Week of Dec 16th

Welcome back and I hope you got to enjoy the BlueBird Powder Day Sunday!

Science:  This week we will be studying Atmosphere and Climate.  We will be using the new text and a "Listen-Stop-Write" strategy this week, and we will be getting back into our Science Notebook as well. We will also use Kahoot to start reviewing all we have learned so far in the Weather/Climate Pilot Unit

Social Studies: We will start the week with a Barter Market Check In and play a Barter Market Simulation Game.  Then we will continue with Inventions from Mesopotamia.  We will finish the week with Architecture in Mesopotamia as well.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great week and a Wonderful Winter Break
Happy Holidays,
Mr Franey

Week of December 9th

Welcome back from another Wild Weekend of Weather!

This week we will be doing the following in each class...

Science: Weather and Climate
This week we will be studying Weather Maps and Forecasting Weather.  It should be lots of fun since the end product will be students forecasting weather using their chromebook camera and then casting it onto the class TV!

Social Studies: We have been studying the 7 Features of Civilization and this week we will finish up Government piece, Hammurabi. Then we will study Inventions of Mesopotamia. After that we will research ancient city-states and Ziggurats.

Best Regards,
Mr Franey

Week of Nov 18th

Welcome back from another sunny weekend!

This week we will be researching or doing the following:

Science:
We are building and using Anemometers and Wind Vanes
After that we will do Lesson13 "Forecasting Weather"
We will also be learning about Weather Map Symbols

Social Studies:  We will finish up "From Nomads to Farmers"
We will also start learning about one of the first early civilizations: Mesopotamia

Thanks for reading,
Mr Franey

Week of Nov. 11th

Welcome back from a gorgeous 3 day weekend!

This week we will cover the following topics below

Science:  Climate and Weather
We will be studying the causes of climate, world wide wind, and measuring wind speed and direction
We will be doing 2 hands on design thinking projects - wind vane and anemometer

Social Studies: The Great Human Migration
We will make and study an extensive make of the origins of humans and their migration routes across the world.  Then we will begin the first ancient civilization - Mesopotamia

Thanks for reading,
Mr Franey

Week of Nov 4th

Welcome back

This is what we will be covering this week in Science and Social Studies

Note: I will be out Tue and Wed this week for Professional Development and your student will have a substitute teacher for those days

Science:
First: "Hurricane Chasers" and Weather Underground -logging severe weather data and mean, median, mode
Then: Science Worksheet packets for Tue-Wed with substitute teacher
Next: Working to update Science Notebooks
Lastly: Textbook Lesson 9 Oceans and Climate

Social Studies:
Human Migration Lessons
Play "hunter/gatherer" game in small groups

Week of Oct 28th

Welcome Back

It's conference week this week and all days are minimum day schedule with a release time of 11:40

If you don't have a conference time, please email your students 3rd period teacher in order to schedule one

Have a great week!

Mr Franey

Week of October 21st

Hello again - Here's what we will be doing in Science and History this week...

Reminder- Parent/Teacher Student led Conferences begin next week (Oct. 28th)  I will see some of you then!

History: We are Still studying Late Paleolithic People and the students are really into it!
              The lessons for this week are Paleolithic Cave Art, Fire, and Mastodon Extinction Theory

Science: We deep into our Weather and Climate Unit and we get to do a couple experiments
               Experiments= Heating and Cooling rates of Sand vs. Water
                                       Sand Science "Magic Sand"

                Lessons= Earth's Surface, Heating Earth's Surfaces, and Ocean Temperatures 

Thanks for Reading and if you ever need to know more, remember you can always email me

Mr Franey (mfraney@ttusd.org)

Week of Oct 14

Welcome back to another work week at ACMS

This week will do the Following:

Science: Heating and Cooling of Earth's surface- A 2 day hands on experiment
               How do water and land affect climate/weather?
               Ocean Temperatures
               Investigating Water
               Oceans and Climate

History:  Finish up Paleolithic Tools Lessons
                Extension: Otz the Ice Man virtual field trip 1
                                 Cave Paintings of South France with virtual field trip 2
                Art Project: Cave Drawings using oil pastels and brown paper

Thanks for Reading,
Mr Franey

Week of Oct 8

Welcome back to another exciting week! Once again read below to find out what we are doing this week.

Science:  We are starting off Tues. with a make and take lesson called "spherical science" and relating it to raindrops at the end.  We are still in the middle of a "climate and weather" unit and next up is Extreme Weather Events using Climate Data from Weather Underground.

History:  We are still studying PreHistory.  We will compare/contrast Early-Late Paleolithic People.  After that we will explore Paleolithic Tools and Fire

Thanks for reading,
Mr Franey

Week of September 30th

Science:  This week starts with Meteorology.  We will be Investigating Local Weather History (Daily Weekly and Monthly).
 We will be using a website called "Weather Underground" to assist us in filling out lots of Weather Data Charts and then we will be Analyzing the Data for our different needs.

History:  Prehistory Continued
We will be Exploring our connection to Hunter-Gatherer Societies.  We will also explore Paleolithic People and their tools, tasks, and fire.

Thanks,
Mr Franey

Week of September 23rd

Science:  We are starting a new unit:  Climate Change
                This unit is part of our Pilot using the Company  (Lab-Aids)
                Lab Aids is connected to The Lawrence Hall of Science and University of California        Berkeley

History:  We are doing hands on activities with a focus on Artifacts.  When we are finished, we will begin studying PreHistory -  The first Humans

Thanks for Reading,
Mr Franey

Week of September 16th

Science:  Finish Scientific Sketching in Science Notebook
                Design Thinking - Tallest Tower Challenge
                Begin Pilot - Lab Aids Unit:  Weather and Climate

Social Studies:  Artifacts
                          1.  Archaeological Dig - Artifact Walk
                          2.  Archaeological Dig - Broken Plates
                          3.  Pottery Design

Thanks for reading, Mr Franey (mfraney@ttusd.org)

Week of Sept 9th

Welcome back to the first full week of school!

Back to School Night is Thursday Sept 12 @ 530pm in the Gym! I will be sending home your Parent Schedule for Thurs Night tomorrow, so you know where to go when the bells start ringing

Science:  Design Thinking & Engineering
                Cups Challenge first and then we will start- Tower Challenge

History:  25 things I can do (bring 3-5 pictures from home)
               Archeology and Artifacts

Thanks for reading - Mr F

Week of Apr 29th

ELA:  This week we are finishing up our argument essay planning rubric in writing, then we will type the final draft in Google Classroom.  Our argument essay topic is- Should Students Wear Uniforms?

Soc Studies:  This week we will be doing center rotations around the room. Each center will take 10 min. to complete.  Some of the centers are - silk, chopsticks, painting, news paper, children's stories, box treasures, calendar, and scrapbooks.

Thanks for Reading,
Mr F

Week of Apr 22

Welcome back!
This year Easter was amazing for me down in Merced CA - spending time with a growing family!
Also, Happy Earth Day!!!

ELA:  Argument Writing is still going on most days.  However, some days we are practicing "Annotating with Rigor" instead of argument research.  For argument writing, our topic is:  Should Students Have to Wear Uniforms?

Social Studies: We are now studying the ancient civilization of China.  We will be studying maps, researching the geography, reading and writing about "isolation", and studying the "silk road".

Thanks, Mr F

Week of Apr 1st

ELA:  This week we will discuss how to get a 4 on a conclusion paragraph in argument writing.  Next we will finish planning our current essay: Should Kids Play Video Games? Then we will type up our final copies in Google Classroom.  We will finish the week with having fun with poetry.

Social Studies:  We will close up our Egypt Unit by finishing up with ancient inventions and modern connections.  We will also do at least one "hands on" STEM project.

Thanks,
Mr Franey

Week of Mar 25th

Welcome Back to the first day of Trimester 3!


ELA:  We are in the middle of our research for our next 5 paragraph argument essay - Should Kids Play Video Games?  We will be watching 4 videos, reading 2 articles, doing a Socratic Seminar, and using an essay organizer 



Social Studies:  We will be finishing up Egypt this week by studying Hieroglyphics, Daily Life, and the Invention of the Sail - with modern connections.

Thanks for Reading,
Mr Franey

Week of Mar 18th

Welcome back! Hope you had fun in the sun this weekend.  Lots of sun burned faces in class today!

ELA:  Iditarod Argument Essays were returned today/ with feedback and grades.  Students used the feedback to set goals for their next essay.  We will start research Tue. on our next Argument Essay: Video Games for Kids.

Soc Studies:  Ancient Egypt continues this week with tombs, mummies, Book of the Dead, the afterlife and how it affected the living community.

Thanks,
Mr Franey

Week of Mar 11th

Welcome Back!  Wow, with all the snow days and vacations, it's hard to get back into a groove...

So here you go-

ELA:We are working on our second major Argument Essay.  Iditarod:Animal Cruelty or Just a Race?
         •Last week we watched 3 videos, read and annotated 3 articles, did Pro/Con Improv  Conversations, did Socratic Seminar..
        •This week we are doing a Pro/Con Category Sort, using clock partners to complete the essay planning graphic organizer, and typing the final draft in Google Classroom (Due Friday 11am)

*Note: Book Clubs are up and running again!  This is Club #4 and their current book should be read up to the halfway point by Friday

Social Studies:  We are still studying Ancient Egypt.  We are reading and responding to a class novel: The Prince of Egypt.  Our next steps are to study everything involved with Ancient Egyptian Afterlife

Week of Jan 28th

ELA:  Argument Writing "The Whole Process" has started and the Topic is - Pigs as Pets?
           This week the process will include 2 new articles and 1 last video, socratic seminar, graphic        organizer, quote sandwich, clock partners, one more listening and speaking "pro/con" activity.

Social Studies:  Ancient Egypt- Geography Lessons (2) in Google classroom and then on to Pharaohs- Ramses 2 and Hatshepsut

Thanks for reading,
Mr Franey

Week of Jan 22nd

ELA:  "Pigs as Pets?" This is our first major argument writing topic.  Students will go through the whole 2 week  process that includes: pro/con articles, film clips, pro/con improv, socratic seminar, graphic organizer, clock partners,  quote sandwich, claim, thesis, warrant, super warrant, and a 5 paragraph essay in google classroom.

Social Studies: Ancient Egypt - This week we will finish up artifact/infer center rotations.  Then we will move on to geography, social structure, and death (Mummies and the Afterlife)

Thanks for Reading,
Mr F

Week of Jan 14th

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!!!

ELA:  We have finished our Pilot of the Springboard ELA Textbook adoption.  We used the pilot to introduce the components of Argument Writing.  This week we will introduce the Socratic Seminar and how it fits into argument writing.  After that we will focus on the topic: The Pros and Cons of Homework.  We will read and annotate 2 articles.  We will have a Socratic Seminar.  We will then write a long paragraph that includes a claim and at least 2 reasons with evidence in order to back up the claim.
*Also, Book Club #3 is starting up today...they will meet Friday- So make sure they are reading every night!

Social Studies:  Intro to Egypt - our next ancient civilization.  We will do a discovery walk for 2 days.  Then we will start with some mapping activities and text book work as well.

Thanks for reading,

Mr Franey