"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. "~ Benjamin Franklin
This week we took a trip back through time to the beginnings of our country, to learn about the life of Benjamin Franklin, through a Download N Go unit study. From inventor, to writer, to statesman, few men in history are so interesting. As one of our Founding Fathers, Ben Franklin is a household name but there is a lot about him that many people don't know. We learned so many amazing facts this week, and I found out so much I didn't know.
We started off our week by learning a little bit more about Ben's own history. His birth, his family, and his younger years. We also got to explore some of our own history and the children loved filling in their own family tree. Through the next few days we pressed on to more intriguing learning. Inventions. Discovery. Politics. Great thought and great risk.
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." ~ Benjamin Franklin
I especially enjoyed the Ben Franklin quotes scattered throughout the lessons, and the kids really thought about what they meant. It brought many opportunities to discuss and reflect. They even had some of them memorized by the time we were done with the week! Bop knew right away what "A penny saved is a penny earned" meant. I found it interesting that so many of the sayings that we use every day are attributed to Benjamin Franklin and his Poor Richard's Almanac.
There were some really neat videos included in this Download N Go, and I am always so relaxed clicking on the links in the study. They go right to an embedded video on a Download N Go page, so there are no nasty sidebars. We got distracted by some of the other links, since they had some great historical sites included. The web is so great for rabbit trails.... :) The links in these Download N Gos are really nice. They always have the best information, and a lot of times there is so much there that we bookmark it to come back later.
Some of the kiddo's favorite activities included designing a sign for Franklin's first printing shop, drawing a picture of "what we want to be when we grow up", and inventing something new. I enjoyed how personal a lot of this unit was, inspiring reflection and critical thinking. Download N Go units all have a variety of worksheets for many different learning types and abilities. We enjoy the drawing pages and the lapbook pieces, but others get more use out of the workbook-style pages with places to record the learning that is happening. Our kids are not really into writing much yet, so I only use a few of the worksheet and copy work pages, but they are great for older kids. Add in a few of your own assignments or books and this unit could be stretched upward into higher grades really easily.
I mean really, I am the teacher, and I still learn a lot with each and every Download N Go! :)
Don't forget to check out the other reviews for Ben Franklin on the Download N Go blog! You can also see all of the other Download N Go titles on the Download N Go website. There is a huge selection, so take your time!
Now is your chance to buy Ben Franklin on sale for only $6.25 until November 22! Be sure to head on over the the blog to get your children learning all about this intriguing Founder!
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
~ Benjamin Franklin
I received this product free of charge for review purposes.I promise to be honest and fair in my reviews, and I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. You can visit the Download-N-Go blog to read more reviews on this product.
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