Mood Music
| Draw a picture to show the scene that comes to mind as you listen to this music. Be ready to write a story to go along with your picture and share it with the class. Word Wise
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Art AppreciationAnalyze the painting shown at right. Note the details.
Bubbles?Benjamin Franklin might seem a little eccentric to our mainstream sensibilities. His comfort level with the bath was more than a little looser than most of ours. But - enough talk about Benjamin in the bubbles. It's time for our own bubble experiments.
Setting typeSetting type and filling a newspaper page is like putting together a puzzle. Not only should the words be spelled correctly and the facts be verifiable, but the page must appeal to the eye of a potential reader. Too much or too little white space, incorrect or mixed alignment, crooked images, and other things can make a newspaper look sloppy and amateurish when the goal is crisp and professional. Perhaps it is time for you to put together some "puzzles" of your own in the form of Tangrams. The teacher will explain the challenge and provide your supplies. Keeping Up with Franklin Benjamin Franklin was quite the celebrity in France - partly for his rugged appearance, wearing furs, and partly for his ability to blend with his surroundings. He was perfectly at ease with his celebrity status, using his popularity to help solidify American independence. The image here is from his autobiography. It is Benjamin Franklin's daily schedule - something to keep him focused in a way that allowed him to keep moving forward with intent. What would your schedule look like? How would a routine like Franklin's help a person stay on track?  At the same time, this image is a list of Franklin's 13 Virtues. This was a list of morals that Franklin felt were important to keep him centered. Are all of these as important to you as they were to Franklin? Is there anything you might add? Positive Behavior ConversationsFrench FriendshipIt was fortunate that Benjamin Franklin was able to forge and alliance with the French. Without France's backing, the United States may not ever have secured independence from England. That Franco-American alliance has, at times, been strained, but we've supported one another when it really counts. For example, on June 6, 1944, the United States military supported an attack on the beaches of Normandy, France, in order to help liberate that country of Nazi occupation.
Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift to United States from France? |  Liberty's Kids An important historical figure is introduced in this episode of Liberty's Kids - Alexander Hamilton. We'll get to know Hamilton better as his story unfolds later in the school year. His picture is on the ten dollar bill, so you know he must amount to something. SmallPoxIn a time before people were accustomed to getting vaccinations to avoid diseases, Dr. Benjamin Rush was heralding such actions. How frightening is it to consider purposely putting a bit of the unwanted disease into the body to force the body to fight it. Then, the body could forever resist the same disease. Smallpox was one of those quickly-spreading, deadly illnesses. The video clip here, from the spectacular HBO miniseries John Adams, is difficult to watch (Look away if you are squeamish.). In it, Mrs. John Adams (Abigail) makes the bold decision to vaccinate herself and her children while her husband is out of town at an important meeting to plan a new nation. As hard as it is to watch, how much harder must it have been to try such an experimental method on her own children, knowing that if smallpox took hold and their bodies did not resist it, they would most certainly suffer and die? Actually, this was not vaccination; it was variolation. Let the video below explain. |
