Directions: Underline the words in the story as you find them, unscramble them and write them in the boxes below. Benjamin Franklin was born into a large family. He was the 15th child of seventeen children in the family. When Ben was twelve years old his father apprenticed him to his older brother James, who was a printer. Though he only had two years of formal schooling, he taught himself foreign languages and read books on grammar, science, and math. The two brothers fought constantly. Finally Ben ran away and went to Philadelphia. He started his own successful printing business and published a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, for many years. He started the first library in America, the first volunteer fire department in Philadelphia, and the first hospital in Pennsylvania. They appointed him postmaster and he created a working postal system. He even created the "Dead Letter Office". He invented bifocal glasses .He invented the lightning rod to protect people's homes from being destroyed by lightning. He invented the Franklin stove which provided better heat for their homes. He refused to patent the Franklin stove and the lightning rod because he thought more people would benefit from the inventions if he did not patent them. He proved that lightning and electricity are the same thing using a kite, string, and key in a thunderstorm. He served as a diplomat to France and spent about 10 years away from his family to further the cause of American independence. The people of France loved him dearly and honored him in many ways. He helped to write the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He also worked to put an end to slavery in America. When he died 20,000 people honored him at his funeral in Philadelphia.