1. The Read

Title: From Sea to Shining Sea

Welcome to the Summit, 5th Graders!

You are the leaders of the school this year. That is a big responsibility. Speaking of leaders, let's talk about the namesake of our school: William McKinley.

McKinley was the 25th President. He led America during a time of huge change (the Industrial Revolution). To honor him, the tallest peak in North America was named Mount McKinley. (Though today, we use its native Athabascan name: Denali, which means "The High One").

Geography shapes history. Why did the first colonies start on the East Coast? (Because that's where the boats landed!). Why did it take so long to settle the West? (Because giant mountains like the Rockies stood in the way!).

This summer, we are going to look at the "Big Picture." How does the land we live on shape the lives we lead?

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2. Vocabulary Power

• Topography: The arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area.

• Expansion: The action of becoming larger or more extensive (like Westward Expansion).

• Industrialization: The shift from making things by hand to making things by machine.

3. Talk About It

• Discussion: Why do you think Native American names for mountains (like Denali) are being restored in place of names of Presidents? (Respect for the people who lived there first).

• Map Skills: If you had to drive from Utah to the White House (Washington D.C.), which direction would you go? (East!).

4. The Challenge: "The Topo Map"

• Mission: Understand topography.

• Build: Crumple up a piece of paper into a "mountain" shape. Tape it down to a piece of cardboard so it stays crinkled.

• The Lines: Take a marker. Draw horizontal lines around the mountain at different heights (like rings).

• The Flattening: Untape the paper and flatten it out. Look at the rings. You just made a topographic map! The lines that are close together mean "Steep." The lines far apart mean "Flat."

Language Arts:

1. Standard 5.V.P.2 - Develop a logical argument for safe and effective use of materials and techniques for preparing and presenting artwork. 

2. Standard 5.R.5 - Identify and refer to evidence from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (RL & RI) 

3. Standard 5.R.6 - Determine the theme or main idea of a text including those from diverse cultures and how it is conveyed through particular details and summarize the text. (RL & RI) 

Social Studies: 

• 1. Standard 5.4.1 - Use evidence from multiple perspectives (for example, pioneers, 49ers, Black Americans, Chinese Americans, Native Americans, new immigrants, people experiencing religious persecution) to make a case for the most significant social, economic, and environmental changes brought about by Westward Expansion and the Industrial Revolution. 

  2. Standard 5.4.2 - Use primary sources to explain the driving forces for why people immigrated and emigrated during the 19th century, as well as the ways that movement changed the nation. 

Visual Arts:

1. Standard 5.V.C.2 - Experiment with and develop skills in multiple art-making techniques and approaches through practice. 

2. Standard 5.V.P.2 - Develop a logical argument for safe and effective use of materials and techniques for preparing and presenting artwork. 

1. The Read

Title: The Physics of Flight

We know about the astronauts. But let's talk about the math that got them there.

Getting a rocket off the ground is a battle against Gravity. Earth pulls everything down. To break free, you need Thrust.

Isaac Newton gave us the rule: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Think of a balloon. If you blow it up and let it go, the air shoots back, and the balloon shoots forward. That is exactly how the Saturn V rocket worked. It burned fuel to shoot gas down at 5,000 miles per hour, which pushed the rocket up!

Engineers in Utah (at Promontory) built the solid rocket boosters that gave the Space Shuttle the extra "kick" it needed to escape gravity.

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2. Vocabulary Power

• Trajectory: The curved path of an object thrown or launched into space.

• Velocity: Speed in a specific direction.

• Aerodynamics: The study of how air moves around things (like rockets or planes).

3. Talk About It

• Question: Why do rockets have stages (parts that fall off)? (Once the fuel is used, the tank is just dead weight. Dropping it makes the rocket lighter and faster!).

• Debate: Billions of dollars are spent on space travel. Do you think it is worth it? Why or why not?

4. The Challenge: "Balloon Rocket Race"

• Mission: Demonstrate Newton's Third Law.

• Setup: Thread a string through a drinking straw. Tie the string across the room (tight!).

• Prep: Blow up a balloon but don't tie it (hold the neck). Tape the balloon to the straw.

• Launch: Let go! Measure how far it went.

• Engineer: Try it again with more air. Try it with a "cargo" (tape a penny to it). Does weight slow it down?

Math standards:

1. Standard 5.MP.1 - Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Explain the meaning of a problem, look for entry points to begin work on the problem, and plan and choose a solution pathway. When a solution pathway does not make sense, look for another pathway that does. Explain connections between various solution strategies and representations. Upon finding a solution, look back at the problem to determine whether the solution is reasonable and accurate, often checking answers to problems using a different method or approach. 

2. Standard 5.MP.5 - Use appropriate tools strategically. Consider the tools that are available when solving a mathematical problem, whether in a real-world or mathematical context. Choose tools that are relevant and useful to the problem at hand, such as drawings, diagrams, technologies, and physical objects and tools, as well as mathematical tools such as estimation or a particular strategy or algorithm. 

1. The Read

Title: The Internet of the 1860s

Today, if you want to buy something from China, you click a button and it arrives in two days.

In 1860, that was impossible. The Transcontinental Railroad changed everything. It wasn't just about travel; it was about Economy.

Before the train, a pair of shoes in San Francisco cost a fortune because they had to be shipped around South America. After the train, the price dropped. Farmers in Utah could sell their wheat to people in New York.

The Golden Spike (driven here in Utah) was the final link in the chain. It made the United States into one giant "Marketplace."

It was the biggest engineering project of the 19th Century, and it proved that America could do impossible things.

2. Vocabulary Power

• Economy: The system of how money is made and used within a country.

• Supply and Demand: How much of something there is vs. how much people want it.

• Infrastructure: The basic structures needed for a society to function (roads, bridges, power lines, trains).

3. Talk About It

• Question: The railroad replaced the Pony Express (horses delivering mail). What replaced the railroad for mail? (Airplanes and Trucks). What replaced letters? (Email!).

• Local connection: Why is "Ogden" such a big train city? (Because it was the junction where the lines met!).

4. The Challenge: "Bridge Builder"

• Mission: Trains are heavy. Bridges need to be strong.

• Materials: Dry spaghetti noodles and marshmallows (or tape).

• Goal: Build a bridge between two chairs (10 inches apart).

• Test: Place a cup on the bridge. Add pennies one by one until it breaks.

• Hint: Triangles are the strongest shape!

Math Standards:

1. Standard 5.MP.1 - Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Explain the meaning of a problem, look for entry points to begin work on the problem, and plan and choose a solution pathway. When a solution pathway does not make sense, look for another pathway that does. Explain connections between various solution strategies and representations. Upon finding a solution, look back at the problem to determine whether the solution is reasonable and accurate, often checking answers to problems using a different method or approach. 

Social Studies:

1. Standard 5.6.4 - Research and summarize the accomplishments and contributions of a minority community in the United States today. 

1. The Read

Title: The Layers of Time

5th Graders, look at the ground. You are standing on top of a history book.

Geologists use the Law of Superposition. It sounds fancy, but it just means: The oldest stuff is on the bottom, and the newest stuff is on the top. (Like a laundry basket!).

When we dig deep in Utah, we find dinosaur bones from the Jurassic period. If we dig shallow, we find Ice Age bones (like Mammoths).

Fossilization is rare. Most animals just rot away. To become a fossil, an animal has to be buried quickly (by mud or sand) so oxygen can't get to it. Over millions of years, minerals in the water swap places with the bone, turning it to stone.

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2. Vocabulary Power

• Geology: The science that deals with the earth's physical structure and substance.

• Sedimentary: Rock that has formed from sediment deposited by water or air (where fossils are found!).

• Excavation: The action of digging and removing earth carefully.

3. Talk About It

• Concept Check: If you found a T-Rex bone above a Mammoth bone, would that make sense? (No! T-Rex is older, so it should be deeper. Unless an earthquake moved the ground!).

• Utah Fact: Utah is one of the best places in the world for geology because we don't have a lot of plants covering the rocks!

4. The Challenge: "Layer Cake Geology"

• Mission: Visualize strata.

• Build: Use a clear glass.

• Layer 1: Put in some crushed cookies (The Bedrock).

• Layer 2: Put in pudding (The Mud).

• Layer 3: Put in gummy worms (The Fossils).

• Layer 4: Put in whipped cream (The Topsoil).

• Excavate: Use a spoon to "drill" a core sample. Look at the layers in your spoon.

Science Standards:

1. Standard 5.1.4 - Develop a model to describe interactions between Earth's systems including the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere. Emphasize interactions between only two systems at a time. Examples could include the influence of a rainstorm in a desert, waves on a shoreline, or mountains on clouds. (ESS2.A) 

1. The Read

Title: We the People

The 4th of July isn't just about fireworks. It is about an idea.

In 1776, the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence. They said that all people have "Unalienable Rights"—rights that no King can take away. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Later, they wrote the Constitution. This is the rulebook for our government. It splits power into three branches so no one person gets too powerful (Checks and Balances).

1. Legislative: Makes the laws (Congress).

2. Executive: Enforces the laws (President).

3. Judicial: Decides if laws are fair (Supreme Court).

As a 5th Grader, you are a citizen-in-training. Your job is to learn the rules so you can help change them for the better one day.

2. Vocabulary Power

• Democracy: A system of government by the whole population (usually through elected representatives).

• Amendment: A change or addition to the Constitution (like the Freedom of Speech).

• Citizen: A legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth.

3. Talk About It

• Question: Why do we need three branches? Why not just let one person decide everything? (To prevent bullying or bad decisions).

• Rights: Do you have the right to say anything you want? (Mostly, yes. But you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater because it hurts people. Rights come with responsibilities).

4. The Challenge: "The Preamble Puzzle"

• Mission: The Preamble is the intro to the Constitution. It starts "We the People..."

• Create: Write the Preamble phrases on index cards (or strips of paper):

  • We the People

  • In Order to form a more perfect Union

  • Establish Justice

  • Insure domestic Tranquility

  • Provide for the common defence

• Scramble: Mix them up.

• Solve: Time yourself putting them in the right order.

Social Studies:

1. Standard 5.2.2 - Summarize the most significant ideas found in the Declaration of Independence. 

2. Standard 5.2.4 - Use evidence from primary and secondary sources to craft an argument that explains how the American colonists prevailed over one of the world's most powerful empires. 

3. Standard 5.3.3 - Explain why the Founders established a compound constitutional republic with three branches, and cite historic and current examples of checks and balances. 

4. Standard 5.3.5 - Investigate how constitutional amendments are passed, and provide examples of how amendments to the Constitution have extended rights to groups originally denied protection under the Constitution (for example, women, enslaved people, immigrants, Black Americans, Native Americans).

5. Standard 5.3.6 - Describe the civic duties members of American society have today (for example, voting, holding public office, jury duty).

1. The Read

Title: The Great Salt Lake in Trouble

You know the Great Salt Lake is salty. You know things float in it. But did you know it is shrinking?

We live in a desert. We use water for our lawns, our farms, and our showers. That water comes from the rivers that should be flowing into the lake. Because we use the water before it gets there, the lake is drying up.

This is a problem because the dust at the bottom of the lake has bad chemicals in it. If the water dries up, the wind blows that dust into the air we breathe.

Also, millions of birds rely on the lake for food. If the lake dies, the birds have nowhere to go.

Being a steward means taking care of something. We need to be stewards of our water.

2. Vocabulary Power

• Ecosystem: A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

• Stewardship: The job of supervising or taking care of something.

• Conservation: Prevention of wasteful use of a resource.

3. Talk About It

• Critical Thinking: How can we save water at home? (Shorter showers? Watering the grass at night instead of the hot afternoon? Planting cactus instead of grass?).

• Impact: How does your shower affect a bird at the lake? (It's all connected!).

4. The Challenge: "Solar Still"

• Mission: Can you get fresh water from salt water?

• Setup: Put salty water in a large bowl. Place a shorter, empty cup in the center.

• Cover: Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Put a small rock in the center of the plastic so it dips down right over the empty cup.

• Sun: Put it in the hot sun.

• Wait: The water evaporates (leaving salt behind), hits the plastic, runs down to the rock point, and drips into the empty cup.

• Taste: Taste the water in the cup. Is it salty? (No! It is fresh!).

Science Standards:

1. Standard 5.1.2 - Use mathematics and computational thinking to compare the quantity of saltwater and freshwater in various reservoirs to provide evidence for the distribution of water on Earth. Emphasize reservoirs such as oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, groundwater, and polar ice caps. Examples of using mathematics and computational thinking could include measuring, estimating, graphing, or finding percentages of quantities. 

1. The Read

Title: From Farming to Silicon Slopes

Utah used to be all farms. Now, we have an area called "Silicon Slopes" (near Lehi) where tech companies write code and build software.

Technology grows exponentially.

• Your grandparents listened to the Radio.

• Your parents watched Cable TV.

• You watch Streaming on an iPad.

What will come next?

Philo Farnsworth (the Utah boy who invented TV) proved that one person can change the world. Today, inventors are working on Artificial Intelligence, self-driving cars, and clean energy.

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. What problem do you see in the world that needs fixing?

2. Vocabulary Power

• Technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

• Algorithm: A set of rules to be followed in calculations (like a recipe for a computer).

• Innovation: A new method, idea, or product.

3. Talk About It

• Discussion: Robots are getting smarter. Do you think a robot could ever be a teacher? Why or why not? (Maybe for math facts, but could a robot help you if you were sad?)

• Brainstorm: Think of a chore you hate. Imagine a machine to do it.

4. The Challenge: "Binary Code Bracelets"

• Mission: Write your initials in "Computer Language."

• Code: Computers only speak in 0s and 1s.

  • A = 01000001

  • B = 01000010

  • (Look up a "Binary Code Chart" online).

• Create: Use beads (or colored squares on paper).

  • Red Bead = 0

  • Blue Bead = 1

• String: Make a bracelet that spells your name in hidden code!

Computer Science Standards:

1. Standard 5.IC.1 - Propose ways to improve the accessibility and usability of technology products for the diverse needs and wants of users. (Practice 1: Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture)

1. Students will propose improvements of current technology based on needs and wants of a user. For example, having programs read in multiple languages, modifying hardware to meet the needs of a user, etc.

1. The Read

Title: The View from the Top

5th Grade is the "Senior Year" of Elementary School.

You are the oldest students on campus. The Kindergartners look up to you (literally and figuratively).

Reaching the summit isn't just about being smart; it's about character.

• Resilience: Can you bounce back when you fail a test?

• Empathy: Can you understand how others feel?

• Integrity: Do you do the right thing even when no one is watching?

Next year, you head to Middle School. That is a whole new mountain range. But don't worry—you have all the gear you need. You have learned how to learn.

Enjoy your last year at McKinley. Make it legendary.

2. Vocabulary Power

• Leadership: The action of leading a group of people or an organization.

• Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

• Legacy: What you leave behind for others to remember you by.

3. Talk About It

• Reflection: What is your favorite memory from Elementary school so far?

• Action: How can you be a leader on the playground? (Stopping a bully? Including someone left out?)

4. The Challenge: "The 10-Year Letter."

• Mission: Write a letter to yourself at age 20.

• Ask:

  • What are your hobbies now?

  • Who are your best friends?

  • What do you want to be when you grow up?

• Seal: Put it in an envelope. "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 2035."

• Keep: This is a time capsule of who you are right now.

Language Arts Standards:

1. Standard 5.W.2 - Write informative/explanatory pieces to examine a topic that links and conveys ideas and information clearly, using words, phrases, and clauses to show the relationship between ideas, paragraphs, and/or sections, and provide a concluding section related to the information or explanation presented.

1. Introduce a topic and group related information in paragraphs and/or sections using organizational structures, produce complex sentences, and text features, including multimedia when useful, to support the writer's purpose.

2. Develop the topic using relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or examples.

3. Use precise language and content-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

4. Use appropriate conventions when writing, including text cohesion, sentence structure, and phrasing.

Health Standards:

1. Standard 5.HF.3 - Define and practice positive self-talk.

2. Standard 5.HF.4 - Demonstrate ways to express gratitude and treat others with dignity and respect.