Mrs Difficult

If you are looking for a great way to engage students in Pythagorean Theorem, look no further! In this fun lesson and activity, your students will apply Pythagorean Theorem to high heel shoes. Students who love fashion will suddenly find a new relevance for learning and mastering Pythagorean Theorem. Complete with independent practice exercises!

There are lots of kinds of informational texts and many purposes for authors to write them. This lively activity involves using authentic informational texts from the New York Times (or other first rate newspaper) to develop student skill in identifying specific genres of informational text and author's purpose. Along the way, students also do some test prep. Acting as the state exam creator, they write a short response question based on the article they have read. And then they have to answe

Celebrate Women's History Month and practice short responses at the same time! This includes three passages on Eleanor of Aquitaine including one play excerptone nonfiction excerptone novel excerptStudents will be enthralled as they learn about the fascinating Medieval Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine who ruled both France and England, participated in the Crusades, bore 9 children and helped her sons lead a revolt against their own father. Each passage is followed by a short response. A great way to

This lively Performance Based Task tackles Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution with a vibrant mix of educational videos (available via link) and excellent readings. The PBT contains three writing exercises culminating in an essay in which students demonstrate their mastery of the key concepts. The writing exercises build incrementally so that the final essay is manageable and rewarding. Along the way, they use a Claim-Evidence-Interpretation graphic organizer, a Chain of Events graphi

If your students are confused by the term "point of view", they're not alone. With many different meanings, there are lots of ways that "point of view" can show up on ELA exams. These worksheets take your students through each use of "point of view" in turn and will help clarify how this multi-purpose term can mean different things in context. Your students will be crystal clear about what "point of view" questions are asking, going forward!

Students will learn basic Latin roots which, when combined with the suffix -ary or -tory, form words such as librarypenitentiarylaboratoryfactoryStudents will be much better able to unpack unfamiliar or academic words and will have fun deciphering the meaning of words using Latin roots!

In the middle school grades (6-8), there will be questions about first-hand and second-hand sources. So students need to know what primary sources are and what secondary sources are---plus what sorts of information and insights they offer. In this packet, you have a great overview of this important skill and how to apply it in a range of contexts. Students actively complete two worksheets to demonstrate their critical thinking skills.

Ah, the Passive Voice! These passive voice worksheets help your students "get" what the passive voice is and recognize it.

Thomas Edison was one of the most extraordinary minds who ever lived. Students will read a brief biography of his life, and answer comprehension questions based on the text. Then, they will respond to inspirational quotes by Thomas Edison and identify what personality traits these quotes reveal about the inventor. Next, they will take an online test that Thomas Edison gave to all prospective employees before hiring them. Last, but not least, students will review a timeline of Edison's life and