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| Online Educational Materials Launched |
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November 21, 2005
Philadelphia, PA |
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CONTACT: Sharon Murphy, Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, 215.790.7867, sharon@alta247.com
The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary’s educational mission is to engage and inspire young people with an original, inventive image of Benjamin Franklin. The Tercentenary has created a suite of tools to celebrate and honor the life and legacy of one of America’s most remarkable founding fathers as well as to enrich the experience of visitors to the exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World. Our educational programming includes the following:
1. Ben Across the Curriculum
To capture the varied facets and achievements that distinguish Franklin’s remarkable life, we have created a set of interdisciplinary classroom materials, keyed to appropriate national academic standards, that identify Franklinian themes across elementary, middle and secondary level curricula. Content for Ben Across the Curriculum is drawn from research and unit plans prepared for the exhibition, digital-based interactives designed for the exhibition as well as original research. All materials are available on the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary website,www.benfranklin300.org.
2. Teacher’s Guide
The Teacher’s Guide is designed to facilitate primary and secondary-level class visits to the exhibition. This guide links specific academic subject areas to different exhibition components,and includes pre-visit, on-site and post-visit activities as well as relevant resources. All materials are indexed to relevant national academic standards. The Teacher’s Guide materials are designed for three educational levels (grades K – 4, 5-8, and 9-12), allowing teachers to select and customize the materials according to specific student needs and learning styles. Post-visit activities are provided for assessment and evaluation purposes and can be adapted for the suggested grade levels. The Teacher’s Guide is available on the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary website, www.benfranklin300.org.
3. Self-Guided Family Brochure
The family guide is designed to enhance the visitor experience for families visiting the exhibition with children. Kids will turn into detectives as they track down Skuggs the Squirrel, who appears with Dr. Franklin in strategic spots throughout the exhibition. This guide is filled with suggested
interactions for children, aimed at stimulating their curiosity and sharpening their observation skills.
4. National Essay Contest with the National Constitution Center
To further our reach across the country and to heighten young people’s understanding and appreciation of Benjamin Franklin’s enduring legacy, the Tercentenary, in partnership with Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, will host a national essay contest in early 2006. The essay question focuses on exploring Franklin’s impact and continuing presence in the world today.
The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary:
The Tercentenary’s educational initiatives have been made possible through the generous support of The Barra Foundation, Inc. and the John Templeton Foundation.
The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, a non-profit organization supported by a lead grant of $4
million from The Pew Charitable Trusts, was established to mark the 300-year anniversary
of Benjamin Franklin’s birth (1706-2006) with a celebration dedicated to educating the public
about his enduring legacy and inspiring renewed appreciation of the values he embodied. The
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary was founded in 2000 by a consortium of five Philadelphia cultural institutions: the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin Institute, The Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the
University of Pennsylvania. In addition, an Act of Congress in 2002 created the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission, a panel of fifteen outstanding Americans chosen to study and recommend programs to celebrate Franklin's 300th birthday. The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary can be found online at www.benfranklin300.org.
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