Benjamin Franklin Lesson Plan

Teacher:

Date:

Proposed Grade Level: 5th Grade

Lesson Objectives: In this lesson, students will learn more about Benjamin
Franklin and his inventions. They will experience the music that inspired Franklin in
his invention of the Glass Armonica. They will learn one instrument Americans of the
eighteenth century may have played and put themselves in their shoes.
Materials Needed: Glass cups (one per group and an additional one for
instructor), Pitcher of water, Projector for videos and image, Worksheet
Modes of Knowledge:
1. Psycho-motor- Students get to create music with glass cups and water.
2. Affective: Students express their thoughts and feelings about the Glass Armonic.
3. Cognitive: Students compare two instruments and empathize with the thoughts
and feelings of Americans in the past.
Accommodations: For students with ADHD, especially those who particularly
struggle with impulsiveness and distraction, place in groups closer to instructor for
better supervision. Also, consider choosing other students to represent the group
during the activity. Try giving these students different responsibilities during the
activity, such as making sure his or her group carefully handles the glass cup.
Standards in Music Education:
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with other, a varied repertoire of music
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
7. Evaluating music and musical performances
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines
outside the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Outline:
I.

Introduction: Pass out worksheet and ask them to answer the questions on
the front during the lesson.
a. We have been learning about the American Revolution and how
people lived differently during that time than we do today.
b. Does anybody remember anything about Benjamin Franklin?
i.
Take answers

ii.

II.

III.

Review/Summary of Benjamin Franklin

1. He signed all four key documents of American History:
The Declaration of Independence, the Treat of Alliance
with France, the Treaty of Peace with Great Britain, and
the Constitution of the United States.
2. He convinced France to help America in the Revolutionary
War and had a huge role in helping America win.
3. He published one of the most successful newspapers in
the colonies: the Pennsylvania Gazette.
4. He founded a city hospital, organized a fire department,
helped found a university, and helped establish the first
subscription library in the American colonies.
5. He was also famous for his inventions.
http://www.libertyskids.com/arch_who_bfranklin.html
Benjamin Franklins inventions
i.
Who knows any of Benjamin Franklins inventions?
1. Franklin stove generated more heat and required less
wood
2. Bifocals: for viewing things far away and close up
3. Odometer: helped him to measure his carriage route
mileage
4. Kite Experiment and Lightning Rod: he made discoveries
about electricity and invented a tall rod that attracts
lightning, which helps control its path to Earth
5. He also invented an instrument.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homeworkhelp/98992-guide-to-ben-franklin-inventions-and-the-kiteexperiment/
b. What kinds of instruments do we use in our music today?
i.
Electric guitar, keyboard, drums, etc.
c. Watch video: http://www.libertyskids.com/nowthen/lk_nt126.html
d. Benjamin Franklin invented the Glass Armonica after attending a
concert of Handels Water Music.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homework-help/98992guide-to-ben-franklin-inventions-and-the-kite-experiment/
i.
He liked the unique sound that the glasses made and wanted
to create an instrument that would sound similar.
Activity
a. Demonstration
i.
Today we will be creating the music that inspired Benjamin
Franklins invention.
ii.
Everyone needs to clear their tables quickly. To do this activity
safely, I need everyone to listen very carefully to my
directions.
iii.
Fill up the glasses with various amounts of water, wet finger,
and rub finger along the rim of one of the glasses. Ask the
students if they hear it.

iv.

I will hand one student at each table a glass cup. I will let you
know when someone may touch that glass cup once it is place
carefully on the table. We must be very careful not to bump
the tables so that the cup does not break.
v.
Give each table one glass and tell them to wait until you ask
them to take turns wetting one finger and rubbing it along the
rim to make a sound. Explain that there must be enough water
on your finger for it to run smoothly and quickly along the rim.
vi.
Have each student take a turn playing the water glass in his or
her group.
vii.
Once everyone has had a turn, have the person who was
handed the glass originally represent his or her group. Then let
each group representative take a turn so the whole class can
hear the pitch.
viii.
Have the class listen for which cups make higher pitches and
which cups make lower pitches.
ix.
Ask them what makes the pitch of these glasses higher or
lower.
x.
If they did not guess, explain that the amount of water in the
glass makes the pitch higher or lower.
b. Begin video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bbOJhr_37E at 15:34
and pause after the short scene of Benjamin playing the Armonica.
c. Explain how the glass armonica works.
i.
Show the children the image on this page.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homeworkhelp/98992-guide-to-ben-franklin-inventions-and-the-kiteexperiment/#imgn_0
ii.
His armonica did not require water tuning, it was smaller than
the originals, and it used glasses that were blown in the proper
thickness and size. Furthermore, these glasses did not require
water and they created the proper pitch. The instrument itself
was rather compact, as the glasses were nested. Finally, the
armonica had a foot treadle, which was used to turn the
spindle where the glasses were mounted.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homeworkhelp/98992-guide-to-ben-franklin-inventions-and-the-kiteexperiment/
d. Pull up this video of the Dance of the Sugar Plum played with the Glass
Armonica. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQemvyyJ--g
i.
Ask the children to listen and watch for similarities in the music
played on the video and the sounds they made in class with
the glasses.
1. Is the pitch high or low?
2. Is the sound harsh or light?
3. What was similar in the way the musician played the
instrument and how we played the instrument?

4. What was similar about the appearance of the

instruments?
Play the video.
Ask the children what similarities they noticed.

IV.

ii.
iii.
Conclude
a. Ask children what they learned today.
b. Summary
i.
This was an instrument that Americans in this time may have
been familiar with.
ii.
Benjamin Franklin played a huge role in establishing our
nation.
iii.
Franklin also contributed to music in that time as an inventor.
c. Have students complete the back of the worksheet (Dear Ben) for
homework.

Evaluation: The students will be evaluated based on their participation in

questions during the lesson, how well they followed directions during the lesson, the
accuracy of their answers on the front of the worksheet, and their ability to express
possible thoughts and feelings of an American from the eighteenth century on the
back of the worksheet.

Name:________________________

Date:__________________

Colonial Life in America

Instruments
1. List two ways Benjamin Franklin helped America in
the Revolutionary War.

2. List five of Benjamin Franklins inventions mentioned

in class.

3. What inspired Benjamin Franklin to invent the Glass

Armonica?

Observation Station
1. Is the pitch of the armonica high or low?

2. Is the sound harsh or light?

3.What was similar about the way the musician played the
glass armonica and the way we played the glass cups?

4.What was similar in the appearance of the two

instruments?

Dear Ben
Imagine you are a colonial American. Write a thank you letter to Benjamin
Franklin explaining how one of his inventions has impacted your life.

______________________________________________
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Name:________________________

Date:__________________

My Glass Armonica
In the space below, draw a picture of the glass armonica. Be sure to include the
glass bowls, the iron rod, the spindle, and the foot pedal in your drawing.