyms. What is a pseudonym? Why do you think he did this?

  • With so little education, why do you think Franklin was able to accomplish so much? Do you think a man like him could succeed in modern times? Can you think of any that have?

Activities

Let’s be frank. On display at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, “Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World” delves into everything Franklin and exhibits artifacts from his life, his copy of the Constitution, 40 interactive stations, and a replica of the ship he traveled on while he mapped the gulf stream. Teachers can download lesson plans relating to the exhibit at the Education page of The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, an online, interactive version of the exhibit. You can also take quizzes, explore timelines, and watch videos that recreate events in Franklin’s life.

Go fly a kite. Our Founding Father’s keen mind will electrify you at Benjamin Franklin: An Extraordinary Life, An Electric Mind, a PBS television series. How many people can use the entire alphabet to name their careers? Ben can! Examine his roles as businessman, writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, humorist and philosopher, then make tracks to the Explore, where you can walk around Philadelphia, build a kite, accompany Ben on his world travels, take part in some electric experiments, and compare your virtues with his in the virtue quiz. Using the activities from the Teacher's Guide, you can put yourself in shoes and try your hand at some of things he did, such as writing under a pseudonym, inventing, and volunteering.

If you are ever in Philadelphia, be sure to visit the Franklin Institute, the world-reknowned science museum that was founded in 1824 to honor Franklin. If you can’t make it in person, visit the Institute online, which abounds with lessons and fun activities about all sorts of science. Featured are exhibits on the heart, the Wright Brothers, and weather.

Don’t be static. Connect with this Science Friday Kids Connection page: Franklin’s Technology (August 6, 2004, Hour Two)

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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