So, I’ve decided to start the blog up again. I don’t have plans to resume the podcast any time soon though, because it is too time-consuming. After stepping away for a while and working on some other projects, I think I can carve out a chunk of time here and there to write a post. I don’t know how often I’ll write. Originally, when I stared the podcast, I tried to make sure I posted every ____ days. I didn’t like that, though, because it felt forced. So, now I’m doing it more for fun, and when I get inspired. The good news is that inspiration has been steadily creeping back in over the last few weeks. I’m preparing to teach a class called American Inventors for my homeschool co-op and I’ve come across some fun resources that get me excited and make me want to share with someone. And to save my non-history-loving mom friends from my rantings about history, I will share my thoughts here.
Speaking of which, the video below from the History Channel is a good one to show when you are studying Benjamin Franklin. You know, that time when Benjamin Franklin stood out in a thunderstorm with a kite and got struck by lightning? Oh yeah, that didn’t happen! At least, it didn’t happen the way so many people think it did. This is a good video for clearing up the myths surrounding his famous lightning experiment.  (Don’t forget to look below the video for classroom uses!)
Classroom Uses:
- You could do a quick K-W-L before the video to see what your students know. (If you don’t know what a K-W-L is, this sheet gives the basic idea.)  A K-W-L is good to use with a topic that your students already know about or have misconceptions about.
- Watch the video and create a two-column chart comparing the myth vs. the reality of the experiment.
- Use the video to reinforce the importance of Franklin as an Enlightenment figure.
- Use the video at the beginning of class to get your students interested in Franklin before a lesson on the Enlightenment in the US.
Another great activity to use when studying Franklin is a word web. Â Word webs are great to use with people who are multi-faceted and/or have many different roles in US history. Â After you have discussed Franklin, divide students into groups and have them create word webs about him. Â (Make sure you show them an example of what a word web is. Â Here’s an easy Halloween word web that your students would easily understand.) Â You may need to prompt them or give hints as to how to divide up his life. Â Here’s a very quick example of how a word web about Franklin might be structured. Â Also, a simple word web could also be used as an exit ticket to reinforce content at the end of class.
