Franklin Discovery Engage

STEM Rec Challenges January 2 - 4, 2019 Science  Marie Sklodowska Curie .  We'll wrap up our unit on the Nobel prize by talking about one of its most successful laureates. In the past 118 years that the Nobel prize has been awarded just over 600 individuals have won a Nobel prize in the sciences (Physics, Chemistry, or Physiology and Medicine). And only one person has ever won a Nobel prize in BOTH Physics and Chemistry. Arguably one of the most hard working and successful scientists in recent history, this week we will learn about the life and discoveries of Marie Curie. Literacy  Happy Dreamer . Literacy will be discussing dreaming big and then setting goals to help us accomplish our dreams. The lesson will be focused around the book "Happy Dreamer" written by Peter H. Reynolds. Social Studies New Year Traditions . How do other cultures celebrate the start of a new year?  Students will explore traditions from around the world and then make their o...

STEM Rec Challenges December 17 - 21, 2018 Christmas Week Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy New Year from the STEM team.  May peace, joy and hope surround us all this season.      This week STEM will be “chill”.  Students can choose activities such as coloring, crafts, stories, playing games or watching the Nutcracker while eating popcorn.  Remember Friday, December 21, is early out day. All students must be picked up by 2:00 p.m.  See you next year!

STEM Rec Challenges December 10 - 14, 2018 Nobel Prize Week Nobel prizes are awarded every year on December 10th in commemoration of the death of Alfred Nobel.  This week in STEM we be will introducing students to past Nobel prize winners. Science Alfred Nobel . This week at the science table we'll be learning about Alfred Nobel's life and legacy. Students will learn why Mr. Nobel was controversial during his life and why the Nobel prize bears his name. Literacy Rudyard Kipling is considered one of the leading writers in children's literature. Most famously, he is known for his work The Jungle Book which is considered a masterpiece of imaginative writing. Students will learn about this amazing writer who left such an impact that he has a crocodile and a crater on Mercury named after him! Students will be creating their own Jungle Books. Social Studies Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who served as the co...

STEM Rec Challenges December 3 - 7, 2018 Art The Nutcracker .  Art will be discussing the inspiring story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written in 1816 by German author E.T.A. Hoffman. For those who do not know the story, there is also the ballet by Tchaikovsky. After a little introduction, students will draw paper nutcrackers. Literacy Conjunctions . Literacy will be learning about conjunctions which allow us to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid the choppiness of multiple short sentences. We will be doing an activity and then playing a game outside if weather permits! Social Studies Genghis Khan and the Mongolian empire in Medieval Asia! We are going to play a game that's reminiscent of Risk to represent the expansion of the Mongols. Engineering and Technology 3D Christmas Trees .   We love fun projects that turn out totally amazing.  We will be using geometry to construct trees.  Math Graphing Twister . Students will be...

STEM Rec Challenges November 26 - 30 Science  Fingerprint Minutiae . Fingerprint minutiae are the minor details within a fingerprint pattern that make an individual's fingerprints unique. We'll learn the different types of fingerprint minutiae and practice finding them in a fingerprint. Literacy Verbs and Verb Tenses . Students, get ready to break a sweat because this week in literacy we are talking about verbs. And if you know what verbs are, you'll know that means we're going to be moving around a lot! If you don't know what verbs are, that's a perfect reason to come and find out. We are going to be talking about what they are, what they do and how they are different depending on when we do them. P.S…...Dancing will also be involved. Technology  Design Process .  Students will learn the way to approach a large project is to break it down into manageable chunks. Architects, engineers, scientists, and other thinkers use the design process to solve a ...

STEM Rec Challenges November 19-20, 2018 “Gratitude helps us grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter  into our life and into the lives of all those around us.” This Thanksgiving week, we are so grateful for all the students who constantly bring joy into our life. They remind us to be happy for no reason and ask questions even the wise cannot dream up. We adore each and every one of them. In STEM this week we will be reviewing all the games we have learned, having a lego contest, and going outside as much as the weather permits. Have a wonderful fall break!  Note: Art will be doing a challenge with soda cans the week after Thanksgiving. If you have soda cans we could upcycle please donate them. Thank you!

STEM Rec Challenges November 12 -16, 2018 Engineering and Technology Spaghetti Bridges. Civil engineers design structures such as buildings, dams, highways and bridges. Student will explore the field of engineering by making bridges using spaghetti as their primary building material. Then they test their bridges to see how much weight they can carry before breaking. Social Studies Black Plague.   In social studies, students will be learning about the Black Plague and its effects on Medieval Europe. Students will discover how the impact of the Plague created a platform for which the Renaissance could come into fruition. We will be playing a game to simulate how easy it was for the disease to be transmitted throughout a settlement. Math Jurassic Math.   Students will be playing a game where they journey through the time of the dinosaurs. To move on the board, students answer 2 math questions on the cootie catcher dice to see whether they can make it to the finish...

STEM Rec Challenges November 5-9, 2018 Social Studies Game of the Month - Battleship Battleship is played on ruled grids on which each players fleet of ships are marked. The locations of the fleets are concealed from the other player. Players alternate turns calling "shots" at the other player's ships, and the objective of the game is to destroy the opposing player's fleet. Engineering & Technology Bridge Unit Engineering is starting a unit on bridges. This week students will be learning about different types of bridges: arch, beam, beam, cable-stayed, suspension, and truss.  We’ll also have a matching game where they match the types of bridges to the picture. Literacy  Pictionary - Literacy Style Is there a way to play pictionary and also practice good handwriting at the same time? There sure is and literacy this week is planning on doing exactly that! Come practice not only your drawing skills but also your printing skills in this fun version of ...

STEM Rec Challenges October 29 - November 2, 2018 Renaissance Week School of Athens by Raphael Social Studies Welcome to the Renaissance This week Social Studies will answer questions like "What was the Renaissance?"  "How was it different from the Medieval Era?"  "Who was Michelangelo?" and "Why is Michelangelo's David so special?"  Students should be ready to get their hands dirty as we explore the world of a sculptor! Science The Art of Anatomy Michelangelo was a gifted inventor and artist, but did you know that he had a lifelong interest in anatomy?  In fact, by the age of 18, he began to perform his own dissection. This week in science, students will explore some basic anatomy and discuss Michelangelo’s contribution to this field. Literacy  William Shakespeare When discussing the Renaissance, one must always include William Shakespeare. Often called the greatest writer in the English language, Shakespeare’s pl...

STEM Rec Challenges October 22 - 26, 2018 Science Our Beating Heart.   The heart is one of the most important organs in the entire human body. In this challenge, students will learn the different functions of the heart. We will also be doing an activity to demonstrate these functionalities. Literacy  Lights, Camera, Action.   Literacy is wrapping up our reading unit this week with a fantastic activity. Students will be working in groups, creating their own stories that include all the elements that we have talked about thus far and then acting them out. We can’t wait to see what they come up with! Social Studies Castle Hierarchy We will be doing a challenge that resolves around learning about the hierarchy within a castle town and then they will be making their own coat of arms for their family. Math, Engineering & Technology Balloon Cars  Math will be teaming up with Engineering and Technology for this FINAL week to build cars po...

STEMrec Challenges October 15- 17 Math Color by Equation Solve simple math problems and color the math page to create a picture. This guided lessons helps the students master this concept, focusing on shape, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Having a firm grasp of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is crucial for math fluency. Science Blood Students will learn the different roles of red, and white blood cells. Also we will be learning the importance of oxygen during exercise to help blood move faster we will be demonstrating this importance through an outdoor running activity. Literacy  Sneaky Story Makers- Students in literacy this week will be reviewing all the elements of a story they have talked about in STEM so far and applying them into the fun running game called sneaky story makers. Art Egyptian Characters In ancient Egypt names we're not written with traditional letters they were written with characters we will be expl...

STEMRec October 8-12 Social Studies California Gold Rush! This week we will be learning about the California Gold Rush! Students will study how gold was found and why people went west in search of it. They will also learn the process of how they pan for gold. They will get to try panning for gold themselves. Art Bubble Lettering In art this week we will be looking at making names with either bubble letters or 3D letters, and shading. It should be fun as we learn a new way of lettering on paper. Literacy SUPER SENSES Literacy this week is looking for people with eyes, ears, noses, hands and mouths because we’re talking about our senses! We’ll be practicing and doing some exercises with some mystery boxes and playing a game! Come if you dare! Science Plant life cycles and seeds This week we'll be talking about plant life cycles. The role flowers play (or don't play), the role of seeds, and plants' ability to clone themselves. Math, Engineering ...

STEM Rec Challenges October 1-5 Announcement The Art Station is trying to round up volunteers who know how to decorate cakes. Are there any talented parents out there who would be willing to volunteer a bit of time and energy assisting the art station with this activity? They are hoping to present “cake decorating” as an art challenge around the first of December.  If you are interested in helping, please email Jenale at jenale.ullman@franklindiscovery.org Art Paul Klee - Castle and Sun Art will be discussing a famous artist by the name of Paul Klee who is known for his unique and creative style. Students will be using shapes and paint to make castles reminiscent of his style. Literacy UNO Game of the Month is UNO! Come learn all the rules of UNO and play with your friends at literacy this week. Social Studies Archaeology We learn about cultures from almost every era of time-but how do we know what life was like back then? Let's head to MesoAmerica and practic...

STEM Challenges September 24-28  Science Photosynthesis Plants are autotrophs which means they are able to make their own food. Plants combine energy from sunlight with carbon dioxide in the air to produce sugar in a process called photosynthesis. We're going to learn the basics of photosynthesis and talk about the pigment that makes it possible: chlorophyll. Math Build Geometric Shapes Students will learn the names of geometric shapes and become familiar with what they look like. They will be given a set of cards (2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes) to build using toothpicks and marshmallows. Literacy Characters and setting in stories This week we are talking about characters and settings. How are they different? How do they contribute to a story’s tone and mood? We need some students with strong imaginations to come and create their own characters for a story by playing a fun game. Be careful though, there is a twist! Art Native American Shields In art this...

STEM REC Challenges September 17 - 21 Engineering and Technology Lego Craze!  Our Lego challenge cards are getting more complicated. Come visit us if you haven’t had a chance. Social Studies Navajo Code Talkers Students will learn about the Navajo Code Talkers and their significant impact in World War II. After, they will use the Navajo Code Talker dictionary to decipher codes, and then have the chance to make their own codes to be deciphered by other students. Literacy Central Messages in a Story Literacy will continue exploring stories. Students will find out more about how to improve reading comprehension by understanding a story's central message and plot. Students will be going on a scavenger hunt to find clues about  popular movies and seeing how well they know them by playing a matching game! Art Art Games This week we are going to play games that involve art. Bring your best drawing skills, creativity, and imagination. You’ll need all three.  ...

STEM REC Challenges September 10 - 14 Engineering and Technology Lego Mania Engineering will be conducting a 3 week unit on Legos.  We will start this week with a basic Lego building game. Students will receive cards with instructions of something to build and they will have a certain amount of time to complete what is on their card. The goal is to see how many challenge cards they can get through in the time allotted and how creative they can be.  This fun game will prepare them for more advanced Lego building in the weeks to follow. Social Studies Patriots Day September 11th will remain seared into the minds of many Americans. What happened and how did people respond? We’ll learn about that day and provide an optional take home challenge where students can ask their parents about their 9/11 experiences. Literacy Creative Details Students will dive a little deeper into stories because we are focusing on all the juicy details that make up good stories! We are pl...

STEM Rec Challenges September 4 - 7, 2018 Social Studies Archery and Teepees The Plains Indians refers to the Native American tribe who lived in the Great Plains…. the vast area between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains. They were farmers and hunter-gatherers. The Indians of the Great Plains were known for living in teepees while on their hunting expeditions. Students will be practicing their “archery” skills with a game and decorating teepees. Math Game of the Month New this year!! The first week of every month, STEM will introduce a game at one of our stations. The Math Station will kick us off in September, teaching Bang! , a Wild West-themed social deduction card game that goes along with our first term theme, the American Frontier. After the introductory week, all games will move over to the Self-Directed area where it will be available for the rest of the month. Art Basket Weaving Students will be exploring weaving this week. Weaving is an ancient form of b...

STEM Rec Challenges  August 27 - 31, 2018 Social Studies Exploring West After the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark led The Corps of Discovery on an expedition into the great unsettled west. Students will learn about these brave explores and conduct their own expedition into the play structure. Math Hot Air Balloons Math will focus on principles of strategy as students play the hot air balloon game. Players cut ropes and the person to cut the last rope wins a free ride! Science Plate Tectonics Earth's crust is divided into sections called tectonic plates. These plates slowly drift changing the landscape as they move. We'll learn about the different types of faults that form between plates and the formations that result. We'll also address the ring of fire and earthquakes. Engineering and Technology More Snap Circuits Week two of snap circuits! Students who have not had a chance to start may start, students who have already started working can continue ...

Welcome Back to School! We are all feeling the excitement, energy, and chaos that comes with the first week of school. We are looking forward to sharing this new school year with you, and have some exciting challenges to kick off the first week! Wellness Mindfulness Center. New this year in STEM is the Mindfulness Center. Literacy will introduce this area, explain when students can use it and why it is important.  Students will play a game, talk about emotions, discuss how to take care of themselves, and even do a little yoga! All students will benefit from the tools taught in this center. Art station Franklin Discovery Patchwork Quilt. Students will create a get to know you patchwork quilt. This is a collaborative project with all students drawing pictures of their favorite things and combining them to make one giant quilt.  Stop on over  and tell us all about you. Technology Snap Circuits. For the next few weeks students will learn how to conn...

Life Lab “Teaching children wellbeing and life skills in schools is the best way to ensure that the future generations flourish!” Viivi Pentikäinen Life skills are the skill set that enable people to live happy and meaningful lives and reach their potential. People who have sufficient life skills flourish. In this context, a meaningful life is achieved through mental wellbeing, self-awareness, skills for appreciating humanity in others as well as working towards wellbeing in one's community. Instilling life and wellbeing skills in school supports mental wellbeing in children and youth, now and in the future. Life skill education is based on research and methodology for positive pedagogy and positive education developed alongside positive psychology. It is important to teach research based life skills such as happiness skills, strength skills, resolution skills, emotional skills, skills for being present, interaction skills, relationship skills, self-management sk...

Finding Franklin Week! It’s our first week of school! We’re so excited to explore Benjamin Franklin’s life! Check out the exciting challenges our Station Masters have created for Aug. 13th through Aug. 17th. Engineering/ Technology Challenge: This week I am going to be making kites with materials provided as my challenge. This goes with the theme of Benjamin Franklin because his most famous experiment was flying kites during storms that eventually led to the invention of the lightning rod. Art Challenge: This week in art we will be doing stamping. We will talk about the printing press,  Benjamin Franklin, and the history behind this form of Art. Math Challenge: Ours is finding Benjamin. See how many ways you can make a “benjamin”=$100! Use paper money to create $100 as many ways as you can. Literacy Challenge: In 1722, after many attempts of trying to get his own work into his brother's newspaper, Benjamin Franklin (under his secret pen name Mrs. Silence Dogo...

News from STEM Rec School year 2018 - 19 Dear Franklin Parents, Welcome to the new school year. My name is Cindy Trueblood and I am the STEM Rec Coordinator for Franklin Discovery Academy. We have some new and exciting things going on in STEM this year and I am thrilled to be a part of it. New people have joined our exceptional team of educators and we look forward to providing your children with even more enriching and engaging challenges.   Remember, our door is always open (literally) and we appreciate parent involvement in any form. Below you will find ways you can contribute. We am always available to discuss ways to improve STEM Rec. If you have ideas, questions or concerns, please contact me or Annette via email at cindy.trueblood@franklindiscovery.org or annette.fullenwider@franklindiscovery.org or call the school at 801-785-6500. We would love to chat! What is STEM Rec? STEM Rec is a unique and exciting learning environment where students have the...

We are excited to announce Mrs. Annette Fullenwider as the new Assistant STEM Rec Director this year. Annette spent last year as the Social Studies Station Master. As Assistant Director, Annette will be working with Station Masters and assisting with student challenges. This is an exciting new opportunity for her and she is thrilled with all the learning possibilities in this amazing school. Annette grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah and still resides there with her husband and two kids. She has her Bachelor’s in Music from UVU with an emphasis in Voice. Annette collaborates with Mrs. Allred, the engaged Music teacher, to teach choir and voice. Annette is a talented seamstress, loves cycling and spending time with her family.