Now & Ben:
A Common Core STEM Lesson
Standards:
RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas
or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
RI.2.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including
history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2-3 text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being
read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe
(e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
L.2.5.A Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe
foods that are spicy or juicy).
2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.2.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order
to provide requested detail or clarification.
2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books
on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).
Student Objectives Statements:
I can read with understanding and answer questions about second grade stories
(Who? Did What? When? Where? Why?).
I can work with a group to brainstorm and discuss problems and solutions.
I can build an invention to solve a problem.
I can explain in writing what my invention does and how I made it.
I can describe Ben Franklin and his accomplishments.
I can use nouns, verbs and adjectives to create a poem.
Essential Questions:
How can someone from long ago still be important today?
How have Ben Franklin’s inventions & discoveries affected our modern world?
What is the difference between an invention and a discovery?
What inventions/discoveries did Ben Franklin make?
What was Ben’s motivation for sharing his inventions & discoveries?
What do engineers do? What kinds of problems do they solve?
What solution/invention did you think of for your problem?
Can you really build it? What supplies will you need?
What were the results of your invention? Was it successful? Why or why not?
How can you improve your idea?
Activities & Sequencing:
Hook/Engage:
What do you know about Benjamin Franklin? Brainstorm answers on a circle
map, 5mins.
Sequence of whole group, small group, & independent work:
1. Read “Now & Ben” by Gene Barretta, 10-15 minutes.
2. Referencing “Now & Ben,” students write facts about Ben Franklin in
language journals on a circle map, 5-10 minutes.
3. Students discuss their maps with partners, Think, Pair & Share, 1-3
minutes.
4. As a group, revisit the class circle map adding new information, 5- 10
minutes.
5. Discuss and answer: What is the difference between inventions and
discoveries? Complete a class tree map, 5-10 minutes.
6. Using slides review, read, ask and answer questions about Ben Franklin’s
inventions, 5-10 minutes.
7. Brainstorm possible problems that could be solved by creating an
invention.
8. Referencing “Problem Cards”, students work in small groups to create a
plan for their inventions, 30-45 minutes.
9. Students work with their groups to build and test their inventions, 1530.
10. Students examine the results of their inventions through discussion and
writing a brief paragraph, 5-15. Were their inventions successful? Why
or why not?
11. Small groups present their findings to the class.
12. The teacher introduces the concept of cinquain poetry. As a class,
review nouns, verbs, & adjectives.
13. Independently with support as needed, students create their own
cinquain poems.
Assessment:
Now & Ben comprehension summative paper & pencil test, presentation of
inventions & poems, quick write/exit slips of essential questions.
Let's Read...
At the time of his death in 1790,
when more than 5,000 of them
had been built, Ben Franklin had
collected no money from his
glass armonica. He refused to
patent any of his inventions,
saying:
"As we enjoy great Advantages
from the Inventions of others we
should be glad of an Opportunity
to serve others by any Invention
of ours, and this we should do
freely and generously."
Ben certainly gave freely and
generously, constantly investing
time and energy to make his
ideas a useful or entertaining
reality.
Lightning Rod
How it works…
Original
Modern
Garbage clutters parks, streets, and
lawns. What kind of device would
be most helpful to pick up the
trash?
Eggs crack with the slightest bump.
What kind of contraption will
protect an egg that is dropped
from a large height?
Spare change has a way of
collecting in wallets, purses and
odd containers. What kind of
machine could help sort your
mixed coins?
Toothpicks are great for getting
broccoli out of your teeth. But do
they have other uses? Could they
be used to build a bridge?
Getting out of bed to open or close your
door is a read pain. How can you build
something that will open and close the
door from across the room?
Your pet drinks so much that his
water bowl us always empty. What
kind of device would fukk a water
bowl automatically?
Newspaper pile up day after day. There
must be something fun to do with them.
Could newspaper be used to build a fort?
It’s a bother getting out of the pool to get
something to drink. How could you stay
afloat and quench your thirst at the same
time?
Invention/Solution Design...
Problem:
Can this problem
be fixed with an
invention?
Principle:
What do I already
know?
Ideas:
What is my
solution? What is
my invention?
Plan:
What supplies will
I need? How will I
build my
invention?
Create:
Build it! Take or
draw a picture of
the invention.
Improve:
Did my invention
fix the problem?
What would I
change? How
could I make it
better?
Let’s review what we already know…
Man
sister
famous
run
create
pretty teacher
walk
five
red
fancy boy
doctor
think
Assignment:
Use what you have learned about
Ben Franklin and write your own
Cinquain poem. Be ready to share
your poem when you are finished.
Let's start by making a list of
nouns, verbs, and adjectives.