Don't forget you need to have your library books here in class tomorrow.  If none of your books are in yet, then you need a note from your parent saying that.

Tip 1:  Find Reliable Results with Sweet Search.

Sweet Search is a search engine like Google except the only websites it searches are reviewed and by professionals to make sure they will have true information in them.

Tip 2:  Find Readable Results with Google.

Google just released a feature that allows you to sort your search results into basic, intermediate, and advanced reading level.  See the image below for how to do it.

Check out this video from Common Craft on how to find what you want on the internet efficiently.

Here are some search tips:

• Search with keywords, not questions.
  
• Imagine what words will be on the site you would like to find.
  
• You probably want to ignore the advertised sites at the top.  They paid to be there.
• Words like of, the, a, and in are usually left out of your query.
  
• Use quotation marks to search for phrases.  For example, searching for sand sharks will look for those two words in any order in any places on a website, but "sand sharks" searches for that exact phrase in that exact order any place on a website.
  
• Sort your Google search results by reading level.
• Use a search engine that automatically gives you reliable results like Sweet Search.

Most students were able to show off their Anything Projects today.  It was so great to see what kids will create if their teacher will just get out of their way.  Everyone worked hard and created such different products.  It's amazing to see how God has gifted all of us so differently.  

Here's a recap of what we saw (or will see soon)!

Nolan - wrote and recorded a new song
Amy - made a scrapbook on Paris
Jadyn - made a magazine with recipes, horse facts, and basketball tips
Jessica - wrote a short story
Brennan - wrote a "simple, but advanced" textbook for kids on particle physics
Kameron - created a website on BMXing
Gavin - wrote a book of baseball tips
Ben and Petr - created an activity book with an assortment of different activities
Micah K. - made a claymation video
Mariah - wrote a short story
Connor - developed a balloon animal show
Austin - designed a freerunning website
Micah M. - made a comic that instructs people on how to play raquetball
Sam - created a cookbook and cooked for the class
Cameron - wrote a short story
Micah R. - wrote a political speech
Carter - created a gaming website from HTML
Alayna - made a scrapbook on Italy
Natalie - created a website about her experience with cooking for her family
Chloe - created a family recipe book

Parents, we are starting a new unit next week in which we will be researching people, places, and events from the American Revolution.  Our research will take place in books and the internet.  

Today, those students who remembered their library cards, reserved library books that will hopefully be ready for you to pick up shortly.

Those students who forgot their library cards wrote down the names of books they would like to use and they will need to pull them themselves when they go to the library.

Either way, I'm hoping that each student has some relevant books here at school by next Wednesday.  The exception would be students whose reserved library books that are not available yet.

Here is the link to the Whatcom County Library System.  You'll need this today to pick out the books for your upcoming research project.

1.  In which early colony would you feel most at home?  Please provide at least three specific reasons based on facts from the text.

2.  The House of Burgesses was the first example of representative government in the colonies.  How does representative government work?

1.  Focus on one task at a time for limited amounts of time
Try staying completely focused on making your history review flashcards for 1 minute.  Then see if you can beat 1 minute and try for 1.5 minutes.  Fill in the amounts of time that make sense for you, your task and your environment.

2.  Get glucose
Self-control and glucose are apparently very connected.  When we run low on blood-sugar, self-control is harder.  To get glucose try 1) eating, 2) moving (which releases glucose from the liver), or 3) having strong emotions.  All of these things increase our blood sugar and, in turn, our capacity for self control.

3.  Make your to-do list actionable
Instead of writing "history test", write "make flashcards for sections 7.1-7.3".  Instead of writing "paint the bedroom", write "select and purchase paint at store".  Make sure you can do anything on your to-do list immediately.

These first three come from a monthly brain-science email sent by Eric Jensen.  I would add a fourth tip, though.

4.  Pray for the Holy Spirit
We know that self-control is one of the fruits of the spirit, so pray that he would work in you and be your helper.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would help you focus!

Here (hopefully) is a link to a folder that contains overviews of all the major colonies.

It was made by last year's class and contains some extra material (on WWII) that isn't necessary for you, but I thought sharing it would be better than not.