Park Specialists' Newsletter
Fifth Grade Edition - Third Trimester
Third Trimester Recap
From Park's Art Instructor - Mrs. Ovadje
Half of the 5th grade at Park Elementary switched from ART to STEM specialist in January, and vise-versa. In art, we explore many materials and students work hands-on with a variety of materials including markers, crayons, watercolor paint, tempera paint, collage, chalk pastels, oil pastels, printmaking, paint sticks and clay. While making art, we also explore line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space.
Projects we have completed:
Modern Mona Lisa, a spoof of the famous painting by Da Vinci
Clay Leaves
One-Point Perspective City Drawings
Jackson Pollock Action Paintings
Pop Art Food Prints using styrofoam printing plates and block printing ink
Sunflower Still-Lifes using only tints and shades of yellow
Students kept their artwork in their portfolios and took them home the last week of school.
We had a fabulous year in Art.
Until next fall,
Mrs. Ovadje
From Park's Librarian - Ms. Shadis
From Park's Technology Integration Instructor - Mr. Durheim
During the third trimester, fifth graders focused on computational thinking and coding. Students explored four different stations to learn about different types of coding.
Code Monkey introduced the idea of typing simple code to solve puzzles.
Bitsbox guided students through coding apps for a virtual tablet. They learned about how important syntax (exact use of numbers, letters, and symbols) is to code. This website also allowed students to experiment with variables.
Dash and Blockly gave students an opportunity to review coding with the Blockly app to control Dash robots.
micro:bit is a circuit board with LEDs.Students used coding blocks in the online app to create code for lighting the lights in patterns. They then transferred the code to the micro:bit to light up the real LEDs.
Fifth graders spent a significant number of TechTime and Library classes learning how to code using Scratch, a block coding language created by students at MIT. Most students picked up where they left off in fourth grade completing guided coding activities and independent challenges. Students were able to progress at their own pace through the coding activities. Students may continue using their student account through the summer, but they are encouraged to create their own account (with adult support) as the school account will be disabled after the summer.
Online Safety continued as a focus through the third trimester. As fifth graders move to the Middle School and have their own device, it is extremely important that they receive guidance from both school and home on using good netiquette and making wise choices. Online is forever!
Please visit the TechTime website to learn more about specific activities, website links, and learning goals.
Keyboarding
Park’s keyboarding program provides students the opportunity to learn keyboarding skills as part of the specialist rotation schedule. This time is a combination of self-paced work through Typing Quest and other guided practice and instruction. Students, especially those for whom this is a second year of keyboarding instruction, are making good progress.
Continued practice through the summer will help to maintain skills learned and help students to become more efficient. The Park Elementary “For Students” webpage has a link to keyboarding practice websites. You will find it at www.isd423.org/park-elementary/for-students/
From Park's Phy Ed Educators - Mrs. Hahn & Ms. Mueller
Even though the weather was not always cooperative, we took advantage of every
opportunity to be outdoors. Encourage your child to continue keeping active this summer.
Units covered in the third trimester:
● Juggling
● Hockey
● Lawn Games
● Capture the Flag
● Fitness Tests (Students stopped each test when healthy fitness zone was reached)
● Tennis Stations
● Track and Field (see video clips below)
Here are a few ideas for kids to keep active this summer using technology. Here are some
fun apps that will get kids to exercise.
● Sworkit Kids
● 7 Min Workout for Kids
● Go Noodle Kids
From Park's Music Teachers - Ms. Hauth & Mrs. Hoeft
Students have been working hard on playing and practicing recorder throughout the trimester, especially on the Recorder Karate series where they can earn “belts” for each song they can successfully play for the teacher. Most students have reached the Purple Belt (Old MacDonald Had a Farm), but a few worked hard outside of class and made it all the way to the Black Belt (Beethoven’s Ode to Joy melody). We hope that students will continue to play their recorders for fun after fifth grade, and put their musical skills to use in middle school, by joining band and/or choir (many students are in both, and being in both is highly encouraged!). The band students in each class had a “Band Instrument Day” where they shared their instruments with the rest of the music class and demonstrated how to play them and what they each sounded like. They have improved a lot since the beginning of the year, and they enjoyed being able to teach their peers some of their new instrument knowledge.
Fifth graders spent some time recently learning about the famous German composer Ludwig van Beethoven and listening to some of his most famous pieces, like Symphony #5, Symphony #7, Fur Elise and Symphony #9’s Ode to Joy. We also danced to D’hammerschmiedsgelln (a German folk dance) in partners and small groups, which involved a hand clapping pattern and the opportunity to make up their own new patterns and movements with their partners/groups.
Another focus this trimester was composing. Students had to compose a rhythm and a melody and then notate it on staff paper. They practiced their melody on the xylophones or recorders and eventually performed for the class. They worked very hard on their pieces and did a nice job both performing and being a respectful audience member!
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!
Simple Machines! In March 5th Grade STEM students began their simple machines unit. They began the unit learning about simple machines through self-discovery. After spending a couple of sessions exploring, manipulating and discussing how simple machines work, students were given a task that focused mainly on using the “pulley” system. They were directed to build a contraption that would transport as many “people” (aka washers) safely across a gondola-style zip line. A friendly little competition ensued and students contended to see who could get the most riders on their gondola and/or the fastest time down the line. After several test runs and observations students discovered what character traits a successful and safe gondola had, and also made the connection that the more riders one had on their gondola, the faster it went.
Water Filters! In May, 5th grader began their last in-depth STEM unit of their Park
Elementary career…water filters! Students began this unit discussing the terms
“environmental engineer,” “natural contaminates,” and “human contaminates”
and how each plays a role in the cleanliness of drinking water. They were
challenged to create their own water filter that filtered contaminates from “dirty
water.” Each item in their homemade “dirty water” represented something you
would find in real natural water sources. For example, pencil shavings
represented sticks and glitter represented bacteria/microbes/viruses you might
find in water, etc. The students were provided with several different materials to
build their filter with, however each had a point value attached with it. They were
limited to the amount of points they got to use to build their filter with, which
presented itself with its own challenges. Through this process students
discovered that some materials were more beneficial than others to use. They
learned a lot about themselves in how they problem solve through situations that
are difficult.
Life Preservers! With only a few days to fill before the end of the school year, we
concluded STEM students’ Park Elementary year working on a summer related
STEM project…creating a life jacket. Each group of students had to collaborate
with 2 to 3 other partners to come up with a way to get a soup can to float in
water for more than a minute. While we had many successes, we discussed what
features were best when using an actual life-preserver and how our last STEM
challenge related to what real engineers do on a normal basis in their labs after
they have created their first prototypes.
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