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.
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 5 and 6 of Orson Scott Card’s dystopian science fiction novel Ender’s Game. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: clamber, effect, emulate, errand, extricate, martyr, opaque, sadism, tumult, unanimous, whimper, and wriggle.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 7, 8, and 9 of John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: casually, clamor, deftly, humble, incredulously, malice, retort, saunter, shrill, sidle, stride, supplication, and toil.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 10, 11, and 12 of John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: apprehensively, coarse, contemptuous, eminent, giddy, ornery, principle, quarrel, shrewd, shudder, stationery, trifle, vague, and weary.
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
Frontload assigned readings with these vocabulary games and activities to facilitate comprehension of Orson Scott Card’s dystopian science fiction novel Ender’s Game. Alternatively, stash these materials in an emergency sub folder to keep students meaningfully engaged in the book during unexpected teacher absences. Included are 7 vocabulary application activities, 7 crossword puzzles, 7 word search games, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
A total of 84 challenging words are addressed: acquiescence, ambiguous, apprehension, archaic, ascetic, banter, beckon, blunder, clamber, commiserate, compensate, competent, contempt, corroborate, cynical, decelerate, deftly, denunciation, derisive, discreet, dwell, effect, emulate, erode, errand, extenuating, extricate, feeble, feint, forestall, formidable, glint, glower, graceful, humble, improvise, incredulous, inscrutable, intently, itinerant, keen, loathsome, magnanimous, malleable, martyr, merciful, mirth, mutter, obscurity, opaque, ostentatiously, paltry, peripheral, persecution, personnel, plead, polyglot, quarrel, raucous, rebuke, rescind, sadism, shudder, smirk, spatter, stride, submerge, surly, swaggering, taunt, tedious, temperament, timid, translucent, transparent, tumult, unanimous, vague, vivisect, wander, wary, whimper, wince, and wriggle.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 4, 5, and 6 of John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: brood, flitter, hasten, idle, meek, pique, ravenously, refuge, relish, scornfully, scowl, sparse, wane, withered, and wriggle.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 1, 2, and 3 of John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: bemused, crossly, cunningly, dissipated, flare, judiciously, mutter, plod, smugly, squint, and stiflingly.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Liam O’Flaherty’s short story “The Sniper.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: ascetic, beleaguer, dart, gibber, mutter, parapet, paroxysm, reckless, recoil, remorse, ruse, and turret.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Kate Chopin’s short story “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: acute, appreciable, consternation, decipher, deft, fastidious, gaudy, gaunt, judicious, laborious, matinee, muse, poignant, and shabby.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Hollow of the Three Hills.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: affliction, allude, anathema, beckon, countenance, crone, decrepit, despondent, dolefully, impious, latter, melodious, mirth, monotonous, obscure, perfidy, putrid, querulous, reverie, scourge, stately, stern, vicissitude, and weary.
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 go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering metaphysical poet John Donne’s “Meditation 17,” an excerpt from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. An answer key is included. 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 engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal and interpretive comprehension
Apply knowledge of setting, characterization, conflict, and literary devices
Be better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions about literature
Use this close reading worksheet to help high school students find deeper meaning in E. E. Cummings’ poem “anyone lived in a pretty how town,” a creative exploration of the ideas of conformity and its effects on individuals and communities. An answer key is included. 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 engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal and interpretive comprehension
Apply knowledge of setting, characterization, and conflict
Be better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions about poetry
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering Sonnet X, also known as “Death be Not Proud,” by metaphysical poet John Donne. An answer key is included. 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 engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal and interpretive comprehension
Apply knowledge of setting, characterization, conflict, and literary devices
Be better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions about poetry
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal and interpretive comprehension
Apply knowledge of setting, characterization, conflict, and literary devices
Determine the rhyme scheme and overall tone of the poem
Be better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions about poetry
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering John Steinbeck’s short story “Flight.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The cause of Papa Torres’ death
The items Pepé takes with him on a trip
The reasons for Pepé’s trip
Events culminating with a fatal injury
Mama Torres’ reaction to her son’s departure
What happens to Pepé’s horse
The cause of Pepé’s hand injury
How Pepé treats his injury
The cause of Pepé’s death
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Kate Chopin’s short story “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Mrs. Sommers’ initial intentions for her money
The neighbors’ treatment of Mrs. Sommers
Mrs. Sommers’ past
The effect of the stockings on Mrs. Sommers’ emotions
The shoe clerk’s observations about Mrs. Sommers
Various items purchased by Mrs. Sommers
Mrs. Sommers’ feelings as she returns home
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Liam O’Flaherty’s short story “The Sniper.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Setting
The general characterization of the sniper
Risks taken by the sniper
What initiates an exchange of fire
Where the sniper gets injured
A strategy to trick the enemy
The sniper’s reaction to his kill
What motivates the sniper to know the enemy’s identity
An ironic discovery
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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the sci-fi short story “The Star” by H.G. Wells. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain narrative, and answer keys 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 engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
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
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, personification, simile, and more
Generate a relevant theme and support how it is developed
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement “The Challenge” by Gary Soto, a coming-of-age short story highlighting the importance of authenticity and unconditional acceptance of others for who they are. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abrupt, asphalt, briskly, cower, flank, grimace, grimy, jarring, lob, mishap, mutter, ojos, ragged, and ricochet.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Toni Cade Bambara’s coming-of-age short story “Raymond’s Run.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: corsage, flutter, glockenspiel, jut, medal, organdy, prodigy, rodeo, rowdy, signify, swift, and trot.
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
