Benjamin Franklin's famous aphorisms are a perfect time capsule of colonist values in the mid-18th century, as well as a clever reminder of the way life still works today. Middle and high schoolers select one aphorism to interpret literally, then figuratively, and then artistically.

Concepts

benjamin franklin, proverbs, literal language, figurative language

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Create an interdisciplinary project between a social studies lesson on Benjamin Franklin and a language arts class when discussing literal and figurative language 

Classroom Considerations

• Includes 30 aphorisms to assign; if you have more than 30 students in the class, consider assigning aphorisms to pairs or small groups
• Both examples show the aphorism's literal meaning

Pros

• Great for learners to practice the difference between literal and figurative language
• Provides artistic assessment opportunities for those who prefer not to write

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.7.4 RL.8.4 RL.9-10.4 RL.11-12.4 L.7.5.a L.8.5.a L.9-10.5.a L.11-12.5.a