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 the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello. With a focus on Iago’s skillful manipulation of Roderigo in Act 4, scene 2, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing academic rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable PDFs and Word Documents.
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.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Analyze what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the meaning of complex words and phrases in context
Demonstrate knowledge of literary devices
Make logical inferences in context
Explore character motivations
Analyze how complex characters interact
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
This assessment measures general reading comprehension, gathers formative data to inform instructional planning, and holds students accountable for the assigned reading of King Lear by Shakespeare (Act 3). An answer key is included. The material is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following relevant details:
Character motivations (King of France)
The application of metaphor in the text
Analysis of King Lear as a dynamic character and articulating relevant textual evidence
A character’s treasonous actions
Significant details about Gloucester
King Lear’s epiphany regarding his treatment of struggling subjects
Edgar’s deceptive behavior
The application of dramatic irony in the text
Edmund as the new Earl of Gloucester
Displays of King Lear’s mental decline
Regan’s display of disrespect toward Gloucester
Cornwall’s cruel and violent acts
Cornwall’s injury
This assessment measures general reading comprehension, gathers formative data to inform instructional planning, and holds students accountable for the assigned reading of King Lear by Shakespeare (Act 5). An answer key is included. The material is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following relevant details:
Edmund’s deception as it relates to the nature of his relationship with Goneril
The delivery of a letter to Albany
Edmund’s motives
Edgar’s viewpoints on life
Cordelia’s attempts to console her father
King Lear’s perspective on being held prisoner
Goneril’s evil deeds
A deadly duel
Albany’s motives
Edmund’s reaction to his brother’s account
Goneril’s suicide
One of Edmund’s final acts
The death of Cordelia
The death of King Lear
Kent’s loyalty to the king
Edgar’s promotion
This assessment measures general reading comprehension, gathers formative data to inform instructional planning, and holds students accountable for the assigned reading of King Lear by Shakespeare (Act 4). An answer key is included. The material is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following relevant details:
Edgar’s changing perspective on life
Gloucester’s criticism of the gods
Gloucester’s concern for a beggar
Goneril’s assumptions about her husband
Goneril’s adulterous desires
King Lear’s concerns about Cordelia
Cordelia’s desires for her father
Edmund’s intensifying desire to commit murder
Edgar’s efforts to save his father from his suicidal desires
A second fake trial
King Lear’s struggle to understand his daughters
King Lear’s thoughts about powerful people
A duel
The intent of a letter
Cordelia’s request of Kent
A moment of mental clarity
Help high school students improve fluency, stamina, text comprehension, and close reading analysis of the formal elements of fiction with this resource for teaching “The Tree” by H.P. Lovecraft. Additional materials are included to facilitate planning for unexpected teacher absences. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Included are the following:
Public domain short story. With an estimated Lexile Measure range of 1200 to 1300, the narrative is a suitable selection for high school English Language Arts classes.
Close reading analysis worksheet. By engaging with this exercise, students will articulate what is stated explicitly and implicitly; analyze how complex characters think, interact, and behave; compare and contrast characters; analyze a given excerpt and explain how situational irony develops; discern the meaning of complex words and phrases; make logical inferences about the author’s intentions; cite textual evidence in support of claims; and write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision. Questions are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Close reading analysis worksheet answer key.
Low-prep lesson plan for unexpected absences. This comes pre-filled with learning targets and agenda items. Space is also designated for classroom teachers to identify the name(s) of their class(es), the hour(s) of their class(es), student leaders, and upcoming homework assignments and assessments.
Bell ringer activity. Help a substitute teacher engage students (and find time to take attendance) with a thematically linked writing prompt.
Miscellaneous performance tasks handout. Extend student thinking and learning in the event of unexpected absences with this item outlining creative tasks pertaining to the short story. For example, students may write poetry or journal entries from the perspective of a character; write a brief retelling of the narrative from a different character’s perspective; explore the thematic significance of stories; review the overall quality of the narrative with objectivity and supporting evidence; and more.
Measure reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school and college with this set of analysis questions on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Old Bugs,” a social commentary narrative that marks a departure from Lovecraft’s tendency to write horror and supernatural fiction. With an estimated Lexile Measure of 1300-1400, this text and its corresponding assessment are appropriate additions to any high school English classroom, especially at the 11th and 12th grade levels. It also aligns nicely to American History courses in that the narrative addresses the topic of Prohibition. 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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By engaging with this resource, students will:
Respond clearly, concisely, and accurately to analytical questioning
Respond clearly, concisely, and accurately to literal comprehension-based questioning
Analyze textual details to discern, articulate, and support claims about tone
Apply knowledge of literary devices to the text, articulating how they are applied while citing textual evidence in support of claims (allusion, complex/dynamic character)
Analyze the effect of dialect on the reader
Explore and articulate character motivations.
Analyze the author’s craft, exploring unique and unfamiliar phrasing, sentence structures, and sensory language to make sense of meaning
Gothic fiction is a genre that maximizes many high school students’ engagement with literature. “The Beast in the Cave” by H.P. Lovecraft is a Gothic short story featuring an ominous setting, a protagonist with a deteriorating psychological state, a mysterious being, and a twist ending. This rigorous worksheet on “The Beast in the Cave” helps English teachers support the development of close reading analysis skills and save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. A detailed answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Articulate what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Use context clues to determine the state in which the story is set
Isolate the statement that best describes the narrator among several options
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including onomatopoeia, oxymoron, foreshadowing,
Isolate a false statement about a particular passage from among several truths
Make logical inferences about the narrator’s self-image
Define complex words as they are used in the text
Explore how the protagonist thinks, behaves, and interacts with others
Discern the intended effect of the author’s diction (for example, why the author used a phrase like occult manner and why the author repeatedly uses variations of the word labyrinth)
Examine the deeper meaning behind the narrator’s use of a euphemistic phrase
Analyze sentence structures to determine how they contribute to the reader’s experience
Explain how the narrator becomes a dynamic character
Justify ideas and claims with relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 25 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Analyze an excerpt to draw rational inferences
Discern the most logical interpretation of a particular excerpt
Analyze an excerpt to discern its significance to the plot
Analyze Mr. Underwood’s actions to discern his personal motivations
Analyze Bob Ewell’s remarks to predict his future behaviors, possibly addressing foreshadowing in the process
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations
Isolate factual statements from false statements
Apply knowledge of literary devices (metaphor) to the text
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 27 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Address Scout’s youthful misconception of “two minor changes” in Maycomb
Analyze an excerpt to discern its significance to the plot
Draw a logical inference about Atticus’s remarks, which allude to the Supreme Court of the United States
Conduct brief research on the Great Depression’s influence on common Halloween practices, especially in the South
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Analyze the author’s craft to discern her intent
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of foreshadowing to the text, with emphasis on how Miss Tutti and Miss Frutti’s deafness contribute to the plot
Analyze an excerpt to discern its tone in context
Promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension with this quiz covering Act 1 of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Olivia’s rejection of Orsino’s romantic advances
The impact of music on Orsino
Olivia’s 7-year mourning period and Orsino’s reaction to it
Viola’s shipwreck
The unknown fate of Sebastian
Characterization of Sir Toby Belch
Characterization of Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Cesario’s assigned task
Tension between Maria and Feste
Feste’s implication (criticism of Olivia’s attitude)
Malvolio’s arrogance
Olivia’s apparent romantic interest in Cesario
Olivia’s plan to reacquaint with Cesario
Promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension with this quiz covering Act 2 of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Cesario’s encountering of Feste
Cesario’s reaction to Olivia’s declarations of love
Olivia’s misinterpretation of Cesario’s motives
Olivia’s breaking of societal expectations in the times of Elizabethan England.
Toby and Fabian’s underhanded deeds
Andrew’s challenge
Sebastian and Antonio’s arrival in Illyria
Antonio’s personal history
Toby’s intentions
Olivia’s newest gift to Cesario
Antonio’s interruption of the duel
A case of mistaken identity and its consequences
Promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension with this quiz covering Act 4 of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Feste’s message from Olivia
Character motivations (why Toby intervenes in a fight)
Olivia’s sudden appearance
“If it be thus to dream, still let me sleep!” (context)
Maria’s newest deceptive plot against Malvolio
Malvolio’s treatment and his attempts to improve his situation
Dynamic character (a change within Toby)
“Blame not this haste of mine…” (context)
Dynamic character (a change within Malvolio)
Promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension with this quiz covering Act 3 of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Cesario’s encountering of Feste
Cesario’s reaction to Olivia’s declarations of love
Olivia’s misinterpretation of Cesario’s motives
Olivia’s breaking of societal expectations in the times of Elizabethan England.
Toby and Fabian’s underhanded deeds
Andrew’s challenge
Sebastian and Antonio’s arrival in Illyria
Antonio’s personal history
Toby’s intentions
Olivia’s newest gift to Cesario
Antonio’s interruption of the duel
A case of mistaken identity and its consequences
Promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension with this quiz covering Act 5 of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Feste’s delivery of a letter
The use of figurative language and its purpose: “Why should I not, had I the heart to do it, / Like to the Egyptian thief, at point of death, / Kill what I love?”
The context of Viola’s claim that she would die “a thousand deaths”
Olivia’s rationalization of Cesario’s apparently inconsistent behavior
Andrew and Toby’s injuries
The context of Toby’s remarks: “An asshead and a coxcomb and a knave, a thin-faced knave, a gull!”
Andrew’s frustration with Viola
Olivia’s feelings toward Malvolio
A lie told by Fabian
Maria’s marriage
The tone of the closing song
Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills for high school with this set of rigorous questions about Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Focusing on Act 1, scene 5, this resource is delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. An answer key is included. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Explore nuances in words with similar meanings
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on metaphor
Defend claims with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class/leave class better prepared to discuss literary materials
For many high school students, the horror genre promotes more active engagement with literature. “The Terrible Old Man” by H.P. Lovecraft is a concise horror story featuring plot elements such as robbery, a character who dabbles in the occult, and mutilated corpses—making the narrative a particularly compelling read during the Halloween season. This rigorous worksheet on “The Terrible Old Man” helps English teachers support the development of close reading analysis skills and save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. A detailed answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Determine the story’s point of view
Discern the overall tone of the narrative
Analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about characterization/character motivations
Define complex vocabulary as it is used in the text
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony
Draw parallels between the author’s life and the plot of “The Terrible Old Man”
Identify relevant textual details in support of claims and ideas
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 28 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Explain the significance of a given detail
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations
Analyze a Dr. Reynolds’s remarks to discern tone in context
Analyze the author’s craft to discern the intended effect
Apply knowledge of literary devices (hyperbole) to the text
Analyze Dr. Reynolds’s comments to Scout to discern and articulate his intent
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Hamlet. With a focus on Act 4, scene 4, this resource saves teachers valuable time without sacrificing academic rigor. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable PDFs and Word Documents.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
More specifically, questions pertain to the following:
Analyzing character statements and behaviors to draw logical inferences about character development and motivations
Analyzing complex vocabulary and phrasing in context to determine meaning and intended effect
Analyzing an excerpt to discern tone in context
Analyzing textual details to discern and articulate their significance to the plot
Citing textual evidence in support of a claim
This close reading assessment features 11 text-dependent, high-order questions to promote improved reading comprehension and analysis of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost (Act 1, scene 2). An answer key is included, as are Word Document and PDF versions of the assessment.
This resource aligns well to Academic Literacy Project teaching principles and 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.
In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Discern and articulate what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Make reasonable inferences about why the quickness of Moth’s responses frustrates Armado
Articulate Armado’s internal conflict in the context of an excerpt
Analyze Moth’s dialogue to discern what is implied about women who wear makeup
Analyze Moth’s asides to discern and articulate what they reveal about his true feelings
Conduct brief research on the topic of Humorism
Analyze Costard’s use of malaprops and explain why Shakespeare had him speak in such a manner
Interpret figurative language with emphasis on metaphor (“love is a devil”)
Make an inference about what Armado finds reassuring about the tale of Samson
Apply knowledge of situational irony by explaining what is unexpected about Cupid’s powers
Articulate the significance of of Armado’s closing soliloquy
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
For many high school readers, horror and psychological fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Sphinx” by Edgar Allan Poe features plot elements consistent with both genres: a cholera epidemic, social isolation, omens, fear of death, and more. With this challenging worksheet composed of high-order questions, English teachers will help students extend beyond basic reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and save valuable time at home without sacrificing quality and rigor in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine how complex characters think, behave, and interact
Explore character motivations
Define complex words as they are used in context
Analyze nuances in words with similar meanings
Choose the most appropriate synonym to replace a given word without changing fundamental meaning
Paraphrase information
Make logical inferences based on context clues
Explain how a given detail (the fact that it was “an exceedingly warm day”) is an example of paradox
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including hyperbole
Identify several examples of the narrator’s self-awareness
Identify several examples of the narrator’s questionable judgment
Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, logic, and precision