1. Benjamin Franklin

2.   Got his start as a printer as an apprentice to his brother  Used the name “Silence Dogood” to satirize daily life and politics in Boston  Considered to be the “First American Humorist”  Retired from printing business at 42 to devote himself to science  Responsible for inventing the lightning rod, bifocals, and a new type of stove  Is best remembered for his career in politics  Played an important role in drafting the Declaration of Independence and Constitution  P. 138

3.   Contained practical information about the calendar, the sun and the moon, and the weather  Featured homespun sayings and observations  Franklin put an aphorism at the top or bottom of most pages  These sayings allowed Franklin to include many moral messages in very little space  Franklin created a fictitious author/editor for this publication, the chatty Richard Saunders Poor Richard’s Almanack

4.   Short sayings with a message  Statement that is really quotable; it makes a profound point in a simple, easily remembered way  What does Winnie the Pooh mean in this cartoon? Aphorism

5.   Read pages 146-148  Discuss the different aphorisms collected by Benjamin Franklin  Complete the Aphorism Scenarios Worksheet  Complete the Ben Franklin Bumper Sticker Worksheet Activity