Help high school students navigate William Shakespeare’s language with these vocabulary games and activities to facilitate comprehension of Romeo and Juliet. Alternatively, stash these materials in an emergency sub folder to keep students meaningfully engaged in the book during unexpected teacher absences. Included are 5 vocabulary application activities, 5 crossword puzzles, 5 word search games, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. A total of 120 words are addressed: absolve, affray, alack, aloof, ambiguity, amerce, anon, apothecary, assail, athwart, baggage, baleful, bedeck, beguiled, behoveful, beseech, beshrew, boisterous, chapless, charnel, chide, churl, conceit, corse, counsel, decree, descend, descent, detestable, discern, discourse, disperse, doff, doleful, ducat, enmity, entreat, fain, fair, fond, forbear, garish, gleek, gyves, hap, haply, haste, haughty, heavy, henceforth, hie, hoarse, idle, immoderately, inauspicious, inexorable, inundation, lamentation, languish, lenity, liege, light, loathsome, lusty, meager, mouse-hunt, moved, muffle, naught, needful, obscure, obsequy, orison, pains, parlous, pennyworth, pensive, penury, pernicious, perverse, pine, plead, portentous, pox, presage, princox, privy, procure, prorogued, provision, quarrel, rash, reeky, reign, repent, repose, runagate, scourge, sirrah, slander, slug-a-bed, smatter, soft, solace, strew, sullen, sup, tedious, tetchy, treacherous, tush, vain, vexed, wail, wander, wanny, weraday, wherefore, woo, and wot. By engaging with these activities, students will: Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences

Help high school students navigate William Shakespeare’s language with these vocabulary games and activities to facilitate comprehension of Macbeth. Alternatively, stash these materials in an emergency sub folder to keep students meaningfully engaged in the book during unexpected teacher absences. Included are 5 vocabulary application activities, 5 crossword puzzles, 5 word search games, and answer keys. Materials delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. A total of 121 words are addressed: abide, abjure, affliction, anon, appease, arbitrate, avaricious, avaunt, avouch, aweary, bait, bane, barren, beldam, benison, bent, bestow, blaspheme, boast, bodement, bough, brainsickly, broil, buffet, chastise, cherubin, clamor, commend, compunctious, concord, consort, deftly, desolate, dispatch, doff, dun, entreat, ere, fain, false, fantastical, firstling, fitful, foison, fry, gild, glare, gout, groom, harbinger, haste, hew, hie, holily, homely, hurly-burly, husbandry, implore, impress, incarnadine, industrious, infirm, intrenchant, kern, largess, liege, lily-livered, loon, malice, marrowless, metaphysical, mettle, mortal, mortified, multitudinous, muse, naught, obscure, pain, palpable, parricide, perchance, perilous, pernicious, pine, pious, posset, prithee, prowess, purgative, quarrel, quoth, rabble, rapt, raze, rebuke, reign, relish, repose, rue, saucy, scarcely, shadow, sirrah, sleight, spongy, stanchless, stealthy, stern, suborn, summon, swift, tarry, thither, thriftless, timely, toil, treachery, unrough, verity, and woeful. By engaging with these activities, students will: Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a reading guide, a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, six close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text Discern the significance of a given detail Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Draw logical inferences about the author’s stylistic choices Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, allusion, metaphor, simile, situational irony, and onomatopoeia Analyze the author’s paradoxical language to discern a theme related to love Isolate examples of punning language Explore cause-and-effect relationships Identify the best textual evidence in support of a claim

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a reading guide, a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, six close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word and phrase meanings Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Determine the function of a given excerpt Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, imagery, personification, and more Choose an applicable theme in the context of a scene Support claims or inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works

Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this bundle of close reading activities covering each scene of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Determine the functions of given excerpts Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare and contrast characters Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, simile, situational irony, symbolism, and more Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 5 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, eight close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly Discern the intended effects of figurative language in context Define complex words and phrases in context Discern the greater significance of given details Determine the function of given details and scenes Discern tone in context Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on hyperbole, simile, metaphor, personification, foreshadowing, allusion, and symbolism Conduct brief online research in order to answer a question Articulate the greater significance of the placement of young Siward’s fatal injuries Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It. A plot-based quiz, seven close reading worksheets (one per scene), a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Read for literal comprehension Determine the meanings of unfamiliar and archaic words Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and dramatic techniques Determine the function of a given scene Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Apply knowledge of literary devices such as personification, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, allusion, paradox, situational irony, and more Consider themes in context Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. A plot-based quiz, nine close reading worksheets (one per scene), a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Read for literal comprehension Determine the meanings of unfamiliar and archaic words Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and dramatic techniques Describe tone in context Determine the functions of various passages Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Compare and contrast two characters (Jessica and Portia) Consider the motif of the guest-host relationship and argue whether Portia conforms to the expectations of a good host, or whether she fails to meet expectations and represents a bad host Apply knowledge of many literary devices with emphasis on allusion, hyperbole, dramatic irony, situational irony, personification, symbolism, invective, juxtaposition, and metaphor Conduct brief online research (if necessary) to determine the symbolic value of a particular object Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works

Challenge high school students to push beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. Given the objective nature of the multiple choice questions, each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet convenient enough for teachers to quickly and efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Included are twelve close reading worksheets, each addressing an individual scene, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Materials in this bundle may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using these resources for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. By the end of the play, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words as they are used in the text Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Determine the tone of given passages Discern the functions of given passages Examine the greater significance of a given detail Consider how the effect of humor is achieved in context Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, hyperbole, sibilance, onomatopoeia, assonance, metaphor, simile, situational irony, verbal irony, dramatic irony, and more Conduct brief research on the Roman goddess Diana and articulate the similarities between her and Katharina Conduct brief research on the four humours and articulate the findings Evaluate behavior to determine which character is most committed to their role in the charade Isolate details that represent the best textual evidence in support of claims Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Challenge high school students to push beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with Othello by William Shakespeare. Given the objective nature of the multiple choice questions, each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet convenient enough for teachers to quickly and efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Included are fifteen close reading worksheets, each addressing an individual scene, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By the end of the play, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Analyze the author’s craft, discerning how Shakespeare’s language influences the audience’s perception of Iago Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, allusion, epiphany, foreshadowing, personification, verbal irony, dramatic irony, situational irony, and more Explore themes in the play Discern the tone of given passages Determine the functions of given scenes Articulate the significance of given details Articulate how dialogue contributes to the development of suspense Articulate how the setting contributes to a sense of uncertainty Consider how the imagery of a willow tree is relevant to the content of Desdemona’s song Explore cause-and-effect relationships Cite specific, relevant textual evidence in support of a claim or idea Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

This bundle of 20 close reading exercises promotes active reading strategies, makes student engagement with text more visible, and helps improve overall student comprehension of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. By completing these activities, students will read to identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly, apply literary devices, interpret figurative expressions, analyze character motivations, define vocabulary in context, discern tone, and more. All close reads are editable and include answer keys and/or sample annotations. The following are covered: Act 1 prologue Act 1, scene 1 Act 1, scene 2 Act 1, scene 3 Act 1, scene 5 Act 2 prologue Act 2, scene 1 Act 2, scene 2 Act 2, scene 3 Act 2, scene 4 Act 2, scene 5 Act 2, scene 6 Act 3, scene 1 Act 3, scene 2 Act 3, scene 3 Act 3, scene 4 Act 4, scene 1 Act 4, scene 3 Act 4, scene 5 Act 5, scene 1 Act 5, scene 3

Foster general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school and college with this set of analysis worksheets on Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night. A variety of question types facilitates the process of analyzing character motivations, examining how word choices influence a reader’s interpretations, applying knowledge of literary devices, articulating ideas in writing with clarity and precision, and preparing for standardized testing scenarios. Answer keys are provided. All materials are delivered as Word Documents and PDFs. By engaging with these resources, students will: Identify and articulate what the text states explicitly and implicitly Discern the intended effect of Shakespeare’s figurative language in the context of a passage Explore cause-and-effect relationships Use context clues to draw reasonable inferences about Orsino Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, simile, hyperbole, sibilance, alliteration, assonance, consonance, personification, hyperbole, oxymoron, situational irony, dramatic irony, and more Define complex vocabulary in the context of a passage Determine the primary function of given passages Compare and contrast Orsino and Olivia Conduct brief research on classical mythology – more specifically the tale of Arion and the dolphin – and draw parallels between the mythological figure and Sebastian Analyze the author’s craft to discern which literary device is most applicable to a specific portion of text Explore Toby’s attitude toward Olivia’s behavior Identify the greater significance of a given detail Identify evidence in support of claims Isolate factual details about plot from false statements Compare and contrast Viola and Sebastian Write ideas with clarity and precision Compare and contrast Toby and Andrew Compare and contrast Malvolio and a group consisting of Toby, Andrew, and Maria Analyze how complex characters behave and interact Consider the meaning of a given word in order to determine its most suitable synonym

Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this complete bundle of worksheets composed of inference questions covering every individual scene in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. These resources will encourage students to analyze how complex characters develop, explore character motivations, interpret figurative expressions, apply knowledge of literary devices, develop greater confidence in decoding Shakespearean language, and much more. Answer keys are included. All materials are delivered in a zip file containing printable Word Document and PDF versions. Use these resources for independent or small group engagement with the text; they may lead to thoughtful discussions that contribute meaningfully to a culture of active learning in high school English classrooms. With these instructional materials, students will demonstrate the following: An ability to define complex vocabulary in context An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character motivations An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character relationships An ability to analyze the text for literary devices such as foreshadowing, situational irony, dramatic irony, theme, symbolism, dynamic character, and more An ability to identify the function of a particular passage An ability to find and articulate relevant textual details in support of a claim An ability to analyze context clues to discern and articulate the significance of a given detail An ability to articulate what the text indicates both explicitly and implicitly An ability to write with clarity and precision

Challenge high school students to go beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet convenient enough for teachers to efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Included are seventeen close reading worksheets, each addressing an individual scene, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By the end of the play, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words as they are used in the text Examine nuances in words with similar meanings Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context Delve into the methods by which Shakespeare achieved narrative effects such as tension and comic relief Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Compare and contrast several characters Conduct brief research on the four humors of classical Greek medicine to facilitate an evaluation of Benedick’s condition midway through the play Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, hyperbole, allusion, malapropism, personification, paradox, invective, oxymoron, symbolism, dramatic irony, situational irony, verbal irony, and more Determine the tone of given passages Discern the functions of given passages Compare elements of one scene with those of another Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

This low-prep bundle covering The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare contains all the formative and summative assessments teachers need to assess general reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and greatly reduce take-home grading responsibilities. Included are six multiple choice quizzes; twelve close reading worksheets, each covering a single scene; an end-of-unit test; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these resources, students will have opportunities to perform the following tasks: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words as they are used in the text Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Determine the tone of given passages Discern the functions of given passages Examine the greater significance of a given detail Consider how the effect of humor is achieved in context Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, hyperbole, sibilance, onomatopoeia, assonance, metaphor, simile, situational irony, verbal irony, dramatic irony, and more Conduct brief research on the Roman goddess Diana and articulate the similarities between her and Katharina Conduct brief research on the four humours and articulate the findings Evaluate behavior to determine which character is most committed to their role in the charade Isolate details that represent the best textual evidence in support of claims Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this bundle of close reading activities covering each scene of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Determine the functions of given excerpts Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Consider the motif of the guest-host relationship and argue whether Portia conforms to the expectations of a good host, or whether she fails to meet expectations and represents a bad host Compare and contrast characters (Antonio and Shylock; Portia and Antonio; Jessica and Portia) Apply knowledge of many literary devices with emphasis on metaphor, oxymoron, onomatopoeia, allusion, personification, symbolism, invective, euphemism, juxtaposition, hyperbole situational irony, and dramatic irony Conduct brief online research (if necessary) to determine the symbolic value of a particular object Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works