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.
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 10 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 tone in context
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on elaborative diacope, anaphora, sibilance, and hyperbaton
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 8 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
Consider the greater significance of given details
Discern the intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques with emphasis on developing suspense
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including symbolism and dramatic 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 12 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 with emphasis on figurative language and the development of an ominous atmosphere
Consider tone in context
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
List examples of male chauvinism in context
Consider how heteronormativity may play a role in Van Helsing’s decision not to ask the maids to donate their blood to save Lucy’s life
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on personification, alliteration, paradox, onomatopoeia, and more
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 11 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 with emphasis on the relationship between language and visualization
Consider tone in context
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on foreshadowing and situational irony
Analyze the allusion to Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and draw parallels between the play and this text
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 19 and 20 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:
Tom’s previous run-in with the law
Why Tom had to serve 30 days
Mayella’s plan to ensure her siblings were not present
Scout’s epiphany regarding Mayella’s loneliness
Link Deas’s support of Tom
Bob Ewell’s comments according to Tom’s testimony
Why Tom frequently helped Mayella
Mr. Gilmer’s treatment of Tom
The major revelation regarding Dolphus Raymond’s condition
Atticus’s summation
Atticus’s peculiar behavior that surprises the kids
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 21, 22, and 23 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:
Interruption of the court proceedings
Jem’s misunderstanding racial prejudice and the justice system
The jury’s deliberation
The verdict
The African American community’s appreciation of Atticus
Altercation between Bob and Atticus
Alexandra’s strictness
Jem’s opinion on Boo’s isolation
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 24, 25, and 26 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:
The missionary circle
Mrs. Merriweather’s critical comments
Mrs. Merriweather’s hypocrisy
Tom’s death
The bitter editorial
Bob Ewell’s antagonistic behaviors
Miss Gates’s hypocrisy
Jem’s reaction to the trial’s outcome
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 29, 30, and 31 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:
Who saved the kids from Bob’s assault
Atticus’s misunderstanding of the story
Heck Tate’s version of the story
The fairness of hiding the truth
Scout’s awareness of why hiding the truth is acceptable
Scout’s sadness upon recalling items in the knothole
Scout and Atticus’s activity as the novel ends
Atticus’s last lesson he teaches Scout before the novel ends
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 21 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 do the following:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Consider the greater significance of Reverend Sykes’ instructions to Scout
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Dinner Party” by Mona Gardner. This assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Setting
Narrative techniques
The purpose for the gathering
The nature of the group’s discussion
The colonel’s beliefs about defining characteristics of men (in contrast to women)
The sudden appearance of a cobra
The hostess’s reaction to the dangerous situation
The young boy’s reaction to the dangerous situation
Theme
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning with this plot-based quiz covering Gwendolyn Brooks’ short story titled “Home.” The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The length of time the family has lived in their home
Mama and Helen’s reaction to the possibility of losing their home
Papa’s plan during his lunch break
Helen’s personal shame
Maud Martha’s emotional state
The task Mama will be relieved to stop doing
Mama’s daily motto
Papa’s nonverbal communication
A description of Mama’s eyes
The resolution
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 the fairy tale “Snow White and Rose Red” by the Brothers Grimm. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story 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 states explicitly as well as implicitly
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, invective, onomatopoeia, simile, situational irony, and more
Explore themes in context
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 Willa Cather’s short story titled 'The Sentimentality of William Tavener." The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Character descriptions with emphasis on personality types
The type of business the couple runs and its effect on their marriage
Interactions between complex characters
Details of the couple’s past
How sharing memories brings about meaningful change
Dynamic character
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Sherwood Anderson’s short story titled “Stolen Day.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Point of view
The narrator’s comparison of children to actors
The narrator’s feelings toward Walter
General details about a variety of characters including Sarah Suggett and Mr. Fenn
The narrator’s emotional state
The narrator’s relationship with his family
The workings of the narrator’s imagination
The narrator’s extracurricular activities
How the father learns of the narrator’s truancy
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Sylvia Townsend Warner’s short story “The Phoenix,” a piece focusing on the theme of humanity’s exploitation of Nature for profit. The assessment 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. By engaging with these resources, students will perform the following tasks:
Read for literal and interpretive comprehension
Apply knowledge of setting, characterization, and conflict
Be better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions about literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Arthur C. Clarke’s science fiction short story “History Lesson.” A short answer quiz option is also provided for re-assessment purposes. 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 tribe’s fears
Hope for survival
A reason for the Ice Age
The Ice Age’s effect on Venus
Shann’s sons and their efforts to save items for future generations
The discovery of the preserved items
Human accomplishments vs. those of the Venusians
Studying the film record
Dramatic irony
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Anton Chekhov’s short story “The Bet.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Point of view
The context of the lawyer and banker’s encounter
The lawyer and banker’s respective views on capital punishment
The general tone of the conversation
The terms of the bet
The lawyer’s motivations
Items the lawyer is allowed to possess
The banker’s carelessness
The banker’s willingness to commit a crime
The lawyer’s revelation
News from the night watchman
The resolution
For many middle and high school readers, realistic and young adult fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara is a representative short story that focuses on the relationship between a devoted, young woman and her brother, who happens to have a disability. English Language Arts teachers may administer this multiple choice, plot-based quiz to evaluate general reading comprehension associated with the narrative. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Point of view
Hazel’s nickname
Setting
Raymond’s relation to Hazel
Life-limiting circumstances
Hazel’s commitment to her passion
Gretchen’s general characterization
The significance of Mary Louise and Rosie
Hazel’s stubbornness and conviction
Mr. Pearson’s suggestion
Hazel’s mental state just before the race begins
Hazel’s observation from the other side of the fence
A change in the relationship between Gretchen and Hazel
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with Shakespeare’s drama. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The role of Lucius
How Brutus rationalizes murdering Caesar
How Brutus feels about his men taking an oath
Individuals not permitted into the group
The nature of Antony’s relationship with Caesar
Portia’s concern for her husband
How Brutus’s secrecy affects Portia
Ligarius’s loyalty
Calpurnia’s nightmares
Ominous occurrences that foreshadow tragic events
Decius’s influence on Caesar
The purpose of Artemidorus’s letter
Information from the Soothsayer
Portia’s grievances