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