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 chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: ambiguously, apathetically, coarse, countenance, deft, desolate, flounce, haste, incessant, jovially, languid, muslin, obscure, saunter, scrawny, strident, sumptuous, and vigorously.
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 chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abortive, confounding, corrugated, defunct, disheveled, exultant, fumble, gaudily, innumerable, nebulous, obliged, obstinate, peasantry, ragged, reluctance, scrutinize, suppressed, and tactlessly.
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 Margaret Atwood’s dystopian fiction novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Alternatively, stash these materials in an emergency sub folder to keep students meaningfully engaged in the book during unexpected teacher absences. Included are nine vocabulary application activities, nine crossword puzzles, nine word search games, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
A total of 162 challenging words are addressed: abdicate, absolve, acquisitive, adrenaline, affront, ambiguous, anguished, apathetic, appease, approbation, archaic, assent, atrocity, audacity, banter, barren, bedraggled, benevolent, bereaved, beseech, blasphemy, blatantly, blitzkrieg, camaraderie, candid, catastrophe, clad, clamber, commotion, commune, complicity, condone, conspicuously, debase, decadent, decorous, deferential, defiantly, demurely, diffuse, dingy, disconsolate, dismay, eccentric, emaciated, evasive, falter, famished, fervor, festoon, frivolous, frowzy, fruitful, furtively, futility, gaiety, genial, genteel, grudgingly, heretical, ignominious, illicit, implore, incredulous, indifferent, indignation, indignity, ingratiate, innocuous, insatiability, inscrutable, irreverent, jaunty, jocularity, juvenile, languid, lethargic, lithe, lugubrious, lurid, luxuriate, macabre, martyr, melancholy, melodramatic, menial, mirth, monotony, munificent, obscurity, obsolete, obstinately, opaque, ornate, palpable, paranoid, penance, perfunctory, pervade, pious, placid, plaintively, platitude, plumage, precarious, primitive, procure, prude, purloin, quagmire, querulous, rancid, ravenous, rebuke, relinquish, reminiscence, repentance, replenish, reproach, respectively, revile, rickety, sanctity, sardonic, sedately, serene, servile, shrill, smoldering, sneer, solemn, solitude, squeamish, stagnant, stealthily, suave, subdued, subversive, suffuse, sulky, superfluous, surly, tactile, transgression, treachery, tremulous, trivial, trivialize, uncouth, undulate, vague, viable, vindictive, volition, wary, whimper, whimsical, wimple, wince, wistful, withered, and zeal.
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 dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (chapters 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46). A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abdicate, assent, banter, complicity, decorous, implore, incredulous, munificent, penance, pervade, placid, platitude, purloin, relinquish, sardonic, serene, shrill, and zeal.
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 reading comprehension, support the development of critical thinking skills, and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this bundle for teaching the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Fox and the Cat,” a cautionary story about hubris and its consequences. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are included. The brevity of the narrative helps to fill awkward gaps in the teaching schedule, while the supporting activity upholds rigor in the classroom. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Describe the tone of a given excerpt
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context
Consider the greater significance of a given detail
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with an emphasis on hubris, invective, and metaphor
Explore themes in context
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of activities to complement the Gothic fiction novel Dracula by Bram Stoker (chapters 11, 12, and 13). A crossword puzzle, 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: ashen, avarice, badinage, decorum, dismay, emaciated, engrossed, feeble, fitfully, harrowing, insolent, obsequious, pedantry, placidly, poignant, sentimental, wary, 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
This low-prep bundle covering Feed by M.T. Anderson contains all the formative and summative assessments teachers need to assess general reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, facilitate student research on a range of relevant topics, and greatly reduce take-home lesson planning responsibilities. Included are four multiple choice quizzes; four short answer alternate quiz options; four close reading worksheets covering fifteen substantive novel passages; literature circle activities; research project materials; an end-of-unit test; and answer keys for everything. Materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats.
By engaging with these resources, students will have opportunities to perform the following tasks:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Clarify details where the author leaves information open to interpretation
Isolate examples of figurative language
Express the greater significance of given details
Determine the tone of given excerpts
Discern the functions of given excerpts
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Articulate flaws in characters’ logic
Analyze the author’s use of narrative techniques such as repetition
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including simile, metaphor, personification, slang, onomatopoeia, situational irony, consonance, pun, idiom, epiphany, invective, malapropism, aposiopesis, neologism, and more
Consider theme in relation to the text
Evaluate an excerpt to articulate how it is a good example of satire
Relate a given excerpt to the real world, identifying two relevant societal issues, conflicts, or questions
Explore the connection between capitalism and the private healthcare system in America
Conduct brief research on the topic of cognitive dissonance in order to explain how a character experiences it in the context of a given excerpt
Cite textual evidence in support of ideas and claims
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present information in a formal, coherent manner
With this summative test covering the entirety of Feed by M.T. Anderson, English teachers will evaluate students’ reading comprehension, essay writing skills, and ability to analyze key aspects of plot. An answer key and standards-based rubric for scoring essays are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will:
Demonstrate knowledge of primary and secondary characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events that take place throughout the novel
Evaluate substantive excerpts for deeper meaning
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to examine the author’s use of satire
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Challenge high school students to push beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. Given the objective nature of the multiple choice questions, each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet convenient enough for teachers to quickly and efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Included are twelve close reading worksheets, each addressing an individual scene, 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 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
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Determine the tone of given passages
Discern the functions of given passages
Examine the greater significance of a given detail
Consider how the effect of humor is achieved in context
Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, hyperbole, sibilance, onomatopoeia, assonance, metaphor, simile, situational irony, verbal irony, dramatic irony, and more
Conduct brief research on the Roman goddess Diana and articulate the similarities between her and Katharina
Conduct brief research on the four humours and articulate the findings
Evaluate behavior to determine which character is most committed to their role in the charade
Isolate details that represent the best textual evidence in support of claims
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
With this printable test covering the entirety of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, English teachers will be able to evaluate students’ comprehension of key characters, plot developments, and literary craft. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. A breakdown of content follows.
Part 1. Knowledge of Plot. Students will demonstrate comprehension of the following:
Christopher Sly’s disruptive behavior
An activity in which Christopher Sly participates
Baptista’s terms for his daughters’ marriages
Lucentio’s persona, “Cambio”
The quality in women about which Petruchio cares most
Hortensio’s persona, “Litio”
Petruchio’s intentions for Katharina
Baptista’s preferences to be his son-in-law
Petruchio’s tardiness to the wedding
Petruchio’s appearance on his wedding day
Bianca’s assessment of her sister’s relationship
An accident involving a horse
Petruchio’s strictness
Hortensio’s feelings toward Petruchio
Petruchio’s eccentric behavior
Hortensio’s marriage
A test of the wives’ loyalty
Katharina’s closing speech
Part 2. True/False. Students will identify whether a statement is true or false. Questions focus on:
“Cambio’s” area of expertise
The nature of the relationship between Bianca and Katharina
The first character to reveal his true identity to Bianca
Hortensio’s dwindling affection toward Bianca
Katharina’s reaction to her husband’s strange behavior
Baptista’s negotiating the terms of his daughters’ marriages
Baptista and Vincentio’s forgiveness of their children
The false Vincentio’s reaction to meeting the real Vincentio
Part 3. Quotations in Context. Students will match an excerpt with its appropriate context.
Act 1, scene 1: Hark, Tranio! thou may’st hear Minerva speak.
Act 1, scene 1: No profit grows where is no pleasure ta’en: / In brief, sir, study what you most affect.
Act 2, scene 1: Her silence flouts me, and I’ll be revenged.
Act 2, scene 1: O slow-wing’d turtle! shall a buzzard take thee?
Act 3, scene 2: Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; / For such an injury would vex a very saint, / Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour.
Act 3, scene 2: That, being mad herself, she’s madly mated.
Act 4, scene 2: …here I firmly vow / Never to woo her no more, but do forswear her, / As one unworthy all the former favours / That I have fondly flatter’d her withal.
Act 5, scene 1: Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go to: but / I will in, to be revenged for this villany
Act 5, scene 2: A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, / Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty…
Part 4. Application of Literary Devices. Students will be given a detail or excerpt from the drama and must determine which literary device is best reflected. Literary devices addressed include:
Sibilance
Allusion
Hyperbole
Anaphora
Oxymoron
Aposiopesis
Idiom
Metaphor
Consonance
Simile
Onomatopoeia
This low-prep bundle covering The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare contains all the formative and summative assessments teachers need to assess general reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and greatly reduce take-home grading responsibilities. Included are six multiple choice quizzes; twelve close reading worksheets, each covering a single scene; an end-of-unit test; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these resources, students will have opportunities to perform the following tasks:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words as they are used in the text
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Determine the tone of given passages
Discern the functions of given passages
Examine the greater significance of a given detail
Consider how the effect of humor is achieved in context
Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, hyperbole, sibilance, onomatopoeia, assonance, metaphor, simile, situational irony, verbal irony, dramatic irony, and more
Conduct brief research on the Roman goddess Diana and articulate the similarities between her and Katharina
Conduct brief research on the four humours and articulate the findings
Evaluate behavior to determine which character is most committed to their role in the charade
Isolate details that represent the best textual evidence in support of claims
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and promote the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions to complement Act 4, scene 2 of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and 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 and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Determine the function of a particular character in the context of the scene
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, simile, oxymoron, and callback
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and promote the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions to complement Act 4, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and 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 and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including assonance, anaphora, onomatopoeia, and situational irony
Articulate the external conflict between two characters
Discern the tone of a given conversation
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, simile, oxymoron, and callback
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and promote the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions to complement Act 4, scene 1 of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and 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 and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, anaphora, and aposiopesis
Express the function of a given excerpt
Conduct brief research on the four humours and articulate the findings
Analyze research findings to make a logical inference about Petruchio’s mindset
Support claims with valid 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 2 of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, a close reading worksheet addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging in these exercises, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as metaphor and anaphora
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Conduct brief research on the Roman goddess Diana and articulate the similarities between her and Katharina
Evaluate Baptista’s attitude toward arranged marriage and articulate how it is both morally sound and unsound
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 1 of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: two multiple choice quizzes on characters and plot, covering Act 1 and its preceding induction respectively; two close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft; and answer keys for everything. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging in these exercises, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consider how the effect of humor is achieved in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Isolate details that represent the best textual evidence in support of claims
Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, hyperbole, sibilance, onomatopoeia, assonance, metaphor, simile, verbal irony, and dramatic irony
Determine the functions of given excerpts
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 5 of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot; two close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft and covering each scene respectively; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and 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
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Evaluate behavior to determine which character is most committed to their role in the charade
Apply knowledge of literary devices including pun, idiom, sibilance, metaphor, and dramatic irony
Identify textual evidence in support of a claim
Discern the tone of a character’s remarks
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and promote the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions to complement Act 3, scene 2 of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and 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 and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, oxymoron, hyperbole, and situational irony
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and promote the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions to complement Act 3, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and 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 and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Consider how a particular excerpt advances the plot
Examine the greater significance of a given detail
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as allusion and consonance
Support claims with valid 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 The Taming of the Shrew with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot; two close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft and covering each scene respectively; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and 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 engaging in these exercises, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Discern the tone of given excerpts
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Consider how a particular excerpt advances the plot
Examine the greater significance of a given detail
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as allusion, consonance, metaphor, simile, oxymoron, hyperbole, and situational irony
Support claims with valid reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision