Say hello to a platform dedicated to industrious, yet overtasked teachers like you. Say goodbye to countless hours spent developing relevant and engaging ELA lessons. Whether you are teaching the fundamentals of grammar, creative writing skills, classic literature, or contemporary fiction, you will find thousands of activities and assessments to help you achieve a healthier work-life balance without sacrificing academic rigor.
Say hello to a platform dedicated to industrious, yet overtasked teachers like you. Say goodbye to countless hours spent developing relevant and engaging ELA lessons. Whether you are teaching the fundamentals of grammar, creative writing skills, classic literature, or contemporary fiction, you will find thousands of activities and assessments to help you achieve a healthier work-life balance without sacrificing academic rigor.
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, three close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, 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 engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the function of a given detail
Discern the function of a given scene
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare characters (Beatrice and Benedick; Don John and Benedick)
Discern tone in context
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, pun, hyperbole, juxtaposition, allusion, metaphor, dramatic irony, and more
Explore the symbolism associated with a given detail
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students develop close reading and poetry analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 146. Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet eliminates assessment planning responsibilities without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.
More specifically, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of figurative language
Explore the narrator’s mindset
Discern the overall tone of the sonnet
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on metaphor, paradox, and personification
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 3 of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, five 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
Discern the functions of scenes
Determine tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare two characters (Beatrice and Benedick)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, personification, malapropism, paradox, allusion, metaphor, simile, pun, hyperbole, foreshadowing, innuendo, situational irony, dramatic irony, and more
Discern the intended effects of literary devices in context
Explore the symbolism of lapwings and haggards in the context of scene one
Articulate the greater significance of Benedick’s appearance in the context of scene two
Conduct brief research on the four humors of classical Greek medicine to facilitate an evaluation of Benedick’s condition
Articulate how Shakespeare established a tense atmosphere in scenes four and five
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 4 and 5 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An alternate short answer version is provided for re-assessment purposes. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following plot elements:
Discoveries in the knothole
Jem’s fear for Scout’s life
The irony of the discovery of money
Dill’s claim of a peculiar talent
The rolling tire incident
The game the kids play
Dill and Scout’s relationship
The evolving relationship between Scout and Miss Maudie
Theories pertaining to the mystery of Boo Radley
Miss Maudie’s impressions of Boo
Delivering a note to Boo
Atticus’s trick
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 1 through 3 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An alternate short answer version is provided for re-assessment purposes. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following plot elements:
Point of view
Setting
Jem’s injury
The kids’ mother and father
Calpurnia’s job
Dill
Boo Radley’s background
The dare
Walter Cunningham’s philosophy
The effects of the Great Depression on Maycomb’s citizens
Scout’s fight
The teacher’s reaction to an alarming situation
Perception of the Ewells
Help high school students extend beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 1, scene 1, of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.
By engaging with this resource, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Discern the tone of a given passage
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Analyze plot from a historical context
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing
Identify context clues that suggest Horatio’s opinion on supernatural occurrences is correct
Explore themes with emphasis on humanity’s relationship with the universe
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students extend beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 1, scene 3, of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.
By engaging with this resource, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile and metaphor
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Determine the tone of the scene
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students extend beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 2, scene 2, of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.
More specifically, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Discern the intended effect of Shakespearean language in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Discern tone in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this quiz covering vignettes 1 through 4 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: “The House on Mango Street,” “Hairs,” “Boys and Girls,” and “My Name.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The reason behind the family’s move
The qualities/description of the new house
The smell of her mother’s hair
The lack of interaction among boys and girls in the community
Esperanza’s frustrations with spending time with Nenny
Esperanza’s desire to have a best friend
The origin of Esperanza’s name
Esperanza’s personal feelings about her name
The Chinese year of the horse and its superstitious meaning to women
Cultural views on women (Chinese and Mexican)
Esperanza’s great grandmother and her arranged marriage
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this quiz covering vignettes 14 through 17 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: “Alicia Who Sees Mice,” “Darius and the Clouds,” “And Some More,” and “The Family of Little Feet.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Alicia’s commitment to her education
The mice who roam at night
Alicia’s at-home responsibilities, according to her father and Hispanic culture
The characterization of Darius
Darius’s intriguing assessment of a cloud
What incites an argument among Esperanza and her friends
A gift of high-heeled shoes
How the girls are treated by several men
The characterization of Esperanza and who she is similar to in terms of her goals and personal interests
Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions on Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery.” A variety of question types facilitates the process of analyzing character development, examining how word choices influence a reader’s interpretations, applying knowledge of literary devices, and more. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.
In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource helps prepare students for ACT reading question types.
By engaging with this resource, students will…
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define unfamiliar or challenging vocabulary terms in context
Determine the tone of a particular passage
Determine the author’s intent and its effect on readers
Apply knowledge of literary devices (foreshadowing)
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering W. W. Jacobs’ short story “The Monkey’s Paw.” Included are the following: a plot-based quiz, a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading questions, a craft analysis activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, a word search, a crossword puzzle, the public domain narrative, 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
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices
Explore the role of setting in terms of developing characterization
Examine how the tone of the narrative shifts as the plot develops
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Analyze how Mr. and Mrs. White’s marriage is affected by grief
Identify specific details that contribute to the vampiric characterization of Mrs. White
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, situational irony, and euphemism
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Use this editable grammar activity to help middle and high school students review the basics of singular and plural possessive pronouns. To facilitate this process, the worksheet offers tips on when possessive pronouns should precede nouns and when they may stand alone. Additionally, tips are provided for how to navigate possessive pronouns when addressing animals. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Help high school students develop a greater understanding of how Jack London used descriptive language, direct and indirect characterization, and figurative language to generate distinct characters and a compelling piece of adventure fiction in “To Build a Fire.” Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this resource serves well for an independent learning opportunity, as well as for small-group discussions. Through such discussions, students may evaluate peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to support claims, clarifying or challenging ideas as needed. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included.
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter eight of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Further modifications to existing commandments
The reason Squealer presents the animals with statistics
The fate of three hens
Napoleon’s announcements
Frederick’s forgeries
Details about the attack on Animal Farm
A discovery made by the pigs
Squealer’s newest allegations against Snowball
Promote homework accountability, measure reading comprehension, support the development of close reading skills, and encourage deeper analysis of fiction with this bundle of teaching resources covering chapter 8 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A set of close reading questions and a plot-based quiz are provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats. Students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Make logical inferences about characters’ intentions and motivations
Analyze a particular detail to infer the author’s intent
Explore how Boxer is becoming a dynamic character
Isolate a true statement about plot from a set of falsehoods
Contrast the Battle of the Windmill with the Battle of the Cowshed
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as hubris
Evaluate the role propaganda plays in the world of Animal Farm
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter six of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The year-to-year comparison of the harvest
A newly instituted policy
Squealer’s method of convincing animals the new policy is acceptable
The pigs’ collective lifestyle
Napoleon’s big announcement
Revisions to existing commandments
Muriel’s skill
Benjamin’s general characterization
The fate of the windmill
Napoleon’s response to the windmill’s fate
Promote student choice and facilitate the process of researching relevant topics from beginning to end with this low-prep activity to conclude a unit on The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Students will choose from thirty research topics—addressing ideas such as real-life UFO sightings (the 1947 Roswell incident, the 1997 Phoenix Lights incident, the 2006 O’Hare International Airport incident, etc.), UFO programs and organizations (Project Blue Book, Mutual UFO Network, SETI Institute, etc.), and famous figures in ufology (J. Allen Hynek, John Mack, George Adamski, etc.)—and navigate academically appropriate sources with the goal of teaching their peers about their topics. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present information in a formal, coherent manner
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (chapters 1 and 2). This assessment may also serve as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Setting
The World State motto
How conformity is perpetuated
Philosophies on maintaining a stable society
The caste system
The distinguishing characteristic of “freemartins”
The objective of sleep teaching
Techniques used to stunt intellectual development
And more