Save time without sacrificing rigor by utilizing this bundle of analysis worksheets designed to promote close reading skills associated with Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby. A variety of high-order question types facilitates the process of analyzing character motivations, examining how word choices influence a reader’s interpretations, applying knowledge of literary devices, and articulating ideas in writing with clarity and precision. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. This resource 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. Students will be able to do the following: Discern what the text states explicitly and implicitly Discern point of view Analyze character motivations Analyze how complex characters interact Clarify cause-and-effect relationships Apply knowledge of a variety of literary devices including situational irony, hyperbole, simile, alliteration, assonance, metaphor, oxymoron, and others Articulate the intended effect of metaphorical language Analyze the author’s craft to determine intent Make logical inferences about how Tom perceives Myrtle Demonstrate awareness of how social status influences behavior Compare Myrtle to the puppy she is gifted Discern a primary function of a given chapter Analyze the effect comparing Gatsby to Belasco has on the reader Infer why the author may have intended to wait to introduce Gatsby until chapter three Analyze what Nick’s dialogue and behavior at the party reveals about his psychological state Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text Articulate how Nick’s expectations of Gatsby are violated Articulate the cultural significance of the white chauffeur transporting people of color Discern what Nick finds astonishing about Wolfsheim’s behavior Identify the primary function of Wolfsheim’s character in the context of the plot Articulate the technique Fitzgerald uses to spark a significant shift in tone Identify textual evidence that best supports a claim Explore the symbolism of an object or objects Clarify and elaborate on a concern Nick has for Gatsby in a given passage Explore how Tom sees himself in the context of the tragedies of Gatsby, Myrtle, and Wilson Write with clarity and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, three close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Materials in this bundle may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using these resources 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 Discern the function of a given detail Discern the function of a given scene Define words and phrases as they are used in the text Examine nuances in words with similar meanings Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare characters (Beatrice and Benedick; Don John and Benedick) Discern tone in context Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, pun, hyperbole, juxtaposition, allusion, metaphor, dramatic irony, and more Explore the symbolism associated with a given detail Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 3 of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, five close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Discern the functions of scenes Determine tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare two characters (Beatrice and Benedick) Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, personification, malapropism, paradox, allusion, metaphor, simile, pun, hyperbole, foreshadowing, innuendo, situational irony, dramatic irony, and more Discern the intended effects of literary devices in context Explore the symbolism of lapwings and haggards in the context of scene one Articulate the greater significance of Benedick’s appearance in the context of scene two Conduct brief research on the four humors of classical Greek medicine to facilitate an evaluation of Benedick’s condition Articulate how Shakespeare established a tense atmosphere in scenes four and five Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence

Challenge high school students to go beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet convenient enough for teachers to efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Included are seventeen close reading worksheets, each addressing an individual scene, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By the end of the play, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words as they are used in the text Examine nuances in words with similar meanings Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context Delve into the methods by which Shakespeare achieved narrative effects such as tension and comic relief Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Compare and contrast several characters Conduct brief research on the four humors of classical Greek medicine to facilitate an evaluation of Benedick’s condition midway through the play Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, hyperbole, allusion, malapropism, personification, paradox, invective, oxymoron, symbolism, dramatic irony, situational irony, verbal irony, and more Determine the tone of given passages Discern the functions of given passages Compare elements of one scene with those of another Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering W. W. Jacobs’ short story “The Monkey’s Paw.” Included are the following: a plot-based quiz, a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading questions, a craft analysis activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, a word search, a crossword puzzle, the public domain narrative, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices Explore the role of setting in terms of developing characterization Examine how the tone of the narrative shifts as the plot develops Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Analyze how Mr. and Mrs. White’s marriage is affected by grief Identify specific details that contribute to the vampiric characterization of Mrs. White Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, situational irony, and euphemism Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision