Home > Educational Resources >Franklin Links

SITES FOR KIDS:

This is an excellent site from the Franklin institute, with explanations of Franklin’s contributions as an economist, inventor, statesman, and many other areas. Kids should click on “Learn More About Ben!” and then “Frequently Asked Questions About Ben” to find out everything from where Ben went to school to why he thought the turkey should be the national symbol of the United States.

This site includes brief information about Benjamin Franklin’s life as a printer, librarian inventor, and statesman, plus a timeline of his life. The activities are divided by grade level (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

View parts of the only remaining house that Franklin lived I, located near Trafalgar Square, London, England. This site shows pictures of the house plus conversation efforts to turn it into a museum.

The Independence Hall Association has created a site filled with games, biographical stories, pictures, videos, and quotes for all ages.  Read more about Franklin’s electrical experiments and some of the words he created to describe electricity.

SITES FOR ADULTS AND OLDER STUDENTS:

http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_founding_fathers_pennsylvania.html
This biography from the National Archives gives a fairly detailed history of Benjamin Franklin, highlighting most of his political life.

Welcome to the Benjamin Franklin web portal: a comprehensive, one-stop site that includes carefully curated educational resources, Franklin’s own writings and proverbs, and tens of thousands of websites scattered throughout cyberspace. Befitting this Founding Father’s leadership in establishing the country’s first public library, this free site, in honor of his Tercentenary, is accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

Companion site to the PBS series; explore the timeline, check out the “Ben A to Z” to find some of his many descriptions, read about his theories related to health, or find out some of the many ways he has influence how we do things today.

Highlights events in the Philadelphia area relating to Benjamin Franklin’s birthday; also has lesson plans for teachers to use in connection with the exhibit.

Benjamin Franklin was not only a Founding Father, he is also considered one of the first American inventors. This page from MIT focuses on the “Franklin Stove.”

This is a collection of links to things written by Benjamin Franklin, from a variety of websites and on a variety of topics. Included here are links to versions of Poor Richard’s Almanack, from 1733 to 1759; letters and scientific observations, and his last will and testament.

SITES FOR RESEARCH AND PRIMARY SOURCES:

This page provides links to the Columbia Encyclopedia entry for Benjamin Franklin, as well as links to full text versions of some of his writings. For an extensive biography and discussion of his life, go down the page and click on “Franklin” under “Writings About Franklin” for the chapter from the Cambridge History of American literature.

View pages of Thomas Jefferson’s “original rough draft” of the Declaration of Independence, complete with editorial changes made by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.

What was Benjamin Franklin doing during the years 1774-1789? This library of Congress site can partially answer the question.  Click on “Browse,” pick a range of time, and scroll through the page to read some of Benjamin Franklin’s letters.

Check out two writings of Benjamin Franklin’s from 17554 that later influenced the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of the United States: “Albany Plan of Union” and “In Defense of a Plan for Colonial Union”.

SITE FOR CONSTITUTION RESOURCES: