Directions: Founding father Benjamin Franklin was a scientific genius as well as a great statesman. Learn all about his amazing accomplishments! Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper, or on the reproducible provided by your teacher. This page includes links outside of Scholastic.comEvery Web site we link to was visited by our team before we activated the link to make sure it's appropriate for children. But we do not monitor or control these sites and they can change. In addition, many of these sites may have links to other sites, which we have not reviewed. Be sure to get permission from your parents or teacher before leaving Scholastic.com, and remember to read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use of any site you visit. Name: ___________________________________________1. Ben Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 to a large, religious family. Although he only had about two years of formal schooling, Ben’s love of reading led to his first job (at age 12) as an apprentice ___________________________.Find the answer at: http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/index.htm 2. Ben also loved to write. When he was 16, his writings were published in his brother's newspaper under the name of ________________________. His letters were popular — until his brother found out who sent them!Find the answer at: http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/index.htm 3. Ben began publishing his own newspaper, The ___________________, _______________ at age 22, and then wrote a best-selling annual book of weather reports, recipes, and advice called ________________________ _________________.Find the answer at: http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/printer/printer.html 4. Ben earned so much from printing that he wanted to invest in his community. He started the first ______________________ in 1731, and Philadelphia’s first ______________ (of which he was voted chief) in 1736. Find the answer at: http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/timeline.htm 5. In his free time, Ben was a great inventor, creating bifocals and the first wood stove. He even proved that lightning is a form of ___________________, and invented the _______________________. Find the answer at: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/benfranklin/inventor.html  6. Ben’s study of the natural world also made him an important scientist. Though his kite experiment is his most famous, he also chased _______________, forecast weather, and charted the _______________! Find the answer at: http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/scientst/scientst.html 7. Later in life, Ben became involved in politics. During the American Revolution, he helped write (and signed) important documents, including _____________________________________________________ in 1776, and ___________________________ in 1787, which officially created the United States. Find the answer at: http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/statsman/statsman.html  8. Ben played an important role in gaining France’s support for the American Revolution. Besides French, he also taught himself to read three other languages: _____________, _____________, and ______________. Find the answer at: http://www.franklinbusybody.com/facts.asp   An Instructor magazine reproducible.© 2003 Scholastic Inc.Teachers may make copies of this page for students.