The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin

Information for students
Author: James Cross Giblin Title: The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
Book Genre: biography Publisher: Scholastic Press

Summary: This book is about the life of Benjamin Franklin and how amazing his life was. It discusses the challenges that Franklin had in this life with family, businesses, and illnesses. We also learn about his successes, inventions and accomplishments during his life making him the “wisest American” of his time. In the back of the book are “Important Dates” in his life, “Franklin the Inventor,” “Sayings from Poor Richard’s Almanac” and “Historical Sites Associated with Benjamin Franklin.”




Personal rating: *****

Pages: 48

Rationale: loved how the author tells the facts and does not romanticize the story, very informative with illustrations that match the text, a must read

Information for teachers
Reading level: 6.6 Interest level: grades 3-6

Thematic Areas: family, challenges, printer, inventor, statesman, scientist, Revolutionary War, Poor Richard’s Almanac, taxes, U.S. Constitution

Content Areas: social studies, geography, language arts, arts & humanities, science, literature

Potential Problems or Difficulties: I do not foresee any problems

Possible use in classroom:
· Have students to list all the places that Franklin traveled and lived, on a big map let them take turns and show you and the class where these places are
· Let students research the club Junto that Franklin started
· In science, discuss the importance of the discovery of electricity, maybe do an experiment on electricity
· Discuss Franklin’s important role of writing the U.S. Constitution