Mrs Difficult

Wouldn't it be nice if parents, teachers and students could all get on the same page? The truth is that many parents are unclear about just what their role is in their child's education. The Parent-Teacher-Student Contract is a contract that turns parents, teacher and student into a team working toward the same goal: the success of the student. It outlines what is expected of parents, what is expected of teachers and what is expected of students. Introduce this to your students at the start o

This Common Core aligned unit features EVERYTHING you need to teach reading and writing nonfiction about U.S. Presidents including: • four biographies of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Barack Obama • card game to check for student reading comprehension • cloze structure to help first graders write a biography of a president • Compare and Contrast chart to compare/contrast presidents • cloze structure to help first graders write a compare and contrast essay on 2 U.

This Common-Core aligned unit allows you to hit both ELA and Social Studies standards as your students read rigorous nonfiction and write responses to comprehension questions as well as an essay in which they evaluate the contributions of the Dutch on the culture of New York City. The product includes BOTH articles with glossaries and a workbook. Students will love exploring this rich history which is both well-researched and well-written. You'll have a blast with this material which connect

There is no better way to teach story elements such as plot, character, villain, setting, conflict, etc than to have students write a version of a traditional fairy tale. This product provides students with an illustrated book of the fairy tale of Cinderella ---with blank lines underneath each picture for students to write their own version of the story. The pictures serve as prompts---reminding students of each part of the story---and helping them to tell it in their own words with a clear be

How did nomadic tribes living out in the desert transition to farmers living in Mesopotamia? How did farming enable humans to settle down in one spot and build a civilization? This fun lesson puts students in the nomadic shoes of desert tribes. How will they survive? Students use creative problem solving skills to survive in the desert and (hopefully) find their way to the land between the rivers. Once there, they make connections between farming, a surplus and the growth of civilization and th

Most ELA exams have the "two-point" short response questions. Teach your students a tried and true strategy for answering short response questions. Then help them memorize the strategy by practicing the strategy with practice prompts. Note that these practice prompts use familiar topics that don't require the reading of texts. This helps the student to memorize the strategy for writing the short response. Once this step is completed, give them practice tests and let them apply the strategy to

Compare and Contrast is one of the most important ELA skills. But why not mix things up by having students compare and contrast two paintings instead of two works of literature or nonfiction? In this lively, week-long unit, students compare and contrast different aspects of two wonderful paintings. The paintings were created 200 years apart, but both paintings depict a lively street scene of New York City. Your students will love these exercises which culminate in a 5 paragraph essay. Enjoy! (A

Comparing and contrasting are critical ELA skills. Take a break from comparing and contrasting two passages. Instead compare and contrast PICTURES. You and your students will analyze a portrait of Princess Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Then, your students will analyze a portrait of Queen Victoria and two of her grandchildren from the 1800s. How is each royal family presented? How have royal portraits changed over the last century? The answers might surprise you! Thi

Teaching students how to complete the Extended Response essay on a state exam can be a daunting enterprise---but no longer! This fabulous set of lesson plans walks you and your students through every step of the process. Starting with analyzing the prompt to making an outline to drafting to editing to proofreading. It even offers you a timeline of how to develop automaticity in each skill in the run-up to the exam. With this technique, you and your students will be ready to face anything the

First graders are mastering reading fluency. Readers Theatre is a fun way to facilitate and accelerate this process. Hit two birds with one stone by introducing this classic fable, the Little Red Hen, in play form. Each child in your class will get a part. As they practice reading dramatically and in time, they will master fluency, attentional control and reading accuracy. Their comprehension will also improve as their reading fluency grows. Moreover, it is a lot of fun for you and your stude

The Age of Explorers begins with Marco Polo! Before teaching about Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson or Vasco da Gama, start here with the medieval explorer Marco Polo. In an engaging text, retrace Marco Polo's footsteps across Asia. Learn about the value of spices and other goods from Asia in the European market of the 1200s. Students will gain both historical and geographic literacy in this high-interest chapter with many beautiful, medieval illustrations and clear maps. With a great

In this Common Core-aligned, rigorous and highly engaging unit, students will learn about major historic figures: Queen Isabella, the Warrior Queen Christopher Columbus Ponce de Leon John Cabot The narrative text is rich and a pleasure to read. It tells a compelling historical narrative in a way that students will never forget. It also features beautiful maps and paintings. The packet includes many short response questions to enable students to practice their writing skills. It is over 35 pages

This 30-plus page interactive workbook introduces students to some of the greatest figures in the Age of Exploration: ---the extraordinary Queen of Isabella ---the determined Christopher Columbus ---the ruthless Ponce de Leon ---the ill-fated John Cabot Writing and reading comprehension activities are included. Vocabulary exercises are also included. Through an engaging text and beautiful maps and illustrations, this text brings the history of exploration alive for students. The reading co

Students need to understand the difference between a simile and a metaphor. They also need to know the difference between figurative language and literal language. This worksheet teaches them these differences---and gives them many different ways of demonstrating their understanding of them. Students explain how metaphors and similes are used. They also create metaphors and similes. This worksheet is a perfect resource for test prep!

The Emperor's New Suit is a classic tale that every elementary school student should read. In this delightful play version of the Emperor's New Suit, every student in your class can play a role in bringing this ageless story to life. We've made this version of the story more fun by making it about an Emperor...AND an Empress! Both of them care more about clothes than they do about being good leaders of their country. And both get swindled by two very fashion-forward thieves! Enjoy! This play

This powerpoint shows Marie Antoinette's dramatic life, from childhood to death. Captions enhance the educational value of the pictures which are sequenced in chronological order. A great, visual introduction to one of history's most fascinating characters, and a leading figure in one of the most compelling chapters of history.

Hansel and Gretel is a classic fairy tale that belongs in every early elementary curriculum. This lively Readers Theatre version enables students to bring this fairy tale alive while also practicing their fluency skills. This is ideal for literature circles or guided reading circles.

Little Red Riding Hood is a classic fairy tale that belongs in every early elementary curriculum. This charming Readers Theatre version of the Little Red Riding Hood brings the story alive while also enabling your students to practice their reading fluency skills. This is an ideal classroom activity or literature circle/center activity.

Mother Goose Rhymes have long been a staple of Kindergarten and Grade 1 instruction. And for good reason! Mother Goose Rhymes teach phonemic awareness, onset and rime and a playful sense of language! This booklet contains play versions of Mother Goose Rhymes so that your students can enjoy the poems in play form. We recommend presenting these on a Smart Board or on a projector and letting your students read along. You can also print copies and distribute to your students. Have fun!

Launch your novel study of THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET with these two engaging lesson plans that help your students: analyze the problem, solution and lesson learned in Chapter 1identify examples of sensory details in Chapter 1 and the critical information they convey about the settingWhether you're doing an entire novel study or just reading Chapter 1, your students will be engaged, active and enthralled as they read/write and discuss this fascinating passage.