Ben Franklin and the Turkey
Students read a nonfiction passage about Benjamin Franklin's letter about the turkey and the bald eagle, written at 6 reading levels (3rd grade to 8th grade), and answer multiple-choice questions about it.
Student Objectives
- Read a passage about Benjamin Franklin's 1784 letter and find key details about what he wrote.
- Explain why the story that Franklin wanted the turkey as the national bird is a myth.
- Find the evidence in the text that the bald eagle was chosen before Franklin's letter.
- Explain how checking an original source helps us tell a true story from a retold one.