Promote active engagement with fiction and evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz on the short story “Geraldine Moore the Poet” by Toni Cade Bambara. 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: Mr. Watson’s dog Geraldine’s lunchtime habits The eviction Geraldine’s mother The reason for Anita’s return home Geraldine’s personal and emotional struggles during classes Geraldine’s response to her English teacher’s assignment Mrs. Scott’s reaction to Geraldine A surprising realization

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz on Truman Capote’s holiday-themed short story “A Christmas Memory.” The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with coming-of-age fiction. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Point of view The characterization of the protagonist’s best friend The protagonist’s personal interests The protagonist’s goals Bonding activities between the protagonist and his friend The characterization of Mr. Haha Christmas gifts The significance of this particular Christmas The resolution

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, practice critical thinking skills, and explore literary elements with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 20 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 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 do the following: Read for literal comprehension Clarify a character’s remarks Consider historical context in relation to the plot Explore cause-and-effect relationships Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Come to class better prepared to discuss works of fiction

Help high school readers explore how Nathaniel Hawthorne used literary devices such as direct description, characterization, figurative language, foreshadowing, and symbolism to develop a complex short story: “Young Goodman Brown.” This craft analysis activity helps students go beyond general reading comprehension by making them reflect on the motivations behind the author’s word choices and narrative techniques. Delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats, this resource also helps prepare students for more meaningful classroom discussions. Through these 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.

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Chaser” by John Collier. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: apprehensively, bountifully, effect, fervently, giddy, indifferently, laxative, oblige, obscurely, phial, rapture, scorn, and solitude. 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 the short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The following are included: a crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. 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 Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abashed anathema benignantly catechism fervid homage irrepressible irreverently lamentation melancholy mirth murmur pious scruples serpentine smote solemnly solitude stupefy venerable withered zenith

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: basely, bulbous, chintz, congenial, conspicuous, convolution, derision, earnest, fatuity, felicity, florid, impertinence, interminable, lurid piazza, querulous, reproachful, scoff, symmetry, temperament, undulate, and whim. 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 readers explore how Edith Wharton used literary devices such as direct description, characterization, figurative language, foreshadowing, and symbolism to develop a complex short story: “A Journey.” This craft analysis activity helps students go beyond general reading comprehension by making them reflect on the motivations behind the author’s word choices and narrative techniques. Delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats, this resource also helps prepare students for more meaningful classroom discussions. Through these 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.

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “A Journey” by Edith Wharton. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: allusion, berth, buoyant, clamorously, disheveled, dreary, euphuism, furtively, hastily, hoarse, idle, imperturbably, importunity, inexorable, leniently, lucidity, maternal, monotonous, murmur, obscurity, pang, petulance, proffer, punctual, rebuff, recede, shudder, temperament, throng, treachery, vague, vainly, and waylay. 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

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The reason for the narrator’s visit to the country estate John’s relation to the narrator John’s deception Jennie’s relation to the narrator A recent life-changing event The narrator’s hobby and her husband’s reaction to it The effect of the wallpaper on the narrator’s psychological state The reason for family visitation The nature of Jennie’s support Weir Mitchell’s profession The narrator’s assessment of her husband’s intentions The resolution

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz on Washington Irving’s short story “The Devil and Tom Walker.” The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The backstory of Kidd Setting Ominous discoveries The nickname of the devil Physical characteristics of the devil Tom’s observation about the trees around him The devil’s parting act The wife’s reaction to Tom’s interaction with the devil What the wife takes with her out of the house Negotiations between the devil and Tom Tom’s agreement with the devil Tom’s living conditions How Tom changes as he ages An important possession Rumors about Tom Tom’s seemingly fatal mistake The public’s reaction to Tom’s apparent fate

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. 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, and discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: askance avarice balk clamor confound dingy dolefully dreary earnest exalt extort foreclose fortitude hoarse immense impregnable melancholy miserly notorious oblige obstinate parsimony piety propitiate quagmire refuge saunter scarcely scowl shrewd strenuous sulky superfluous termagant thriftless trifle vain wayfarer

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Wives of the Dead” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. 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: bereavement, comely, confederate, deluge, feeble, felicity, frugal, hasten, hinder, lamentation, middling, monotonous, morsel, pall, pang, piety, principal, repose, repress, scarcely, skirmish, successive, summons, tempestuous, wooer, and yearn. 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 the short story “The Good Deed” by Pearl S. Buck. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abashed, barbarous, beckon, bestow, chide, coax, denounce, exclaim, folly, gallantly, grieve, habitually, heartily, idleness, indignantly, millet, retort, revere, scarcely, sternly, tentative, till, totter, unfilial, uppish, wharf, and withered. 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

Prepare students to go beyond general reading comprehension and develop critical thinking skills for high school with this close reading analysis worksheet covering a chapter 2 passage from Susan Beth Pfeffer’s dystopian novel The Dead and the Gone, the sequel to Life As We Knew It. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. This resource may serve as the basis for 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 exercise, 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 Determine the purpose of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, metaphor, personification, and symbolism Consider 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

Prepare students to go beyond general reading comprehension and develop critical thinking skills for high school with this close reading analysis worksheet covering a chapter 5 passage from Susan Beth Pfeffer’s dystopian novel The Dead and the Gone, the sequel to Life As We Knew It. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. This resource may serve as the basis for 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 exercise, 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 Determine the purpose of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare two characters in context (Alex and Bri) Apply knowledge of literary devices including onomatopoeia and oxymoron Consider 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

Prepare students to go beyond general reading comprehension and develop critical thinking skills for high school with this close reading analysis worksheet covering a chapter 13 passage from Susan Beth Pfeffer’s dystopian novel The Dead and the Gone, the sequel to Life As We Knew It. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. This resource may serve as the basis for 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 exercise, 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 Determine the purpose of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony, metaphor, and situational irony Consider 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

Prepare students to go beyond general reading comprehension and develop critical thinking skills for high school with this close reading analysis worksheet covering a chapter 8 passage from Susan Beth Pfeffer’s dystopian novel The Dead and the Gone, the sequel to Life As We Knew It. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. This resource may serve as the basis for 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 exercise, 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 Describe tone in context Determine the purpose of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Discern the function of a particular character (Kevin) in context Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, metaphor, and situational irony Conduct research on a relevant topic (Yellowstone Caldera) 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

For many middle and high school students, the fantasy genre promotes active engagement with literature. With this printable assessment on “The Chaser” by John Collier, a short story in the fantasy genre, English Language Arts teachers will evaluate general reading comprehension and hold students accountable for homework completion. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: A character description of Alan Austen Characteristics of the “glove cleaner” An alternative name for the “glove cleaner” The cost of the “glove cleaner” Alan’s reason for visiting the old man The effects of the love potion Side effects of ingesting the love potion The cost of the love potion The old man’s business philosophy The significance of the title (analysis) Situational irony in the story

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, practice critical thinking skills, and explore literary elements with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 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 do the following: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Draw personal connections to Jem Argue whether Jem feels guilty for his treatment of Scout Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on situational irony Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss works of fiction