Lesson 1: Murder Mystery- Dissect & Identify Evidence, State a Claim, JustifyFor years, I struggled with the first weeks of teaching new middle school students. I knew we had to get started on the curriculum right away, but I lacked a good hook for them that was engaging and effective. Then, I found this short story. It's a murder mystery that doesn't have an obvious answer. After the students read the story, they proceed through the steps. First, on a graphic organizer, they write notes on