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 eliminate take-home assessment planning duties with this plot-based quiz covering The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (book 1, chapters 1 through 5). An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in a zip file containing both Word Document and PDF versions. By engaging with this material, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Setting
Strange sightings on Mars
The Martians’ intentions
First impressions of the Martians’ ship
General characterization of the narrator
The narrator’s assumptions about the cylinder
The identity of a journalist
Physical description of the alien beings
An apparent complication for the extraterrestrials
Acts of violence
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning duties with this plot-based quiz covering The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (book 2, chapters 1 through 5). An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in a zip file containing both Word Document and PDF versions. By engaging with this material, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The narrator’s stated intentions
The narrator’s main motivations
The eerie strangeness of London
The reason for the narrator and minister’s entry into a house
The reason the narrator and the minister get stuck in the house
The narrator’s observations of the aliens
The conclusions the narrator draws about the extraterrestrials
The means by which the minister dies
What happens to the minister’s body
The length of the narrator’s confinement
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this bundle of plot-based quizzes covering each part of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. These assessments may also serve as guided reading handouts to facilitate active reading experiences. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Details on Montag’s encounter with Clarisse
A lingering question in Montag’s mind
Mildred’s self-destructive behavior
The behavior of the mechanical hound
Clarisse’s concerns about school kids
Peculiarities about a particular fire call
Montag’s sneakiness
Mildred’s general disposition
Beatty’s general characterization
The campaign against books
Montag’s perception of the world
Montag’s perspective on books
A phone call between Montag and Faber
Faber’s professional background
Faber’s offerings of help
The purpose of Faber’s visit to St. Louis
Interactions among Mildred and her friends
How Montag irritates Mildred and her friends
Montag and Beatty’s interaction at the firehouse
A fire alarm
The source of the alarm call
Beatty’s striking of Montag
The nature of Beatty’s death
What Montag learns about Beatty after his death
Complicating factors in terms of Montag’s escape
Montag’s suggestions for Faber
Faber’s suggestions for Montag
How authorities get the public to help them find Montag
What Montag watches on television
How books continue to exist
What happens to the city
A new responsibility
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 3, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of Shakespeare’s narrative techniques
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate the purpose of the storm from Lear’s perspective
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, metaphor, and verbal irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 3, scene 7, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile, imagery, hyperbole, and situational irony
Conduct brief research on relevant topics
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 2, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words/phrases as they are used in the text
Determine which part of speech is represented in a given word
Demonstrate general awareness of the characteristics of an Elizabethan audience
Discern the function of the scene
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast two characters (Edgar and Lear)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia, inversion, and more
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 4, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine cause-and-effect relationships
Describe tone in context
Determine the functions of Edgar’s asides in the scene
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 3, scene 6, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Determine the function of the scene
Explore how Shakespeare’s use of language influences mood
Discern the greater significance of a given detail
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including paradox
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 3, scene 5, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words/phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare two characters in the play (Edgar and Edmund)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering Act 4 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The plot-based assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Othello’s rage-fueled trance
Iago’s conspiracy to make Othello think Cassio loves Desdemona
Iago’s barbarous suggestion regarding Desdemona’s fate
The letter from Venice
Lodovico’s witnessing Othello’s abusive behavior
Emilia’s verbal exchange with Othello
Othello’s confrontation with Desdemona
Desdemona turning to Iago for help
Roderigo’s frustration with Iago
The arrangement Iago makes for Roderigo
Desdemona’s foreshadowing fear
Measure reading comprehension and support analysis of Shakespeare’s Othello (Act 4) with this bundle, which includes a plot-based quiz and four rigorous close reading worksheets. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By engaging in these exercises, students will:
Discern the intended meaning of various complex words and phrases
Analyze actions and statements to discern character motivations
Discern the tone of a given passage
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, alliteration, sibilance, personification, foreshadowing, and paradox
Compare two characters
Articulate the significance of a particular statement
Locate textual evidence in support of claims
Analyze what dialogue reveals about a character’s psychological state
Consider how the imagery of a willow tree is relevant to the content of Desdemona’s song
Make logical inferences from the point of view of a particular character
Write with clarity and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The plot-based assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Additionally, a short answer worksheet is provided for re-assessment purposes. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Roderigo’s affections for Desdemona
Iago’s fury toward Othello
Brabantio
The Turks’ plan to attack Cyprus
Othello and Desdemona’s relationship
Desdemona’s internal conflict
Othello’s departure
Brabantio’s warning to Othello
Iago’s manipulation of Roderigo
Use this editable grammar activity to help middle and high school students reinforce the rules for punctuating dialogue with quotation marks; commas; and end marks including periods, questions marks, and exclamation points. To facilitate the process, the worksheet includes examples of correctly formatted sentences with detailed explanations as to why each is punctuated adequately. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this grammar exercise, students will demonstrate awareness of:
The general need to separate dialogue tags from quotations with commas
When the need for a comma to separate dialogue tags from quotations is negated by the need to incorporate an end mark into the quotation
When end marks should be placed within a quotation or outside a quotation
How to punctuate dialogue that is interrupted with a dialogue tag
The rules of capitalization as they relate to formatting dialogue
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 5 through 7 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. The assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Mina’s letters to Lucy
Lucy’s marriage proposals
Dr. Seward’s work
The reason for Dr. Seward’s sadness
The characterization of Renfield
Mina’s anxiety relating to Lucy
The content of a newspaper article
Lucy’s city of residence
Dracula’s supernatural capabilities
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 17 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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.
By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Indicate the function of a given passage
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on situational irony
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 20 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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.
By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 22 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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.
By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
Discern the intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on situational irony
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 24 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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.
By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
Consider the greater significance of given details
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on foreshadowing, symbolism, and aposiopesis
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 27 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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.
By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
Discern the tone of a passage in context
Consider the greater significance of given details
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification and epimone
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
For many high school readers, horror and psychological fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe features elements consistent with both genres: a psychotic protagonist trying to rationalize his thinking, the senseless killing of an innocent man, dramatic irony, and more. With this challenging worksheet composed of high-order questions, English teachers will help students extend beyond basic reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and save valuable time at home without sacrificing quality and rigor in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in printable 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.
By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore narrative techniques used to establish an unreliable narrator
Discern the function of a given passage
Explain how situational irony applies to a particular passage
Examine how complex characters think, behave, and interact
Compare and contrast characters
Determine the intended effect of figurative language as it is used in the text
Discern the tone of a given passage
Articulate the significance of the narrator’s chair placement
Identify an example of literary callback and state its significance
Infer the nature of the relationship between the narrator and his victim
Analyze a detail for symbolism and make logical inferences about the narrator’s subconscious motivations based on this analysis
Defend claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision