MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

Benjamin Franklin is born in Boston

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

← All 100 events

Choose your PDF reading

All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.

Read on this page

Context image; not a photograph of this event.
Context image; not a photograph of this event.

Words to know

learn
gain knowledge or a skill
print
make words or pictures on a surface
change
become different

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston. He learned about printing as a boy. Later he moved to Philadelphia. He became a writer, inventor, and public leader. His life connected many places.

Talk about the reading

What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?

Follow-up: James Otis challenges searches

James Otis spoke in a Boston court against broad search papers called writs of assistance. Officials used them to search for goods. Otis argued that government power needed limits. He did not win the case.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

Read the follow-up event →

Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

Choose a word to begin.

Check the evidence

Research source for this event ↗

See the image credits on this site. Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

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