Undoubtedly, the autobiography of benjamin franklin is riddled with faults. It was not written in a continuous stretch, but rather pasted together out of separate fragments that were written years apart from one another often, the author could not remember what he had even written in the previous sections. The work often takes an arrogant, condescending tone, yet it praises the virtue of humility. And perhaps most egregious of all, the part of ben's life with the most historical significance the american revolution is entirely omitted from the work. There is no real mention of events after 1760, 15 years before the outbreak of war. A natural questions to ask, then, is, why are we still reading this tangled, sometimes difficult and frequently esoteric work over 200 years after it was written? there are several reasons, one of which is because it establishes in literary form the first example of the fulfillment of the american dream.

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Franklin demonstrates the possibilities of life in the new world through his own rise from the lower middle class as a youth to one of the most admired men in the world as an adult. He proved that even undistinguished persons in boston can, through industry, become great figures of importance in america. When we think of the american dream today the ability to rise from rags to riches through hard work we are usually thinking of the model set forth by franklin in this autobiography. A second reason why the autobiography remains a classic is for historical reasons.

While they abound today in barnes and nobles all over the world, the autobiography as a literary form had not emerged at the time franklin lived, at least not in non religious format. His autobiography defined a secular literary tradition he established the autobiography as a work that is meant to not only tell about a person's own life but also to educate the reader in ways to better live life. This format has been modified throughout american history, but it is safe to say that such classics as frederick douglass' narrative and henry adams' the education of henry adams owe much of their style and format to the tradition established by franklin. Part two of the autobiography, complete with its list of virtues and ways in which one can achieve them, has influenced millions of readers over the last two centuries. Also, the autobiography tells us today what life was like in 18th century america. Naturally, the story is told from the perspective of only one person, but in an age when literacy was low and writing not widespread, any surviving documents are of value to historians who wish to learn how people lived from day to day. Specifics of life in colonial america abound in the book, and this is invaluable information to anyone wishing to learn more about that time period.

Of course, one must always keep in mind that life for franklin was not like life for everyone else he represents only one person out of many thousands. Often called the age of reason, the 18th century was the age of men such as john locke and isaac newton. Intellectualism flourished along with scientific inventions and advances in political thought. Many people held to the optimistic belief that man could be perfected through scientific and political progress. Franklin ascribes to these beliefs partially, and part two of the autobiography shows him trying to live them out. Perhaps the autobiography has most endured because, despite its muddled nature, it is the preeminent work that mythologizes a hero of the american revolution. Franklin is often introduced to elementary school children as a renaissance man, someone who seemed to master all fields of knowledge he was, among other things, scientist, inventor, statesman and writer.

The autobiography is the only enduring token that enshrines all the facets of his diverse nature it presents americans today with a great hero from the past who helped establish the tradition of the american dream. Numerous critics have often called franklin the first american his autobiography provides a good example of why. Reading books with our children is one of the greatest gifts we're able to give them, especially when they are young.

Here are some ideas to accompany reading time that i hope will help keep the experience an enjoyable one for everyone. book: franklin goes to school franklin is nervous about his first day of school until he finds out how much fun it is to learn at school. Franklin goes to school coloring pages make an i'm excited about school collage. Snip out pictures of school activites children playing in playground, people reading, people writing, etc , new school clothes and school supplies from family magazines and fliers or use the clipart i've provided close template window when done to return to this screen . Write two or three sentences about the picture they've made or if they're old enough grade 1+ have them write it themselves.

Sing the on the way to school song tune included i've even written lyrics that go with the book grin book: franklin and the tooth fairy franklin learns all about the tooth fairy from his friend bear. He can't wait until he gets some teeth so the tooth fairy will visit him when they fall out. He is disappointed when his parents tell him that he will never have teeth because he is a turtle. Turtle shaped creative writing projects turtle creative writing templates is provided below. turtle writing templates: are you looking for a cute animal shaped writing template that will help you create an eye catching bulletin board display of your students' creative writing assignments? these cute turtle creative writing templates measure 10 inches in width and 6 inches in height. You could also use these turtle templates with a novel that has a turtle theme such as esio trot by roald dahl or yertle the turtle by dr. Note: if you are looking for turtle teaching resources that are specific to esio trot by roald dahl, please visit this page where you can view an extra large turtle group project based on this story. For creative writing assignments, i believe that it is important for students to go through the writing process.

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For this reason, my students never begin their creative writing assignments by writing on their final draft templates, instead they write on first draft worksheets. then, they edit and revise their work on their own, with a partner, or in individual writing conferences with me. Below is an example of the first draft writing worksheet that is included in this creative writing set. The writing lines and space on the first draft worksheet match the lines and space on the final draft turtle templates.

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Below is a sample of the final draft turtle templates. these templates contain thick black borders, which make it easy for students to cut out these one page turtle writing templates themselves. When i am introducing this writing topic to my students, i like to begin by sharing my own example with my students. At the front of the classroom, i post examples of what the final draft turtle writing templates look like. I have included 2 color turtle templates for you to use as visual examples to show your students so that you don't have to spend time coloring these turtles yourself. I know that it takes teachers a lot of valuable time to assemble their bulletin board displays.

Many teachers spend hours of time cutting out large display letters or making a banner on their own at home on their computer. This time is valuable and better spent on developing your classroom curriculum and grading papers, so i have designed a matching 5 page banner for your bulletin board display. If you have access to a laminating machine, you can laminate your banner so that it is durable and you can use it again next year. 5 printable worksheets that are glued together to form a bulletin board display banner.

egg carton tortoise craft

what you will need: paper egg cartons scissors use small scissors with very short blades that are good for snipping if you have them. Fiskars kids classic pointed tip scissors what you will need: two 9 inch paper plates two 6 inch paper plates card stock heavy paper brass fasteners googly eyes paint, scissors, and hole punch how to make the paper plate snapping turtle craft: 1. Print out the snapping turtle patterns, cut them out, and use them as templates to cut pieces from the paper plates.

To make the body place two 9 inch paper plates together top to top and use the pattern to trace the pattern onto the plates. Cut out the scales, legs, and tail patterns and glue them to the body paper plates. Place the two 6 inch paper plates together top to top and use the turtle head patterns to cut out the head parts. Match up the turtle's body paper plates and punch a hole in the turtle's body where indicated. See copyright information please choose whether or not you want other users to be able to see on your profile that this library is a favorite of yours.