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.
This bundle of 20 assessments promotes analytical thinking, measures and extends reading comprehension, and offers flexibility of choice to differentiate and satisfy the academic needs of students of varying proficiency levels in classroom and distance learning settings. Included are close reading activities, answer keys, and copies of public domain texts. Short story selections include the following:
“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin *
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell *
“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe *
“The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving *
“The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield *
“The New Dress” by Virginia Woolf *
“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane *
“The Open Window” by Saki *
“The Oval Portrait” by Edgar Allan Poe *
“A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett *
“After Twenty Years” by O. Henry *
“The Businessman” by Edgar Allan Poe *
“The Legend of the Christmas Rose” by Selma Lagerlof *
“The Old Tombstone” by Hans Christian Andersen *
“The Wind Blows” by Katherine Mansfield *
“The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen *
“The Stolen Farthings” by the Brothers Grimm *
“Slave on the Block” by Langston Hughes
“The Wives of the Dead” by Nathaniel Hawthorne *
“The Sparrow and His Four Children” by the Brothers Grimm *
(* denotes a public domain text)
By completing these analysis exercises, students will demonstrate the following high-order skills:
An ability to apply knowledge of more complex literary devices to the texts including foreshadowing, situational irony, dramatic irony, hyperbole, personification, metaphor, symbolism, theme, and more
An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character motivations and other elements of plot
An ability to discern and articulate details that illustrate contrasts between characters
An ability to define complex words by taking into consideration denotative definitions, connotative definitions, and context clues
An ability to find and articulate relevant textual details in support of claims
An ability to discern mood and tone in context
An ability to discern author’s intent
An ability to conduct brief research and articulate historical and autobiographical parallels
An ability to analyze text structures
An ability to analyze text to determine the function of an excerpt
An ability to analyze a text for how it conforms to the conventions of a particular genre
An ability to establish formal tone, paying attention to conventions of written English
An ability to take leadership in class discussions, addressing nuances in the author’s craft to help peers understand literature from different perspectives
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane. An answer key and copy of the narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and metaphor
Conduct brief research to discern and articulate autobiographical parallels between the author’s life and the narrative’s plot
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 short story “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, answer keys, and a copy of the narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: aberration, abrupt, acquiesce, admonition, apprehension, assent, conjure, dinghy, direful, effect, emphatic, formidable, gale, gunwale, haggard, heartily, impetuous, indifferent, ingenuously, invariably, jeer, listlessly, myriad, obstreperous, ominous, opprobrious, oration, phosphorescence, plausible, schooner, sidle, wily, and wistfully.
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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. A plot-based quiz, a close reading 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. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials 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 stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Reflect on the significance of the narrative’s title
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast two characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, personification, metaphor, symbolism, and more
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
Incorporate magical realism into the high school ELA classroom, eliminate assessment planning responsibilities, and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The couple’s inference about the old man
The old man’s self-proclaimed identity
The purpose of the old man’s visit
Where the old man is kept
How the villagers treat the old man
The purpose of the priest’s visit
Peculiar events attributed to the old man
The couple’s changing socioeconomic status
The doctor’s conclusion
The old man’s changing health status
The resolution
And more
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “Catch the Moon” by Judith Ortiz Cofer. A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials 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 stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Evaluate whether the protagonist’s father bears responsibility for his behavior
Activate knowledge of the fairy tale “Cinderella” and compare the titular character to Luis
Apply knowledge of literary devices including epiphany, hyperbole, symbolism, and more
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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “American History” by Judith Ortiz Cofer. A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials 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 stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Consider how a change in point of view would affect the reader’s perception of Elena’s mother
Discern the main conflict of the narrative
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast two characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, personification, simile, and more
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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane. A plot-based quiz, a close reading 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. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials 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
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and metaphor
Conduct brief research to discern and articulate autobiographical parallels between the author’s life and the narrative’s plot
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. An answer key and copy of the narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Discern the function of a given passage
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including flashback, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, symbolism, and more
Consider themes in context
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. A plot-based quiz, a close reading 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. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials 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 stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Discern the function of a given passage
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including flashback, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, symbolism, and more
Consider themes in context
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help high school students explore literary craft with this activity covering the morbid Grimm’s fairy tale “The Juniper Tree.” With this worksheet, students will isolate and reflect upon textual details that are consistent with the conventions of fairy tale fiction. An answer key is provided, as well as a copy of the narrative, which makes for an excellent addition to a short story unit for grades 9 through 12, especially during the Halloween season. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this literary craft analysis activity, students will:
Isolate examples of compelling sensory description
Isolate characterization details that elicit emotional responses from readers
Make connections between elements of the story and aspects of the modern-day Halloween season
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on personification, situational irony, and symbolism
Convey information through speech and writing in a coherent manner
Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works
Embrace the Halloween season (no matter what time of year), evaluate general reading comprehension, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the dark Grimm’s fairy tale “The Juniper Tree.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a literary craft analysis activity, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Isolate examples of compelling sensory description
Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given passage
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including allusion, black humor, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, onomatopoeia, personification, and more
Make connections between elements of the story and aspects of the modern-day Halloween season
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
Engage students with a dark Grimm’s fairy tale and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering “The Juniper Tree.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the short story. An answer key is included, as well as a copy of the narrative, which is especially fitting for the Halloween season. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The cause of death of the boy’s biological mother
The reason for the stepmother’s hate for her stepson
The antagonist’s deception of her own daughter
The stepmother’s plan to conceal her deed
The antagonist’s explanation to the boy’s father regarding his absence
The characterization of Marlinchen
A collection of objects
The bird’s repeated song
The cause of the stepmother’s death
The father’s reaction to the death of his wife
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Seven Ravens.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Evaluate whether the authors intended for the father to be considered a villain
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including foreshadowing, personification, symbolism, and more
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Seven Ravens.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: allude, amiable, arresting, bestow, brusquely, doleful, earnest, furtively, hasten, jubilant, scarcely, weary, and winsome.
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 classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Four Clever Brothers.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: adept, apathetic, artful, comely, destitute, discreetly, formidable, hasten, jovial, meddle, proffer, purloin, quarrel, and wily.
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
This bundled close reading resource promotes thoughtful, critical analysis of several classic Grimms’ fairy tales, helping students focus on significant details to develop improved reading proficiency and contribute more meaningfully to class discussion. Each close reading assessment includes an answer key with detailed explanations for correct options. You will receive two versions of each individual item: a Word Document version and a PDF version.
These resources 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.
Make reading more purposeful with these close reading activities to support students in their efforts to demonstrate the following:
An ability to define complex vocabulary in context
An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character motivations
An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character relationships
An ability to analyze the text for literary devices such as foreshadowing, situational irony, dramatic irony, theme, symbolism, dynamic character, and more
An ability to find and articulate relevant textual details in support of a claim
An ability to analyze context clues to discern and articulate the significance of a given detail
An ability to articulate what the text indicates both explicitly and implicitly
An ability to write with clarity and precision
Engage middle and high school students with a classic fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm: “The Clever Brothers.” With this close reading worksheet, students will go beyond basic reading comprehension and practice their critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills. An answer key is included, as well as a copy of the short story. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Evaluate the characters’ levels of enthusiasm for the tasks at hand
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including allusion, onomatopoeia, simile, situational irony, symbolism, and more
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
Engage students with a classic Grimm’s fairy tale and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering “The Four Clever Brothers.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the short story. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The reason for the brothers’ departure
The duration of the brothers’ separation from one another
Gifts each brother receives along their respective journeys
Challenges faced by the brothers
The proposed prize for rescuing a kidnapped princess
The king’s compromise
The brothers’ collective reaction to the king’s compromise
And more
Engage students with a classic Grimm’s fairy tale and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering “The Dog and the Sparrow.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the short story. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The condition of the sheep-dog
The nature of the relationship between the sheep-dog and the sparrow
The cause of the sheep-dog’s death
The sparrows numerous acts of retaliation
The scope of the sparrow’s request for assistance
The carter’s cruelty
The fates of the sparrow and the carter