Park Specialists' Newsletter
Fourth Grade Edition - 2nd Trimester
First Trimester Recap
From Park's Art Instructor - Mrs. Ovadje
From Park's Librarian - Mrs. Hanneman
Learning in the Library:
Fourth graders were introduced to concepts of Media literacy (it is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication). Our focus was on consumer education and understanding the role of advertisements in our everyday life. Students played this game from the Federal Trade Commission; students learned about marketing strategies that are commonplace in malls and other retailers. Afterwards, we watched some commercials and food styling videos to see some tricks that companies use as they promote their products. As a fun, culminating activity, students created their own advertisement in Google Drawings. Eager to learn more about media literacy? Common Sense Media has some excellent parent/guardian resources. Click here to get started.
New Books!
The library’s new books were celebrated in class. Students walked around to preview a large sample of the newest books. Books were divided by genre and students were exposed to all genres and reading levels. Check out the list of new books online: destiny.isd423.org. Click on “Resource Lists” Select “2019-2020 New Park Books”. Pictured below are some of the most popular books that fourth graders are eager to read.
From Park's Technology Integration Instructor - Mr. Durheim
During the most recent set of classes, we started each class with a Computational Thinking warmup game or puzzle. These activities are meant to be fun and challenging. Then fourth graders logged into code.org where they continued to learn about coding as they worked through lessons at their own pace. Check out the TechTime website or our Google Classroom (student login required) to learn more about specific activities, websites, and learning goals.
UP NEXT: During the next set of classes, students will continue learning about coding through Scratch.
From Park's Phy Ed Educators - Mrs. Hahn & Mrs. Juergensen
Walk for Hunger Recap:
In December, our students participated in the “Walk for Hunger Food Shelf Drive”. This event combined wellness and community service for our students. We donated 1524 pounds of food to the McLeod County Food Shelf! Thanks to all the families that donated and helped make this event a success!
Thanks for all your help with the Kids Heart Challenge ( Jump Rope for Heart). Our students collected $3430 to give to the American Heart Association to help fight heart disease and strokes.
Units covered during second trimester:
Basketball
Cooperatives- large and small group activities
Multicultural Games
Jumping Activities- Jump ropes, broad jump, hopscotch, leaping and Chinese Jump ropes
Table Tennis
Components of Fitness- Fitness Wheel and identification activities of components.
Simple steps for making a real difference in children’s lives and helping build healthy habits for life:
Keep fresh fruit in a bowl within your child’s reach to grab as a quick snack.
Take a walk with your family after dinner.
Drinking just one can of soda a day increases a child's risk of obesity by 60%. Restrict your child's soft drink consumption.
Turn off the TV during meals and share some family time.
From Park's Music Teachers - Mrs. Hoeft & Ms. Newton
We continue to work on our pitch matching abilities and reading music by singing melodies using the notes in the solfege scale. Students have been practicing using Do Re Mi Fa So La and high Do and low So. The students first echo and sign patterns using these pitches, then decode and read patterns and songs on the music staff. They are also working on their note reading skills as they learn the letter names of the notes on the staff and play their recorders. So far the students have learned to read the notes B, A, G, C and D. They have played songs in their recorder book and also composed their own melodies using these notes and the rhythms of chants and songs. During the holidays, students learned “The World Says Merry Christmas” and played jingle bells along with their recorders. They are off to a good start and will continue to read more songs and learn new notes on the recorder in the third trimester.
Our rhythm work this trimester has focused on reading and playing sixteenth notes. Students enjoyed playing the game X-ray Eyes, where they had to remember a rhythm pattern using sixteenth notes and say it correctly. The students worked hard to play sixteenth note patterns and songs using rhythm sticks while playing along to Rockin’ Rhythm Raps. Another activity used words from the song “Jingle at the Window.” Students worked in groups to create and play a 12-beat jingle composition on tambourines. In a similar activity, students worked in groups to create 16-beat “pie” compositions and played them on tubano drums. They have also practiced playing sixteenth note patterns on their recorders, using the notes they know. During a partner activity, students practiced writing sixteenth notes, then created a composition and played it for the class on rhythm sticks. (see picture of students playing compositions).
During November, fourth graders learned several patriotic songs including This Land is Your Land, Fifty Nifty United States, America the Beautiful, My Country Tis of Thee, and the Star Spangled Banner. Students enjoy singing about their country and learning about the history of our National Anthem. Students also enjoy singing songs from other countries. Multi-cultural music learned this trimester included the Native American song Land of the Silver Birch, and the Hebrew song Hava Nagila. After learning the song, students practiced the grapevine and danced the Israeli folk dance called the Hora.From Park's STEM Specialist - Mrs. McDowell
Throughout all of the STEM projects students are continually following the Engineering Design Process to ask questions, plan, create, make observations and improve their designs along the way. Check out what your child/student has been up to these last couple of months in STEM!
Playdough! Towards the end of the 2nd Trimester 4th grade students finished their “world’s best play dough…” or should I say “Park Elementary’s best play dough” challenge. At the beginning of December, they started the process of discussing and learning about the following terms: chemistry, chemical engineer, matter, solid, liquid, gas, properties, mixture, solution, solvent and solute. After several discussions and hands-on activities that involved them making different solutions using water, flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda, they recorded observations of what they noticed and used this information to help them come up with the perfect play dough recipe. All students got the opportunity to score/judge each groups play dough based on a scale system that took consistency, texture and moldability into account. This was definitely deemed one of their favorite projects and all of them went home with 3 Play-Dough recipes that work!
A “new” STEM year began on January 14th for the classes of Mrs. Weisenberger, Mrs. Hoag, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Thode and Mrs. Hartman. Up until this point, they had been seeing Mrs. Ovadje for Art. It was a bittersweet change as many of the students were going to miss Art, but were also anxiously awaiting their very 1st STEM challenge of the school year!
Clay Boats! 4th grade STEM students spent the last part of the trimester creating a clay boat that could not only float, but hold the most pennies in it as well. In order to be more successful in their mission, they explored whether items sank or float when placed in water. They also discussed the terms buoyancy and density to explain what was happening to each item. They came to the conclusion that an item is less dense than water, and floats, if the water being displaced has less mass than the object itself (also known as Archimedes Principle.) Confusing I know!!! However, they were able to use this information to determine that if they thinned out their clay by rolling it out, their boat would become less dense than the water, have more surface area/volume and be able to float. The thinner they made their boat, the less dense it was, the better it floated and the more money it could hold!
4th graders are currently working on their Flood Barrier unit and will begin their building process when we return from Spring Break. More info to come on this activity in Trimester 3’s Newsletter!Park Elementary School
Email: dan.olberg@isd423.org
Website: isd423.org/park-elementary/
Location: 100 Glen Street Southwest, Hutchinson, MN, United States
Phone: (320) 587-2837
Twitter: @parkelem