Week of Dec 17th

Welcome back to the last week of the year! 
Reminders:  No School Friday and Big Barter Market Thursday!

ELA:  We are well into Springboard an ELA textbook adoption trial.  We are in Unit 3 (Argument Writing lessons for Grade 6).  This week we will be doing Lessons 3.4 3.5 and maybe 3.6.  These lessons focus on Claims supported with Reasons and Evidence.  The topics are: Is cheerleading a sport? Football for middle school, is it safe?  Also, lessons on sources, credibility, and citations.

Social Studies:  Hammurabi and his first code of laws.  Law List:  Highlight, Discuss fair vs cruel.  Read lists, articles, watch short videos,  and respond in paragraph form.

Thanks, Mr Franey

Week of Dec 10th

Note:  Barter Market is Next Thursday Dec 20th - Please make sure your students bring their projects to trade on or before that day

ELA:  We will start piloting the new digital language arts text book that I mentioned last week.  It is called "Spring Board" We dove into Unit 3 today (Monday) and will continue with this pilot until Winter Break.  Unit 3 is the Argument Unit

Social Studies: Ziggurat hands on projects, community, laws, Hammurabi

Thanks
Mr Franey

Week of Dec 3rd

Note:  Please sign and return the 2 parent notes that went home in the Friday Folders.  The 2 notes were about Chromebooks going home on Wednesdays and Barter Market which will take place Dec 20th

ELA:  This week we are finishing up Hooks and Thesis Statements.  Then we will change it up a bit by jumping into more Figurative Language with Poetry.  We will then change it up again by diving into Spring Board which is a Text Book Adoption option.  In this program we will explore Unit 3 which is an introduction to Argument Writing.

Social Studies:  We are still in the Mesopotamia Unit.  This week we will research inventions, city states, architecture (ziggurats), and Hammurabi's Code

Thanks, Mr Franey

Week of November 26th

ELA:  Writing:  Continue with "Theme" "Main Idea" "Central Idea" Plus add in "Tone/Mood" with  poetry - Also lessons on Thesis Statements

           Reading: New Book Clubs start Today (Monday) - Ask your scholar about their new book and make sure they are reading Mon-Thurs every night - Scholars meet every Friday in their Clubs to talk about the novel

Soc. Studies:  California Connections to Mesopotamia
                        Barter Market Brainstorms
                        Job Specialization and Inventions from Mesopotamia

Thanks for reading,
Mr Franey
                       

Week of Nov 5th

ELA:  Finish Maroo of the Winter Caves-Class Novel
           Elements of Plot - Extra Large Paper Assignment with artwork included
           Focus on Themes in Maroo
           Brainstorm Themes - Research Common Themes in Children's Lit
           Writing: Our First 5 paragraph essay "Three Themes in Maroo" with text evidence
           Introduce - Thesis & Hook

Social Studies:  6 traits of a Civilization Sort Game and handout
                          6 traits focus on our American Civilization now compared to the past
                          Introduce the Ancient Civilization of Mesopotamia
                          Mesopotamia Vocabulary Lesson
                          Kahoot Mesopotamia Vocabulary Game online

Thanks for Reading,
Mr. Franey

Week of Oct 29th

ELA: 

Reading:  Maroo Ch 13-16 (Class Novel) We will be doing First Reads focussing on Context Clues and Google Classroom.  We will also have some Comprehension Exercises at the end of the First Reads.

Writing:  Main Idea/ Central Idea is the focus during Second Read of Maroo (Class Novel)
We are also incorporating (Direct Quotes and Elaboration) during Paragraph writes in Response to Lit.

Social Studies:  Finishing up Paleolithic Times and Moving on to Ancient Civilizations

Week of October 8th

Welcome back!

ELA:  We will be brainstorming on white boards and typing in google classroom this week.  The paragraph writing assignments will be based on Shady Creek and our class novel, Maroo.
We will also do a couple First Read Assignments focusing on Vocabulary and Context Clues.
Lastly, we will do a Book Walk in order to join book club reading groups.  Book Club reading homework will begin the week of October 16th.

Social Studies:  Stone Age Lessons for the week include Tools, Fire, and compare/contrast Late vs. Early Paleolithic People.

Thanks for looking and you can always contact me via email (mfraney@ttusd.org)

Week of September 24th

ELA:  We are Close Reading Maroo of the Winter Caves Ch 3-6
           Reading Standard RL 4 "context clues" using google classroom
           Writing Standard W2a and b Writing Expository Paragraphs that include Topic Sentences,      Evidence and Elaboration, Making Inferences, Transitions, and Conclusions
(Check Friday Folders for the latest Writing Assignment with Teacher Feedback in order to see how your child is doing)

Social Studies:  We are finishing Archaeology and trending toward Hunter-Gather Societies.
                           Stone Age - Late Paleolithic

Week of April 23rd

Happy Spring and welcome back from a long break.  So, with Spring time in Middle School, lots of behavior problems seem to start springing up.  Please remind your student to come to school ready to learn, ready to stay on task, and not to encourage poor peer behavior when it happens.  Thanks!

ELA:  This is our second week with our new argument writing task:  Should Public School Students Wear Uniforms?
We will be finishing up this topic on Friday.  Lessons this week on the topic will include a socratic seminar, clock partners, graphic organizers, so what statements, the quote sandwich,  revisiting goals, and editing with a purpose

Social Studies:  Finish up Egypt!  Self Inquiry Centers, Finish KWL Charts, Finish Novel: Moses in Egypt, Maybe watch the Movie...

Thanks, Mr Franey (mfraney@ttusd.org)

Week of March 19th

Welcome back from another "Snow Day Weekend"

ELA:  Reading-Book Club 3 is coming to a close this Friday.  Please make sure your student              finishes their novel by Thursday night.
           Writing:  Friday is also the deadline for their major argument #2 writing project
                          "Iditarod-Animal Cruelty or Just a Race?"

Social Studies:  We are continuing our study of Ancient Egypt
 We are focusing on 2 things this week- Pharaohs and Inventions

Week of March 12th

Tri 2 has ended and I will be updating final grades with missing assignments tonight (Monday)

This Week---

ELA: Argument Essay-Iditarod (Animal Cruelty or Just a Race?)
We are on our second week of research
1. Socratic Seminar
2. Pro/Con Speaking activity using research
3. Clock Partners
4. Plan Essay using Graphic Organizer for 5 paragraph argument essay
5. Type essay in Google Classroom
6. Edit
7. Turn in

Social Studies:
1. STEM Engineering Project: Sugar Cube Tomb with Paper Pyramid
2. Egyptian Architecture Part 1 and Part 2
3. Pharaohs
4. Hatshepsut lessons in Study Sync

Week of Feb 26

Welcome Back from Winter Ski Skate Break!

ELA:  We start off the week setting writing goals based on extensive feedback from their
           "Pigs as Pets" argument essays
Then we start the 2wk process all over again with our new topic: 
                                                                                            Iditarod-Animal Cruelty or Just a Race?
The Process Includes:
Research the Official Iditarod Website and fill out the Research Paper that goes with it
Pic a Musher to win the race and track him/her everyday during warm up
3 Articles (Highlight Pros/Cons & take jots)
3 Videos  (Watch each one twice & take jots)
Socratic Seminar
Pro/Con Improv Speaking Activity
Essay Planning with Rubric, Essay Organizer, and Clock Partners
Type Essay in Google Classroom
After Teacher corrects essay and provides feedback- document your grade on the "Tracking Paper" and finally set 3 more goals for your next essay

Social Studies:
Ancient Egypt Continued...
Preparing for the Afterlife
Tomb Desinging
Tomb Building with Sugar Cube Pyramids

Week of Feb 12th

ELA:  Argument Essay Planning and Writing
           By the end of this week our first argument essay, "Pigs as Pets" will be complete
           If you would like to check your students progress goto Google Classroom this week Wed-Fri

Social Studies:  Ancient Egypt
                          We will be covering hieroglyphics, the afterlife, and tombs.

Have a great week!
Mr Franey

Week of January 29th

ELA:  Introduce "The Hook"
           Research 11 Ways to Hook the Reader for Argument Writing
           Go in depth on each type of hook by building, analyzing, and evaluating Hooks

Social Studies:  Research The Nile River
                          Begin Class Novel:  Moses in Egypt
                          Artifact Walk (Making Inferences)
                          Egyptian Architecture:  Pyramids
                          Hands On Activity - Build Sugar Cube Pyramids

Week of January 22nd

ELA:  Introduce Socratic Seminar with "Empathy for the Wolf" and "Snow Days"
           Introduce, Define, Build, and Evaluate (Thesis Statements)

Social Studies:  Introduce our next Ancient Civilization - EGYPT!
                          Physical and Political Map Activities of Egypt

Week of Jan 8

Happy New Year and Welcome Back!

ELA:  This week we are transitioning into our Argument Writing Unit.
1.  Crime Scene Activities to focus on evidence in order to make a claim
2.  Pre Assessment: (Argument Essay)
     Wed-Thur (all 6th grade) Topic: Should Snow Days be Banned?
3.  Friday: Book Club #2 Meeting 1 (Ask your scholar about their new book)

Social Studies:  Finish up the hands on Ziggurat Model and start the Write up
                          Introduce our next ancient civilization: Egypt

Thanks for reading,

Mr. Franey (mfraney@ttusd.org)