The Science and Technology of Ben Franklin (Build It Yourself)

This STEM-based science biography explores Benjamin Franklin’s lifetime of boundless curiosity and encourages kids to imagine what they can do as inventors and scientists through hands-on projects!

Inventor. Scientist. Diplomat. Printer. Benjamin Franklin was a very curious person, which led to lots of different roles during his lifetime.

In The Science and Technology of Ben Franklin, readers ages 9 through 12 explore the life of one of colonial America’s most fascinating citizens. They discover what it might have been like to be a young person in the early eighteenth century, when work and entertainment looked much different from today. Franklin’s frequent forays into science and technology drive the story forward as kids grow more and more eager to see how Franklin solves the problems he’s confronted with. Even when Franklin’s experiments failed or his inventions flopped, he continued to take risks in order to push the limits of people’s knowledge of the world back then. His dedication to invention and experimentation gave the world new insight into electricity, heat, and much more.

Kids gain these same insights through hands-on STEM activities, essential questions, text-to-world connections, and links to online resources that encourage readers to take a closer look into Franklin’s world.

The Science and Technology of Ben Franklin is part of a set of three Build It Science Biographies that capture the curiosity of three science revolutionaries who were able to glimpse beyond the limits of human experience and make discoveries that continue to resonate today. Other titles in this set include The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci and The Science and Technology of Marie Curie.

Alicia Z. Klepeis is the author of more than 70 nonfiction and fiction books. Her titles include Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts; The Renaissance Inventors; The Renaissance Explorers; and Explore Makerspace! With 25 Great Projects. She has also written more than 100 articles in magazines such as National Geographic Kids and FACES. She lives with her family in Hamilton, New York.

Micah Rauch is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator from the beautiful state of Montana. He received a BFA in graphic design from Montana State University in Bozeman Montana and is the illustrator of Crazy Contraptions; Build Rube Goldberg Machines that Swoop, Spin, Stack, and Swivel; Fairground Physics: Motion, Momentum, and Magnets and Kitchen Chemistry: Cool Crystals, Rockin’ Reactions, and Magical Mixtures.