Franklin Discovery Engage

Good Afternoon FDA Families, I wanted to share our newest addition to STEM Rec and the Science and Math Labs...a New Matter 3D Printer.  Thanks to our totally awesome FSO and their Teacher Grant program we were able to purchase a brand new 3D printer and additional filament refills.  We were able to complete our first test runs and created small keychains of the New Matter symbol. As you can imagine the students are EXTREMELY excited!  In the 40 minutes they experienced the 3D printer several fifth and sixth graders came up with wonderful ideas for builds.  Teachers and Coaches are already working out plans and activities the students can work through related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (yay STEAM!), all while using the 3D printer. Thank you all for your support of your children and our school!  I cannot say enough how much we appreciate you.  We are so looking forward to so many great projects in 2018!

STEM Rec Challenges January 2 - 5, 2018 Science Sight Focus Challenge .  This week we'll be talking about our sense of sight. The cone cells and rod cells in our eyes give us the ability to detect light, movement, and color. We'll be talking about their different contributions to our sight. Literacy - Spelling with a twist. This week we are going to play twister with a twist! Before you land on a spot, you have to spell a word correctly. Social Studies Empathy and Kindness ., This week, Social Studies will host a Wellness challenge! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk in someone else's shoes? To see life from your friend, parent or sibling’s point of view? Well this week you can……..come learn about empathy and kindness!! Engineering Snap Circuits.   Students will be reviewing / continuing their work with snap circuits.   Math. Fraction Practice . In math students will be learning about fractions and how they work.  Students will

Wishing you a season of gladness , a season of cheer and to top it all off -- a wonderful year ! Happy Holidays to all of you from the STEM Rec team at FDA STEM Rec Challenges December 18 - 22 Science Touch Focus Challenge .  We can learn a lot about an object through a single touch. This is possible because of the many different nerve cell types we have in and under our skin. We'll talk about where these nerve cells are concentrated and what that means for our brains. Literacy - All aboard the Polar Express. Students will participating in activities centered around the book, The Polar Express. Will they be able to hear the magic Christmas bell? There will be games, puzzles and even a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows!! Social Studies Givers Unite . You’ve surely heard of Santa Claus, but he’s not the only generous character this time of year.  Let us introduce you to some new-to-you winter-time gift givers from around the world. Engineering Gift

Dinostars, the musical, will be presented by the  First and Second Grades  during the next block. (Jan-Feb) Sadly, we couldn’t fit all the younger students into the Christmas Musical, so, the next block will be dedicated just to them. Thank you for all your support!

STEM Rec Challenges December 11 - 15 Science Hearing Focus Challenge. We have a single mouth and nose, but two ears. Do we benefit from hearing in stereo? We're going to experiment to see if two ears are really better than one and compare our ears to some animal super-hearers. Literacy - Morgan D Letter Writing.  In literacy this week students will have the opportunity to practice their writing skills as they write letters to those who might need a pick-me-up. In the spirit of the holiday season, students will have the chance to brighten the lives of others such as children in the hospital or military members serving away from their families. Tis the season to spread some warmth into the world! Social Studies Chinese mythology.  When I say ‘dragons’ you probably think King Arthur.  When you hear about gods and monsters Ancient Greece likely comes to mind.  Perhaps we should stay in China another week and open up a new world of mythology. Engineering / M

STEM Rec Challenges December 4 - 8 Science Smell Focus Challenge. Humans are thought to be able to distinguish a trillion unique smells. We'll learn about how our nose recognises smells, compare our sense of smell to some animal super-smellers, and then see how how many of our mystery smells the students can identify. Engineering / Math / Art Foxville Christmas Village . Students will design and construct their own building to be included in our FDA Christmas Village. Students will then paint and decorate their building at the art station. The village will be on display through the month of December. We are hopeful this will be an exciting and unify project for our student body.  We need parents to help in the design/construction process and the painting/decorating process. Please see sign up page on facebook. Examples as follows: Social Studies Great Wall of China . One of the seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China is so massive it can be seen

Our annual food drive will take place from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15. Homerooms will be competing to see who brings the most food, with the winning homeroom receiving a special party. The deadline to bring food is 5:30 PM Dec. 15. The final count will be done on Monday the 18th and the winning homeroom will be announced as soon as everything is counted. All the food donated will be taken to Community Action in Provo. The following items are the most needed: Wet goods: condiments, peanut butter, jelly, syrup, etc.  Canned meat: tuna, chicken, beef etc.  Canned Fruit: Mandarin oranges, peaches, pears, etc.  Soup and stew  Items for kids’ nutrition packs: granola bars, natural juice boxes, raisins, peanut butter crackers, fruit and grain bars, Easy Mac, Chef Boyardee microwave meal, etc.

The Littlest Reindeer A Christmas Musical will be presented by Franklin Discovery Academy Dec. 20 th   at 10:00 a.m.  and at  6 p.m. Rehearsals will be  Dec. 18 th   and Dec. 19 th from  3:30 to 4:30 .

STEM Rec Challenges November 27 - December 1 Science Taste Focus Challenge . We've completed our month on magnets, and this week move on to studying our senses. First up is our sense of taste. Gustatory cells allow us to experience taste, but not everyone experiences taste the same way. Students will compare their sense of taste to others and see if they might be a supertaster. Literacy - Morgan D Making books come to life . We will be reading selected children's books, discussing them, and then making books come to life by acting them out! The focus will be on the elements of a story. Art 2D Snow Globes. It is getting cold outside, so on our journey around the world we are going to Austria to learn about snow globes  and how they are made. Students will then have fun making their own 2D snow globe! Technology Photography Scavenger Hunt .  Students will be introduced to photography and given the opportunity to explore their creative side. Math Buil

We will be having a  Veteran's Day  rehearsal in the gym for  all music students (1st-6th)  Thursday  afternoon  at  3:30  and also  Friday  morning at  7:30 . The  performance  will be in the gym  Friday  at  10:00 .

                                                     Due to the short week, STEM Rec will not be offering challenges. We will be having a few days of crafts and games instead. Students will also be able to purchase some Christmas items with their fox dots at our "Pre-Christmas" sale.   The STEM Rec team wishes everyone the happiness of good friends, the joy of a happy family, and the wonder of the happy season.  Have a memorable Thanksgiving!

The Angel Tree is now up! In addition to helping local families, the tree also includes tags for donating to refugees in Bangladesh. Participating is easy. Just take a tag from the tree- angel tags ask that you fill out the bottom portion and return it to me- and read the information on the back. Then go shopping! Bring unwrapped gifts and donations back to the school by Dec. 15. Donations of wrapping materials (paper, bows, ribbon, etc) are also welcome. Applications for the tree are still available!

STEM Rec Challenges November 13 - 17 Science This week’s topic is the largest magnet on earth - the planet earth! The earth’s molten iron core produces a magnetic field around the planet. Students will learn about how compasses are affected by earth’s magnetic field, the difference between magnetic north and geographic north, and then will build their own compass. Standard: Students will understand that magnetism can be observed when there is an interaction between the magnetic fields of magnets or between a magnet and materials made of iron. Literacy Do you love reading? Do you love relaxing? What about reading and relaxing at the same time? And pillows? If you love all of those things and more, then you'll definitely want to check out literacy this week! We're focusing entirely on reading by doing fun read alouds and having a nice, quiet and relaxing Pillow Party that we think everybody will enjoy! Art We are going to be learning about the Aztecs in art t

  Our music classes are excited to present a  Veteran’s Day Program on Nov. 17 th at 10  a.m. These same classes get to present a Christmas Musical , the last week of school in December. Also, we’ve been asked to perform in the concert called Hope Of America this spring.   An extended block will be offered for this exciting opportunity.   The following is a description of the courses offered this block in music: Music Discoveries (1st and 2nd grade )   - Students will be engaged in a variety of singing activities that nurture the natural development of the singing voice. In this class, students will experience tempo through listening to and moving to slow and fast beats. Students will also explore dynamics through many different classroom activities.   This class will have the opportunity to sing in the school’s Veteran’s Day Program.     Group Piano, Level 1 (4 th -6 th ) – This class will sing in the school’s Veteran’s Day Program .     Additionally, students