Welcome to the Ben’s Guide II Help page! First, let me briefly introduce Ben’s Guide.
Ben’s Guide is an educational web site created by the U.S. government. It focuses on U.S. government and symbols.
Ben’s Guide II - the web site you’re exploring right now - was created by copying the original Ben’s Guide, then modifying it and adding more information. Note: It’s perfectly legal to copy material from the ORIGINAL Ben’s Guide, which is in the public domain. However, THIS website - the New Ben’s Guide or Ben’s Guide II - is copyright protected. If you want to copy something, go to the original Ben’s Guide.
To continue, please choose an age or grade level.
K-2 Help
I can’t answer all your questions. But I can answer at least three of the questions on the left. Just click a link to find an answer.
I’m lost!
Are you having trouble with a page on the website Politix or U.S. Symbols? If so, follow the steps below.
First look at the top of the page, on the left. (Not this page; the page you have trouble with.) You should see some navlinks that look something like one of the pictures on the left.
The navlinks should help you figure out where you are. If you want to start at the beginning, just click the red K-2 box - K-2.
At the bottom of some pages, you will see links to related articles. (Everything below was copied from the Our Nation page.) But the most important things are the red arrows. Click the arrow on the right to go to the next page.
Beneath the arrows are two button images. The first takes you to the home page. (It looks different on each website, Politix and U.S. Symbols.) The second image takes you to the Help page - right here!
Most pages also have a link to the original article...
If you’re still lost, ask a teacher, parent or friend for help.
I don’t understand a word.
The original Ben’s Guide website has a glossary, sort of like a dictionary. Certain words are linked to the glossary. You can see the same glossary on the Politix and U.S. Symbols web sites.
However, each website also has its own glossary. It’s much bigger and nicer. Here are the links:
What’s a “GeoBear”?
Ben’s Guide’s mascot is Ben Franklin. Geobop’s mascot is GeoBear.
Most of Ben’s Guide II was copied from the original Ben’s Guide - but not all of it. Think of GeoBear as a signal. When you see him, it usually means he disagrees with something, or he wants to introduce something new.
For example, the Ben’s Guide article about the Pledge of Allegiance only tells part of the story. It doesn’t explain that some people don’t like to say the Pledge of Allegiance. It doesn’t explain that you don’t have have to say it. So GeoBear explains it...
Did you know that many people don’t like the Pledge of Allegiance? Some people don’t like to be forced to say it.If someone tries to force you to say the Pledge of Allegiance, or if they make fun of you because you don’t say it, tell your parents.
Who should I believe?
Now that’s a hard question! What if your parents and your teacher tell you two different things? What if Ben Franklin and GeoBear tell you two different things? Who should you believe?
At your age, it’s usually best to trust your parents. When you get older, you’ll learn how to think for yourself.
Just remember that life is complex. There are bad people who lie. Even good people make mistakes.
Did you know that Ben Franklin owned slaves? Does that mean he was a bad person or a good person who made a mistake?
That’s an example of a question you might not be able to answer until you’re older.
3-5 Help
I can’t answer all your questions. But I can answer at least three of the questions on the left. Just click a link to find an answer.
I’m lost!
Are you having trouble with a page on the website Politix or U.S. Symbols? If so, follow the steps below.
First look at the top of the page, on the left. (Not this page; the page where you got lost.) You should see some navlinks that look something like one of the pictures on the left.
The navlinks should help you figure out where you are. If you want to start at the beginning, just click the blue 3-5 box - 3-5.
At the bottom of some pages, you will see links to related articles (especially on the Politix web site). Everything below was copied from the page What is a law? Notice the two round button images. Clicking the one on the left takes you to Politix’ home page. Clicking the image on the right takes you to the Help page - right here!
At the bottom of most pages are links to the original Ben’s Guide articles...
Mos of the pages on the U.S. Symbols site are even easier to follow. Just click the red arrow on the right to go to the next page. (Everything below was copied from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial page.)
If you’re still lost, ask a teacher, parent or friend for help.
I don’t understand a word.
The original Ben’s Guide website has a glossary, sort of like a dictionary. Certain words are linked to the glossary. You can see the same glossary on the Politix and U.S. Symbols web sites.
However, each website also has its own glossary. It’s much bigger and nicer. Here are the links:
What’s a “GeoBear”?
Ben’s Guide’s mascot is Ben Franklin. Geobop’s mascot is GeoBear.
Most of Ben’s Guide II was copied from the original Ben’s Guide - but not all of it. Think of GeoBear as a signal. When you see him, it usually means he disagrees with something, or he wants to introduce something new.
For example, the original Ben’s Guide article about the The Great Seal doesn’t mention the many conspiracy theories this symbol has inspired. So GeoBear explains it...
Do you think a picture of an “all-seeing eye” floating above an Egyptian pyramid is a little weird? And do the words “New Order of the Ages” remind you of the term New World Order? If so, you’re not alone. Many U.S. symbols have inspired conspiracy theories - some of which are at least partly true. But the Great Seal has probably inspired more crazy conspiracy theories than any other national symbol.Or do some of the theories about the Great Seal deserve a closer look? Find out at Politix: Conspiracy Science.
Who should I believe?
Now that’s a hard question! What if your parents and your teacher tell you two different things? What if Ben Franklin and GeoBear tell you two different things? Who should you believe?
At your age, it’s usually best to trust your parents. When you get older, you’ll learn how to think for yourself.
Just remember that life is complex. There are bad people who lie. Even good people make mistakes. People often change their minds about things as they get older and learn more.
Did you know that Ben Franklin owned slaves? Does that mean he was a bad person or a good person who made a mistake?
That’s an example of a question you might not be able to answer until you’re older.
6-8 Help
• I’m Lost!
• I don’t understand a word.
• Who is GeoBear?
• Who should I believe?
I can’t answer all your questions. But I can answer at least four of the questions on the left. Just click a link to find an answer.
Where are the U.S. Symbols articles?
The original Ben’s Guide only has articles about U.S. symbols for two grade levels - K-2 and 3-5. Geobop is working on articles for other ages. Some of them will be online very soon.
I’m lost!
Did you get lost or confused while exploring the New Ben’s Guide pages on the websites Politix or U.S. Symbols? No problem; just check out the navigation links at the top of the page, on the left. If you want to go back to the beginning, click the green 6-8 box - 6-8.
There are more navigation aids at the bottom of each page, including links to each site’s home page and the Help page (right here). When finished, the U.S. Symbols section will also have red arrows that will take you from one page to the next. (Everything below was copied from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial page.)
Articles that were copied from Ben’s Guide include links to the original articles at the bottom of the page...
I don’t understand a word.
The original Ben’s Guide website has a glossary. Certain words are linked to the glossary. You can see the same glossary on the Politix and U.S. Symbols web sites.
However, each website also has its own glossary. It’s much bigger and nicer. Here are the links:
What’s a “GeoBear”?
Ben’s Guide’s mascot is Ben Franklin. Geobop’s mascot is GeoBear.
Most of Ben’s Guide II was copied from the original Ben’s Guide - but not all of it. Think of GeoBear as a signal. When you see him, it usually means he disagrees with something, or he wants to introduce something new.
For example, the Ben’s Guide article The United States: Quick Facts lists In God We Trust as the national motto. See what GeoBear has to say about that...
Wait a minute...why wasn’t E Pluribus Unum listed in the original Ben’s Guide? Did you know that the United States has TWO national mottoes? In fact, E pluribus unum was our first motto - and it is not as controversial or divisive as In God We Trust. Learn more about the motto E Pluribus Unum.Who should I believe?
Now that’s a very hard question. We live in a very complex and often confusing world. People often make mistakes. In fact, intelligent people often change their minds about certain things as they continue to grow and learn.
If you know anything about politics, you also know there are a lot of liars out there. The very words politician and lawyer are often used as synonyms for liars or corruption. Intelligent people don’t trust the media.
So what if your parents and teachers tell you two different things about the Pledge of Allegiance? What if someone tells you President Obama is doing his best, while someone else tells you he’s a traitor and war criminal?
That’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself. But here are a couple tips: Be skeptical, and take it slow.
Skepticism means taking the time to think about what you read or hear. If someone tells you something, ask yourself if it sounds logical. Ask other people for their opinions. Research it in a library or on the Internet.
Taking it slow means understanding that there are a lot of things you won’t understand until you’re older. Elections may not mean much to you when you’ve never voted, let alone run for public office. You may not really understand the importance of workers’ rights until you’ve actually worked. And how can you understand education if you’ve never taught school?
GeoBear has been both a teacher and worker. He has voted and even run for public office.
Ben Franklin was a very intelligent man. He also owned slaves - though he eventually freed them. So was Franklin an evil person, or a good man who made a mistake?
Of course, you have to realize that Ben Franklin really has nothing to do with Ben’s Guide. He died two centuries before the Internet was created. Nor is GeoBear a real person - or is he?
9-12/Explorer/Adult Help
• I’m Lost!
• I don’t understand a word.
• Who is GeoBear?
• Who should I believe?
I can’t answer all your questions. But I can answer at least four of the questions on the left. Just click a link to find an answer.
But first let me explain the difference between 9-12, Adult and Explorer. The original Ben’s Guide offers articles for four different grade levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Geobop copied those articles and divided them into two sections - government studies and United States symbols.
However, Ben’s Guide’s symbols articles only cover K-2 and 3-5. So Geobop wrote articles about U.S. symbols for the 6-8 and 9-12 levels.
Geobop simply used the word Explorer in place of 9-12. But the new articles also target adults. After all, most adults know amazingly little about politics.
To put it another way: If you’re in high school, and you study the U.S. Symbols’ Explorer section (and the Politix > Topics > 9-12 section), you’ll probably know more about political science than 95% of the adults in this country.
Where are the U.S. Symbols articles?
The original Ben’s Guide only has articles about U.S. symbols for two grade levels - K-2 and 3-5. Geobop is working on articles for other ages. Some of them will be online very soon.
Actually, I began working on these articles several years ago. The articles about some symbols - including the flag, seal, motto, national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance - are very long. They’re also very interesting.
I’m lost!
The pages in the New Ben’s Guide project should be pretty easy to navigate. First, check out the navigation links at the top of each page, on the left. (See the picture on the left.)
If you want to go back to the beginning, just click the 9-12 or X box.
There are additional navigation aids at the bottom of each page. The pages in the U.S. Symbols section feature red arrows. Just click the arrow on the right to go to the next page. (Geobop may add arrows to the Politix pages as well.)
See the three round images between the arrows? Clicking the first one will take you to a web site’s home page. Clicking the last one will take you to the help page - right here. The middle one will take you to the Explorer home page.
At the bottom of many pages are links to the original Ben’s Guide articles. Of course, articles written by Geobop won’t have these links.
Many articles in Ben’s Guide II were copied from the original Ben’s Guide. At the bottom of these pages are links to the original articles...
I don’t understand a word.
The original Ben’s Guide website has a glossary, sort of like a dictionary. Certain words are linked to the glossary. You can see the same glossary on the Politix and U.S. Symbols web sites.
However, each website also has its own glossary. It’s much bigger and nicer. Here are the links:
What’s a “GeoBear”?
Ben’s Guide’s mascot is Ben Franklin. Geobop’s mascot is GeoBear.
Most of Ben’s Guide II was copied from the original Ben’s Guide - but not all of it. Think of GeoBear as a signal. When you see him, it usually means he disagrees with something, or he wants to introduce something new.
For example, the Ben’s Guide article The United States: Quick Facts lists In God We Trust as the national motto. See what GeoBear has to say about that...
Wait a minute...why wasn’t E Pluribus Unum listed in the original Ben’s Guide? Did you know that the United States has TWO national mottoes? In fact, E pluribus unum was our first motto - and it is not as controversial or divisive as In God We Trust. Learn more about the motto E Pluribus Unum.Who should I believe?
That’s a very good question - and a hard one to answer. Let’s take it one step at a time.
First, we live in a very complex and often confusing world, right?
We also know that people often make mistakes. Intelligent people often change their minds about certain things as they continue to grow and learn.
And we also know that there are bad people who lie. In fact, many people think all politicians and lawyers are liars. That isn’t literally true, of course - but the great majority of them probably are liars. And who can trust the media any more?
You should also be aware that we’re living in extraordinary times. The United States seems to be at war with the whole world. The middle class appears to be vanishing. And who can explain all the conspiracies relating to the 9/11 terrorist attacks?
So, if you want to know the truth, you have to develop INDEPENDENT THINKING SKILLS. That requires a good sense of logic and a healthy skepticism. When someone tells you something, don’t believe it, and don’t disbelieve it. Instead, think about it and analyze it.
You might ask other people for their opinions. You could even research it in a library or on the Internet.
Keep in mind that many things won’t make sense to you until you experience them. If you’ve never worked for a living, taught school, voted, paid taxes or fought in a war, then you have a lot to learn.
Now let’s put things in perspective. Is it logical to believe that Ben Franklin has anything to do with Ben’s Guide? Of course not; Franklin died two centuries before the Internet was created!
Franklin is merely a mascot of sorts. Ben’s Guide was created by the government - a government many people believe is very corrupt. Naturally, we can’t expect Ben’s Guide to say anything that might embarrss the government. The world corruption can’t be found anywhere on Ben’s Guide. Yet how can one understand government or politics without understanding corruption? It’s like trying to understand medical science without mentioning heart attacks, cancer and arthritis.
So study the original Ben’s Guide, study Ben’s Guide II, and think about it. Don’t be in too big a hurry, because it can take years for ideas to sink in. Hey, Ben Franklin owned slaves before he decided to free them, and GeoBear never voted until he was about forty years old.
But please - never stop thinking and asking questions. The world desperately needs intelligent people, especially people with a sense of compassion and justice and a little courage.
Teachers & Parents
What else is there to say? I think this page gives a pretty good overview of Ben’s Guide II, which should be pretty easy to use. Any suggestions for improving it are welcome.
The toughest challenge is deciding what you want your children or students to learn - that and learning to separate truth from propaganda.
As near as I can tell, most of the material on the original Ben’s Guide is truthful and accurate (though I have found some glaring exceptions). The biggest problem what it doesn’t tell readers.
The word corruption isn’t found anywhere on the site. Nor is there any mention of the military-industrial complex, banksters, the broken electoral system, and on and on. These topics may be unpleasant and controversial, but they also reflect reality. Trying to teach children about the U.S. government or politics without mentioning the dark side is simply stupid.
Geobop has integrated Ben’s Guide with many other resources scattered across several websites. There’s plenty to read and think about, and all the Geobop sites are still growing.
Don’t forget to check out the original Ben’s Guide’s Parents & Teachers page. Compare it to this page and decide which one is the better learning resource.
E pluribus unum
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
