February 11-15

Text Dependency
This past Friday, students used an article from their USA Weekly history magazine to begin practicing a new format for assessment questions. Text dependency questions require students to find evidence for the answers to questions in the text the questions are based on. On Monday we'll go over those questions in detail, outlining techniques for finding evidence in the text of the reading material to back up answers to questions. The rationale behind this type of assessment is that research shows that it increases the students' ability to develop a better understanding of how to locate and substantiate information than afforded by mere memorization of isolated facts. Mrs. Ashley and I will continue developing student skills in approaching their reading material in both social studies and science in a more thorough and organized manner. Our primary tools we'll be using in evolving this skill will be the USA Weekly history magazine and the FOSS science reader.

Happy Valentine's Day
I'm sure you've seen the message sent home this week in the gold folders on the Valentine's Day party set for Thursday afternoon. We'll be decorating bags for delivery of Valentine's this week. (Please don't bring Valentines in until Thursday.) The class list was attached to the note. Extra copies are available for students whose notes didn't get home. Treats for this party are on me this time - as a small way of saying thanks for everything you parents have done for our class this year!

Yearbooks
A note from our Yearbook sponsor:
Yearbooks may still be purchased online at ybpay.lifetouch.com using yearbook ID# 10768413. Ordering online will be available until March 8, 2013. Please contact Mrs. Kim Schrank (kschrank@gcsc.k12.in.us) with any questions.
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This Week's Agenda

Monday, February 11   (Gold)
1. Review text dependent questions from Friday
2. Discuss methods for finding evidence in articles
3. Start reading USA Weekly #16
4. Biz Town activity: The effect of limited resources

Tuesday, February 12   (Blue)
1. Testing foods for acid content
2. Social studies map study - The Northwest Territory

Wednesday, February 13   (Gold)
1. Testing foods for acid content continued
2. Learning about vitamins and minerals

Thursday, February 14   (Blue)
1. Examining food nutrition labels for vitamin and mineral content
*** We were originally planning to start DARE today, but due to the afternoon Valentine party, that program's start has been rescheduled to next Wednesday, Feb 20.

Friday, February 15   (Gold)
1. FOSS reader - Article on food and dietary habits in other parts of the world.
2. Text dependent questions on the FOSS article.
3. Wrap up Biz Town study of basic economics