Category: education

bookmark_borderBenjamin Franklin and the Kite Experiment

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Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor. His inventions included everything from bifocals and swim fins to electricity. The place of Franklin’s grave is also the location where he is purported to have conducted the kite experiment — Christ Church in Philadelphia, PA.

“The experiment’s purpose was to uncover then unknown facts about the nature of lightning and electricity.

In 1752, Franklin proposed an experiment with conductive rods to attract lightning to a Leyden jar, an early form of capacitor.

Such an experiment was carried out in May 1752 at Marly-la-Ville in northern France by Thomas-François Dalibard. An attempt to replicate the experiment killed Georg Wilhelm Richmann in Saint Petersburg in August 1753, thought to be the victim of ball lightning. Franklin himself is said to have conducted the experiment in June 1752, supposedly on the top of the spire on Christ Church in Philadelphia.

Franklin realized the dangers of using conductive rods and instead used a kite. The increased height allowed him to stay on the ground and the kite was less likely to electrocute him. According to the legend, Franklin kept the string of the kite dry at his end to insulate him while the rest of the string was allowed to get wet in the rain to provide conductivity. A key was attached to the string and connected to a Leyden jar, which Franklin assumed would accumulate electricity from the lightning. The kite wasn’t struck by visible lightning (had it done so, Franklin would almost certainly have been killed) but Franklin did notice that the strings of the kite were repelling each other and deduced that the Leyden jar was being charged. Franklin reportedly received a mild shock by moving his hand near the key afterwards, because as he had estimated, lightning had negatively charged the key and the Leyden jar, proving the electric nature of lightning” — Wikipedia

Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA
Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA

Some of the famous people buried at the Christ Church burial ground:

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Diplomat, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

Francis Hopkinson (1737-1790) Artist, Lawyer, Judge, Composer, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

Joseph Hewes (1730-1779) Secretary of Naval Affairs, Signer of the Declaration of Independence from North Carolina

George Ross (1730-1779) Judge, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

Dr. Benjamin Rush (1746-1813) Physician, social reformer, Treasurer of the United States Mint, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, founder of Dickinson College, Known as “The Father of American Psychiatry”

Sarah Knowles (1721) oldest known marker in the burial ground

Edward W. Clay (1799-1857) Political cartoonist

John Dunlap (1747-1812) Printer of the first broadside of the Declaration of Independence. Published the first daily newspaper.

Dr. William Camac (1829-1900) Prominent Philadelphia Physician who founded the Philadelphia Zoo, America’s first Zoo.

John G. Watmough (1793-1861) United States Congressman, who served as First Lieutenant in the War of 1812.

Major William Jackson (1759-1828) Revolutionary War officer, Secretary of the Constitutional Convention in 1787

Sarah Franklin Bache (1737-1811) Daughter of Benjamin and Deborah Franklin, Founder and member of “The Ladies’ Association,” which was a leading fund raiser during the Revolutionary War

Franklin Watkins (1894-1972) Served in the US Navy during World War I, Painter with artwork featured in museums around the world

Dr. Thomas Bond (1713-1784) Physician, founded the first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital

Philip Syng (1703-1789) Silversmith and maker of the ink and quill stand used for the signing of the Declaration of Independence

Julia Stockton Rush ( 1759-1848) Wife of and daughter of signers of the Declaration of Independence, member of the Ladies’ Association

Dr. Philip Syng Physick (1768-1837) Known as the Father of Modern Surgery

Major General George Cadwalader (1806-1879) General during the Civil War

William M Meredith (1799-1873) Lawyer, State Attorney General, Secretary of the Treasury under President Taylor

Michael Hillegas (1729-1804) First Treasurer of the United States

Commodore William Bainbridge (1774-1833) Commander of Old Ironsides

John Spurrier (1746-1798) Author of the Practical Farmer, his book promoted the idea of composting

John Taylor (1718-1803) He was the gravedigger at the burial ground for over 50 years

Richard Folwel (1768-1814) Printer and newspaper publisher. He printed the first collection of laws of the United States, which was commonly known as the Folwel Edition.

Joseph Dolby (1741-1816) Sexton and bell ringer for Christ Church.

James Humphreys (1748-1810) Printer, who founded and published The Pennsylvania Ledger.

Richard Thomson (1799-1824) Consul from the United States to Canton

bookmark_borderPhiladelphia Climate Change Preparedness

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Mayor Michael A. Nutter, who serves on the President’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force, released the following statement in response to the Task Force report released by the White House today. The report includes recommendations for how the Federal government can support communities in preparing for and responding to the impacts of climate change:

“It has been an honor to serve on President Obama’s climate Task Force alongside fellow mayors, governors and tribal leaders. I was able to share the City of Philadelphia’s experiences, concerns and ideas, while learning from others who are working to take responsible steps to curb emissions and plan for the changing climate. This Task Force is a clear example of local, state and federal government coming together to work collaboratively on an issue of grave concern and the utmost importance. We know we are stronger working together than alone, so we have pledged to continue our partnership. The extreme weather events we have all experienced and the future projections we face make it clear that we all share a common risk and commitment to safeguarding our communities. Here in Philadelphia, we will soon release a climate science report for the city and region, and, in 2015, we will publish a climate planning roadmap.

I applaud President Obama and his leadership team for recognizing that, despite the politics in Washington D.C., this is an issue of critical national concern that must be addressed. I want to thank the White House Council on Environmental Quality for its coordination support, the city staff who participated, and our contributing partners.”

bookmark_borderPhiladelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy

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PHILADELPHIA, PA — The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE), in partnership with the Philadelphia School District, presented its fall exhibition A+ Art in the Art Gallery at City Hall. Each year, the OACCE partners with the Philadelphia School District’s Office of Academic Enrichment and Support to select 100 of the best art projects from its end-of-year Young Artists exhibit at the Philadelphia School District headquarters to be displayed at the A+ Art exhibit.

Additionally, the City announced that Blick Art Materials donated $15,000 worth of gift cards to the 23 participating schools to purchase materials for their art classes. OACCE will distribute the gift cards, worth $650 each, directly to the art teachers. Blick Art Supplies also gave gift bags with samples of art supplies for the students who attended the gallery reception today.

“The A+ Art exhibit recognizes that the arts are an important part of a well-rounded, high-quality education. It highlights the extraordinary artwork created by aspiring young artists and is a testament to the many dedicated art teachers, parents and administrators who passionately support these young artists and children across the city,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “I want to thank Bob Buchsbaum for the $15,000 contribution from Blick Art Materials. This generous donation will help ensure that teachers can provide the art education that our children deserve.”

This year was the School District’s 58th annual city-wide Young Artists exhibit and it featured more than 1,500 works of art from approximately 150 schools. For the A+ Art exhibit, OACCE chose a representative sample of Philadelphia K –12 students from 23 schools across the city. The selected works chosen reflect an array of perspectives, cultural influences and artistic techniques. Each student artist in the A+ Art exhibit will be honored with a Mayoral Certificate of Artistic Excellence.

“Having artwork created by students of the School District of Philadelphia on display in the City Hall’s Art Gallery is an incredible opportunity to showcase their amazing talents. Art supplies need to be replenished frequently, unlike textbooks that can be used for several years before replacing,” said Deborah Klose, Director of Arts Education for the Philadelphia School District’s Office of Academic Enrichment and Support. “We cannot afford to lose the important lessons the arts teach – creativity, artistic expression and problem solving skills. We are most grateful to Bob Buchsbaum for his generous gift of art materials so we are able to continue cultivating our Young Artists exhibit.”

Bob Buchsbaum, CEO of Dick Blick Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Blick Art Materials, said, “Blick has been a long-time supporter and advocate for the arts. We continue to be involved in many national and local initiatives to support art and offset budget constrictions in schools and communities. Through our support of the A+ Art exhibit, we are proud to be able to give back to the Philadelphia community, helping students and teachers drive creativity in the classroom and beyond.”

David Brigham, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), connected the office of OACCE with Bob Buchsbaum. David Brigham said, “Like the City, PAFA is committed to providing arts education for students in Philadelphia and is pleased to support this effort by helping to identify donors to provide art supplies for children in the public schools.”

Helen Haynes, Chief Cultural Officer, added, “Art teachers need our support so they can help children learn to express themselves in a healthy, productive way. The OACCE is trying to connect schools and teachers directly to resources beyond the school district’s limited budget, like Blick Art Supplies’ donation. Its generosity is a perfect example of how we can collaborate with outside partners to obtain resources that benefit the entire community. Also, I want to personally thank David Brigham and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for their help in securing this gift.”

The participating schools for A+ Art 2014 are:

Elementary and Middle Schools

  • Alexander McClure Elementary
  • Allan M. Stearne School
  • Amy Northwest
  • Baldi Middle School
  • Ellwood School
  • Amedee Bregy Elementary
  • Greenfield Elementary
  • Anna L. Lingelbach Elementary
  • Vare-Washington Elementary
  • Watson Comly School
  • William C. Bryant Promise Academy

High Schools

  • Abraham Lincoln High School
  • Academy at Palumbo
  • Benjamin Franklin High School
  • Central High School
  • Creative and Performing Arts High School
  • Frankford High School
  • Franklin Learning Center
  • George Washington High School
  • High School of the Future
  • Horace Furness High School
  • Julia R. Masterman High School
  • Philadelphia High School for Girls