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.
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 1, scene 7, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Discern tone in context
Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s language and narrative techniques
Define complex and archaic words as they are used in the text
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as hyperbole and dramatic irony
Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
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 literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering an excerpt from Act 2, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Discern tone in context
Determine the function of a given passage
Define challenging words as they are used in the text
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare characters in the play
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion and situational irony
Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
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 literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 5, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Define challenging words and phrases in context
Discern the intended effect of Shakespeare’s diction
Discern tone in context
Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on metaphor
Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
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 close reading worksheet covering Act 1, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and 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 primary function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast two characters (Cassius and Casca)
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on situational irony
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
Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions covering chapter two of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. With this resource, students will focus on significant details in order to develop a deeper understanding of the novel and its craft, thus helping them contribute more meaningfully during class discussions. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
By engaging in this exercise, students will…
Analyze the effect of the author’s language upon the reader
Determine tone in context
Define unfamiliar and challenging vocabulary in context
Draw reasoned inferences about character intent
Read closely to isolate accurate statements from false statements
Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions covering chapter three of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. With this resource, students will focus on significant details in order to develop a deeper understanding of the novel and its craft, thus helping them contribute more meaningfully during class discussions. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
By engaging in this exercise, students will…
Analyze the effect of the author’s language upon the reader
Determine tone in context
Define unfamiliar and challenging vocabulary in context
Draw reasoned inferences about character intent
Apply knowledge of literary devices to the novel
Read closely to isolate accurate statements from false statements
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Leslie Marmon Silko’s short story “The Man to Send Rain Clouds.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern and articulate Leon’s motivation to keep Teofilo’s death a secret
Analyze Louise’s actions to discern and articulate what they reveal about her mindset
Analyze how character interactions contribute to the development of internal conflict
Locate textual evidence in support of the claim that the priest is not very familiar with his community
Articulate a reason for Leon to feel content
Make a claim about character beliefs in the context of the entire narrative
Apply knowledge of symbolism, choosing an object that represents an abstract and significant idea
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Help middle and high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Clever Gretel.” An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Consult reference materials to learn or verify meanings of challenging words
Describe tone in context
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate contradictions made evident by the protagonist’s behavior
Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony and foreshadowing
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Imp of the Perverse” by Edgar Allan Poe, a piece of horror and psychological fiction that explores the impulse to do wrong for wrong’s sake alone. The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative, which is especially fitting for the Halloween season, are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The principles of phrenology
The narrator’s assessment of phrenology
The narrator’s understanding of perverseness
The location from which the narrator shares his account
The means by which the narrator committed his crime
How the narrator learned of the murder method
The immediate results of the murder
How the narrator’s mind shifts over time
The narrator’s repeated motto
How the public comes to learn of the narrator’s crime
The narrator’s ponderings in the resolution
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 4 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
Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context
Consider the greater significance of given details
Discern the primary function of a particular journal entry
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on epiphany, situational irony, personification, alliteration, and diacope
Conduct brief research on gypsies in order to to explain why Harker believes they may be helpful to him
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 3 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
Discern the primary purpose of a given paragraph
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on epiphany, oxymoron, and dramatic irony
Explain how gender norms of 19th Century England are broken
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students analyze how Doris Lessing used figurative language (simile), alliteration, descriptive language, and characterization to develop a compelling narrative and a mature, emotionally intelligent protagonist in “Through the Tunnel.” 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 is included.
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this self-grading quiz covering the short story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. The resource may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The identities of the individuals who share devastating news with Louise
The apparent manner of Brently’s death
Louise’s medical concerns
The effect of the news on Louise’s mental, emotional, and psychological states
Louise’s assessment of her husband upon reflection
Brently’s general demeanor toward Louise
The author’s incorporation of imagery
A surprising discovery
The consequence of the surprising discovery
The doctors’ judgment of what happens to Louise
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes covering chapters 17 through 29 of Feed by M.T. Anderson, a dystopian science fiction novel. A multiple choice quiz and answer key are provided, as well as a short answer alternative option for re-assessment. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Questions pertain to details from the sections titled “Release” (chapter 17) through “A Day in the Country” (chapter 29):
Violet’s excitement
Unique terminology for deliberately causing one’s feed to malfunction
The condition of Violet’s feedware
Titus’s dreams
Violet’s beliefs about corporate influence on society
Violet’s behavior at the mall
Characteristics associated with School™
Violet’s classification of America’s system of government
How Titus’s parents try to cheer him up
The fate of the hacker from earlier in the novel
The reason Violet’s father speaks the way he does
An unsettling question asked by Violet
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 Twelfth Night 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.
With this close reading activity, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Describe tone in context
Discern the intended effect of figurative expressions in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Discern the main function of a given passage
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 5 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:
Iago’s concern that Roderigo could expose him
Iago’s irrational jealousy of Cassio
Cassio’s injury
Fatal wounds
The arrest of Bianca
Othello’s verbal exchange with Desdemona
The subsequent killing
Emilia’s news
The brief revival of a character
The ensuing stabbings, one fatal
Othello’s subsequent perception of himself
The fatal flaw of the hero
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 1, 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
Define words/phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials
Determine the primary function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony
Conduct brief research on Bethlem Royal Hospital
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
“The Challenge” by Gary Soto is a coming-of-age short story highlighting the importance of authenticity and unconditional acceptance of others for who they are. This plot-based quiz complements the narrative and helps English teachers evaluate general reading comprehension while eliminating take-home assessment planning responsibilities. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The protagonist’s motivations
The protagonist’s attention-seeking behavior
Estela’s nickname
The protagonist’s impression of Estela
The protagonist’s narrow-mindedness
Estela’s general characterization
The protagonist’s efforts to impress Estela
Incidents that occur during the racquetball game
The resolution
Promote active engagement with fiction and evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz on the science fiction short story “Backward Step” by Paul Jennings. An answer key is included. All materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The television program John watches
What John’s mom does that makes her feel very guilty
A teenage boy’s desperate plea for John’s mom to read a book
John’s status as a famous child
John’s sudden appearance in a classroom
John’s family background
An attempt to help John find his home
A visit to the police station
John’s grandmother, who agrees to take John in
John’s unique capabilities (time travel)
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by the Brothers Grimm. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this activity, students will do the following:
Articulate what is stated in the text explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, pleonasm, dramatic irony, and more
Discern the function of a given excerpt
Explore relationships between complex characters
Determine the meaning of complex words in context
Analyze what Snow White’s behavior reveals about her character
Articulate how poetic justice is carried out
Analyze plot to discern and articulate sexist stereotypes of women
Cite textual evidence in support of inferences and claims
Write with clarity and precision