"Ben Franklin's Life and Times"
Sample Lesson Plan

Step 1: Activating Prior Knowledge

Students understand the first half of What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz.
Students learn new vocabulary and are able to use the words in novel situations.
Students relate elements described in the Ben Franklin biography to information they already know about the historical context.
Students can describe Ben Franklin's main character traits.

Using the chalkboard or butcher paper, develop a KWL Chart (what students "Know", "Want to know", and "Learned") for tapping into the class's prior knowledge about colonial America (e.g., Philadelphia, Boston, apprentice system, the Battle of Lexington, other Revolutionary War figures).
Vocabulary study of target words from Ben Franklin book with goal of deep processing of new words. Target words include: pulpit, apprentice, vain, argumentative, contradict, opponent, hurricane, circulating library, windmill, almanac, contraption, spectacles, venison.
Small groups of students work together to generate crossword puzzles (drawing upon new vocabulary words) for classmates to solve.
Read the first half (pages 6-31) of What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Use Inspiration graphic organizer to build character map of Ben Franklin. (Do this as a whole class activity while I enter students' ideas into Inspiration.)

http://foreignword.com is a free online dictionary that translates words into many languages. Use this site to help English language learners make connections between the new English vocabulary words and words in their native language.
Online crossword puzzle maker, "Criss-cross Puzzle," available on the Discovery School's PuzzleMaker site: http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/index.html
Inspiration software

The online crossword puzzle builder will motivate students to practice writing new words and their definitions.
The online translation dictionary will help ESL students assimilate new vocabulary words.
Inspiration software will enable the class to brainstorm and organize Ben Franklin's character traits; I can more easily modify our character web during this class activity than if I used butcher paper.