1. The Read

Title: The President and the Peak

Did you know our school is named after the 25th President of the United States? His name was William McKinley. He was President a long time ago, from 1897 to 1901.

President McKinley was known for many things, but one of the biggest honors he received happened far away from the White House. In Alaska, there is a giant mountain. It is the tallest mountain in all of North America! For over 100 years, this mountain was named "Mount McKinley" to honor him. Today, we use the Native American name for the mountain: Denali, which means "The Great One."  

Even though President McKinley never climbed that mountain, having his name on it showed how important he was to the country. America is famous for its beautiful land. We have National Parks all over the country—especially right here in Utah! From the red rocks of Arches to the steep cliffs of Zion, these parks are protected places where animals can live safely and people can enjoy nature.

Just like a school is a place to learn, a National Park is a place to explore. This week, we honor our school's name by looking at the great outdoors!

Standard 4.4.3
Identify Utah symbols, their connection to history and geography, and what these symbols tell us about our shared culture. Explain how they can show respect and appreciation for those symbols.

2. Vocabulary Power

Definitions to discuss with your child:

• Summit: The very top of a mountain. (Example: It takes days to climb to the summit of Denali.)

• Honor: To show great respect for someone. (Example: We honor President McKinley by naming our school after him.)

• Preserve: To keep something safe so it doesn't get ruined. (Example: National Parks preserve the land so we can visit it forever.)

3. Talk About It

Three questions to ask your child after reading:

1. The Fact Check: Where is the mountain that was named after President McKinley located? (Answer: Alaska)

2. The Utah Connection: We live in a beautiful state! Have you ever visited a National Park in Utah, or gone hiking in the mountains nearby? What did you see?

3. Critical Thinking: Why do you think it is important for us to "preserve" (protect) nature? What would happen if we didn't?

4. The Challenge: "Backyard Ranger"

Get off the screen and get outside!

Mission: Every National Park has a cool sign. Go into your backyard or look out your front window. Imagine the land surrounding where you live is a National Park.

1. Draw It: Draw a sign for your park. Give it a name (like "The Smith Family National Park").

2. Map It: Find 3 distinct things in your "Park" (a big tree, a rock, a swing set) and draw them on your sign.

Virtual Field Trip to Mount McKinley:  Mount McKinley 

1. The Read

Title: The Ultimate Climb

Last week, we learned about the highest mountains on Earth. But did you know that explorers didn't stop at the top of the mountains? They wanted to go even higher. They wanted to explore the stars!

Being an astronaut is a little bit like climbing a mountain. It takes a team of people to help you get there, it is dangerous, and it takes a lot of training. In 1969, an American named Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon. When he stepped off his spaceship, he didn't just climb a peak; he stood on a whole new world!

Today, we are still exploring. We have robot cars called "rovers" driving around on Mars right now. They take pictures of the red rocks and send them back to Earth. Scientists are working hard to figure out how to send humans to Mars safely. It is a long trip—it takes about seven months just to get there!

Who knows? The first person to walk on Mars might be a student at McKinley Elementary right now.

Standard 3.3.3

Construct an explanation that the gravitational force exerted by Earth causes objects to be directed downward, toward the center of the spherical Earth. Emphasize that "downward" is a local description depending on one's position on Earth.

2. Vocabulary Power

Definitions to discuss with your child:

• Gravity: The invisible force that pulls things down to the ground. (Example: On the Moon, there is less gravity, so astronauts can jump really high!)

• Lunar: A word used to describe anything related to the Moon. (Example: The astronauts landed on the lunar surface.)

• Mission: A specific job or trip with a goal. (Example: The rover’s mission is to find water on Mars.)

3. Talk About It

Three questions to ask your child after reading:

1. Fact Check: How long does it take for a spaceship to travel from Earth to Mars? (Answer: About 7 months).

2. Imagination: If you could pack a backpack for a trip to the Moon, what 3 things would you bring with you? Remember, there are no stores in space!

3. Critical Thinking: Astronauts have to study math and science for years before they can go to space. Why do you think school is so important for space travel?

4. The Challenge: "Mission Patch Design"

Every space mission has a special patch that astronauts wear on their uniforms to show what their goal is.

Mission: Create your own "Summer Mission Patch."

1. Draw a Circle: Get a piece of paper and draw a big circle (trace a bowl if you need to!).

2. Set Your Goal: What is your main goal for this summer? Is it reading 10 books? Learning to ride a bike without training wheels? Camping?

3. Design It: Draw a picture inside the circle that shows your goal. Write "Mission 2026" at the bottom.

4. Wear It: Cut it out and tape it to your shirt (or the fridge)!

Virtual Field Trip:  NASA Field Trip to Mars      Mars Field Trip 

1. The Read 

Title: The Birthday of a Nation

This week, we celebrate a very special birthday. It isn't for a person, but for our country! On July 4th, 1776, the United States decided it wanted to be its own country, free to make its own rules. That is why we call it "Independence Day."

Being a President, like William McKinley, means promising to take care of the country and its people. But you don't have to be a President to be important. Everyone who lives here is a "citizen." Citizens work together to make their towns and schools better places.

We use symbols to show our love for our country. The American Flag has 50 stars (one for each state, including Utah!) and 13 stripes (for the first 13 colonies). Another famous symbol is the Bald Eagle. You might see eagles flying in the mountains of Northern Utah. They were chosen as our national bird because they are strong, free, and fly high above the rest—just like we want our country to be.

Strand 3: Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Community Member
Students delineate their civic rights and responsibilities as members of their community and the limits to their rights when they conflict with the rights of others. Students are introduced to the concepts of civil rights, public virtue, and civic engagement.

2. Vocabulary Power

Definitions to discuss with your child:

• Independence: Being free to make your own choices and not being controlled by others. (Example: When you learn to tie your shoes, you gain a little bit of independence.)

• Symbol: A picture or object that stands for an idea. (Example: A heart is a symbol of love; the flag is a symbol of our country.)

• Citizen: A member of a community or country. (Example: Good citizens follow the rules and help their neighbors.)

3. Talk About It

Three questions to ask your child after reading:

1. Fact Check: What do the 50 stars on the flag stand for? (Answer: The 50 States).

2. The "Good Citizen" Check: Presidents have big jobs, but kids have jobs too. What is one thing you can do to be a "good citizen" at McKinley Elementary? (Helping clean up, being kind to others, etc.).

3. Critical Thinking: Why do you think we use fireworks to celebrate? How do they make you feel? (Excited, loud, happy—it feels like a big party).

4. The Challenge: "Design Your Own Flag"

Countries have flags, but families and kids can have them too!

Mission: Create a flag that represents YOU or your family.

1. The Colors: Pick 2 or 3 colors. What do they mean? (Yellow for happiness? Blue for calm? Red for energy?)

2. The Symbol: Draw one big symbol in the middle. If you love reading, maybe it's a book. If you love soccer, draw a ball. If you love the Cougars, draw a paw print!

3. The Creation: Draw it on paper, or if you are feeling crafty, use an old pillowcase and markers to make a real one!

4. Display: Tape it to your bedroom door. This is now your independent territory!

Virtual Field Trip:  Museum of the American Revolution 

1. The Read

Title: The Lake That Doesn't Flow Out

If you look at a map of Utah, you will see a big blue shape right near us. It is the Great Salt Lake. It is one of the most famous lakes in the entire world!

Most lakes have rivers that flow in and rivers that flow out to the ocean. But the Great Salt Lake is different. Rivers flow in, but nothing flows out! The water just sits there. When the hot sun shines down, the water turns into vapor (evaporation), but the salt stays behind. Over thousands of years, the lake has become super salty—much saltier than the ocean!

Because the water is so salty, it does something magic: it makes things float easily. If you went swimming there, you would bob on top of the water like a cork!

Even though the water is too salty for fish, it is full of tiny creatures called brine shrimp (you might know them as "Sea Monkeys"). Millions of birds fly from all over the world to stop at the Bear River Refuge nearby to eat these shrimp and rest. It is like a giant rest stop for birds on their long travels.

Standard 6.4.3

Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. Emphasize food webs and the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers in various ecosystems. Examples could include Utah ecosystems such as mountains, Great Salt Lake, wetlands, and deserts.

Standard 3.2.5

Engage in argument from evidence that in a particular habitat (system) some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. Emphasize that organisms and habitats form systems in which the parts depend upon each other. Examples of evidence could include needs and characteristics of the organisms and habitats involved such as cacti growing in dry, sandy soil but not surviving in wet, saturated soil. 

2. Vocabulary Power

Definitions to discuss with your child:

• Evaporation: When water gets hot and turns into gas (vapor) and rises into the air. (Example: The puddle disappeared because of evaporation.)

• Buoyancy: The ability to float in water. (Example: The salt water gives swimmers extra buoyancy.)

• Migratory: Moving from one place to another with the seasons. (Example: Migratory birds fly south for the winter.)

3. Talk About It

Three questions to ask your child after reading:

1. Fact Check: Why is the Great Salt Lake so salty? (Answer: Water flows in, but doesn't flow out, so the salt gets trapped).

2. The "Local" Connection: Have you ever seen the white, salty ground near the lake? Or have you smelled the "lake smell"? That is nature at work!

3. Critical Thinking: Since we live in a desert where it is very dry, why do we need to be careful with how much water we use on our lawns and in our houses?

4. The Challenge: "The Tin Foil Captain"

This is an engineering challenge. You need a bucket of water (or the bathtub), some aluminum foil, and some pennies.

Mission: Build a boat that can hold the most cargo.

1. The Build: Take a square of aluminum foil. Fold it and shape it into a boat. (Will you make a canoe shape? A flat barge? A cup shape?)

2. The Float: Put it in the water. Does it float?

3. The Cargo: Gently add pennies (or small rocks/legos) one at a time. Count them as you go.

4. The Sink: How many pennies did it hold before it sank?

5. The Redesign: Take a new piece of foil and try a different shape. Can you beat your record?

Virtual Field Trip:  The Great Salt Lake 

1. The Read

Title: The Boy Who Invented TV

You probably watch TV or look at screens every day. But did you know the idea for the electronic television came from a 14-year-old boy? His name was Philo Farnsworth, and he was born right here in Utah.

Philo was very smart and loved science. One day, he was helping his father plow a potato field. He looked back at the straight lines in the dirt. Back and forth, back and forth.

Suddenly, he had a "lightbulb moment"! He realized he could send pictures through the air by breaking them down into lines of light—just like the lines in the potato field.

Most adults told him it was impossible. They said, "You can't send moving pictures through the air!" But Philo didn't listen. He kept drawing his diagrams and testing his ideas. In 1927, he successfully sent the first electronic image. Because a Utah farm boy used his imagination, the whole world changed forever.

Standard 4.2.3
Plan and carry out an investigation to gather evidence from observations that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electrical currents. Examples could include sound causing objects to vibrate and electric currents being used to produce motion or light. (PS3.A, PS3.B)

Standard 6.2.2
Develop a model to predict the effect of heat energy on states of matter and density. Emphasize the arrangement of particles in states of matter (solid, liquid, or gas) and during phase changes (melting, freezing, condensing, and evaporating). (PS1.A, PS3.A)

2. Vocabulary Power

Definitions to discuss with your child:

• Innovation: Creating a new idea or a better way of doing something. (Example: The smartphone was a major innovation in how we talk to people.)

• Persistence: Trying again and again, even when it is hard. (Example: Philo showed persistence when people told him his idea wouldn't work.)

• Blueprint: A detailed drawing or plan of how to build something. (Example: Before building the Lego set, we looked at the blueprint.)

3. Talk About It

Three questions to ask your child after reading:

1. Fact Check: What was Philo looking at when he got the idea for TV? (Answer: Lines in a potato field).

2. The "What If": Imagine a world without TV, iPads, or phones. What would you do for fun in the evenings?

3. Critical Thinking: Philo was only 14 when he had his big idea. Do you think you have to be an adult to change the world? Why or why not?

4. The Challenge: "The Rube Goldberg Machine"

Inventors love making simple tasks complicated just for fun!

Mission: Build a machine that performs a very simple task (like ringing a bell or putting a ball in a cup) in a complicated way.

1. The Goal: Make a marble (or small ball) roll into a cup.

2. The Setup: Don't just drop it in! Use toilet paper rolls as tunnels. Use books as ramps. Use a toy car to bump the marble.

3. The Chain Reaction: Set it up so A hits B, B hits C, and C hits the marble.

4. Test It: Does it work? If not, adjust your "blueprint" and try again!

Virtual Field Trip:  The Early Television Museum 

1. The Read

Title: The View from the Top

Congratulations, Climbers! You have made it.

Eight weeks ago, we started our summer journey at the bottom of the mountain. Since then, we have explored National Parks, blasted off into space, built bridges for trains, dug for dinosaurs, and celebrated our country’s birthday.

In mountain climbing, reaching the top is called "summiting." When climbers reach the summit, they do two things. First, they look back at how far they have come. Second, they look forward to see what is next.

Next month, you are starting a brand new adventure: a new grade level at McKinley Elementary! Just like climbing a mountain, a new school year can feel a little scary at first. You might have a new teacher, new subjects to learn, or new friends to meet. But remember: you are a McKinley Cougar. You have spent all summer practicing your reading, thinking, and exploring. You are strong, smart, and ready for the climb.

The best part about our school is that you never have to climb alone. Your teachers, the principal, and your friends are all roped up together with you. We help each other up.

Take a deep breath of fresh air. Enjoy the view. We can't wait to see you in the halls!

7 Mindsets:  "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.  Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal."  Pamela Vaull Starr

2. Vocabulary Power

Definitions to discuss with your child:

• Achievement: Doing something successfully that required effort and skill. (Example: Finishing the summer reading program is a huge achievement.)

• Courage: Being brave enough to do something even if you are a little nervous. (Example: It takes courage to walk into a new classroom on the first day.)

• Community: A group of people who live or work together and help each other. (Example: McKinley Elementary is a community where we all belong.)

3. Talk About It

Three questions to ask your child after reading:

1. Reflect: What was your favorite week of the summer program? Did you like the Space week or the Dinosaur week best?

2. Look Forward: What is ONE thing you are really excited about for school? (Recess? Math? Seeing friends?)

3. The "Cougar Code": What does it mean to be a good friend on the playground? If you see someone sitting alone, what could you do?

4. The Challenge: "The Time Capsule Letter"

A message to your future self!

Mission: Write a short letter to yourself to open on the LAST day of school next year.

1. Write: On a piece of paper, write:

   • My name is...

   • My favorite thing to do is...

   • This year, I want to learn how to...

2. Seal: Put it in an envelope. Write "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL MAY 2027" on the front.

3. Store: Put it in your sock drawer or give it to your parents to hide.

4. Bonus: Draw a picture of yourself as you look today to put inside!