The Maze of Bones is an enticing book to get any reader excited about The 39 Clues series. When Amy and Dan Cahill, the lead characters in the series, begin thi journey they are thrown into a full blown mystery. In this first book the children are led to discover historical information about Benjamin Franklin. This is a perfect segway to a history lesson. Benjamin Franklin's birthday is January 17th, which is just a week away. Capitalize on the lesson integration of early America and the life of Ben Franklin along with the adventure of Amy and Dan. Below is a lesson plan based on this to try with your homeschooler. As always, adjust the activities to meet the needs of your child.

Objective- To learn about the life of Ben Franklin as it relates to The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

Procedures-

I. Read "Who Was Ben Franklin?" by Dennis Brindell Fradin. Discuss the story of Ben's life with your homeschooler.What part of his life was the most compelling to them? Why?

II. Look up the definition of a Biography. List the reasons why Biographies are important pieces of writing. Explore if your homeschooler has any biography book choices they have already read, or want to read.

III. Define and use the words below for a Spelling/Vocabulary list:
perilous
lamented
talisman
brusque
obscured
revolution
sarcasm
pseudonym
guardian
archaeology
quest
monogram
surname
inferno
cartographer

IV. Have your child complete the list of comprehension questions from the book below:
As a Scientist Ben Frankln discovered the nature of...?

What type of glasses did Ben Franklin invent?

As an author,he often wrote under a pseudonym of?

Ben started America's first postal service and ....?

A famous quote by Ben Franklin is "Haste Makes Waste". What does this mean?

Ben was born on what street in Massachusetts on January 17th, 1706?

Ben had many brothers and sisters- how many children were in his family?

Ben's father ran a shop that sold what?

What did people believe was wrong with being born on a Sunday in Ben's times?

Was Ben right or left handed? Was this a problem?

From age 12-21 Ben worked with his brother James in what type of shop?

Ben loved to write. In 1718 he wrote a poem about what infamous pirate?

What was Ben's first pseudonym, when he played an April Fool's joke on his brother James when working on the paper?

In 1724 Ben went to London to work for a printer. While there he loved to swim in the Thames River. What school did he contemplate opening there?

Upon returning to the US, Philidelphia to be specific, Ben started a newspaper called the what?

Ben' newspaper was the first to print an article with a ....?

What was the name of the stove Ben invented?

Was Ben Franklin for or against the stamp act? Why

During the war Ben's son William, then the Govenor of NJ, was on which country's side?

How did Benjamin Franklin feel about his son's beliefs during the war with England?

In 1778 Ben went to France to convince them to join the side of the Americans in the war. He was successful, but while there he found there were many British who were....?

When did the Liberty Bell first ring? Where?

What document did Ben sign in 1787?

Ben lived with his daughter to the ripe old age of what?

V. Essay Question:
What do you think Benjamin Franklin's greatest accomplishment was? Why?

VI. Book Tie In Essay:
What branch do you think that Benjamin Franklin was from? Why?

Conclusion- Log any information gleaned from the above lesson to discern clues or facts that may be clues.



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