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.
Help middle and high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapters 9 and 10 of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. This worksheet is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, and it eliminates the need for take-home assessment planning while upholding the need for rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
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.
More specifically, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the greater significance of given details
Make logical inferences about the author’s thinking in context
Consider historical context when answering questions about plot
Discern the intended effects of given details
Determine the function of a given detail
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including epiphany, dramatic irony, situational irony, and more
Explore themes in context
Help middle and high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapters 11 through 13 of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. This worksheet is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, and it eliminates the need for take-home assessment planning while upholding the need for rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
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.
More specifically, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the greater significance of given details
Make logical inferences about the author’s thinking in context
Consider historical context when answering questions about plot
Discern the intended effects of given details
Determine the function of a given character or chapter
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including euphemism, pun, ambiguity, foreshadowing, rhetorical question, dramatic irony, and verbal irony,
Explore themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help middle and high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapters 1 and 2 of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. This worksheet is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, and it eliminates the need for take-home assessment planning while upholding the need for rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
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.
More specifically, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the greater significance of a given detail
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters (Ender and Peter)
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on simile, metaphor, and invective
Determine the intended effect of the author’s stylistic choices
Help middle and high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapters 7 and 8 of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. This worksheet is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, and it eliminates the need for take-home assessment planning while upholding the need for rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
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.
More specifically, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the greater significance of given details
Discern the intended effects of given details
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including ambiguity, anaphora, and more
Explore themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school readers go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the prologue of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word and phrase meanings (“Two households, both alike in dignity,” “Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean,” “What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend,” and more)
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Consider historical context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 3, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. 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:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the Shakespeare’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including oxymoron, onomatopoeia, allusion, personification, symbolism, invective, and more
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Outsider.” The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate more purposeful engagement with fiction. An answer key is provided, as well as a copy of the narrative, which makes for an excellent addition to a Halloween-themed short story unit for grades 9 through 12. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The narrator’s previous experiences
Conditions of the setting
The narrator’s acquisition of his education
The narrator’s desire for light
A discovery beyond a trap door
A violation of the narrator’s expectations
The cause of mass panic
The effect of the mirror in terms of plot development
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 18, 19, and 20 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
A plan to meet with Carl Luce for drinks
An observation that calls to mind Allie
Holden’s thoughts about joining the military
Holden’s characterization of Carl Luce
Holden’s line of questioning (lack of maturity)
Holden’s decision to get drunk
A drunken phone call to Sally
Dropping and breaking the record
Holden’s thoughts about death and his own funeral
A decision to return home
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 16 and 17 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Holden’s thoughts as he sees the nuns
A gift for Phoebe (“Little Shirley Beans”)
A phone call to Jane
Holden’s search for his sister
An encounter with a girl who claims to know Holden’s sister
Holden’s thoughts about time as he visits the museum
Holden’s date with Sally
Sally’s flirtatiousness
Holden’s emotional instability and its influence on his treatment of Sally
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 13, 14, and 15 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Holden’s imagination
Holden’s confession (fearfulness)
An offer from the elevator operator
The cost of the offer
Holden’s perceptions on what women want
Holden’s attempt to avoid intimacy with Sunny
A violent altercation
Holden’s guilt over an incident involving Allie
Holden’s thoughts on organized religion
A date with Sally
Holden’s mother and her health
Holden’s feelings toward his mother
Holden’s thoughts on money and its effect on people
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 7, 8, and 9 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Holden’s difficulties in falling asleep
A late-night conversation with Ackley
Holden’s decision to leave for New York abruptly
Holden’s decision to delay returning to his parents’ apartment
Holden’s train ride encounter with Ms. Morrow and the ensuing conversation
Holden’s hypocrisy
Holden’s loneliness
Holden’s attempt to set himself up on a date
Holden’s judgment of many other hotel patrons
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the Parsons family from Book 1, chapter 2, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the threat proles could pose to the Party from Book 1, chapter 7, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on aposiopesis, simile, situational irony, and symbolism
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 support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about Winston’s recollections of his mother and sister from Book 2, chapter 7, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including sibilance and simile
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 support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the contrasts between wars of the past and of the present from Book 2, chapter 9, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Articulate the purpose of newspapers and other media, as well as why that purpose is significant
Describe tone in context
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
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 and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this set of two quizzes covering Book 1, chapters 2 and 3, of George Orwell’s 1984. A multiple choice quiz and short answer option are included. Use one for post-reading comprehension checks, and use the other as a guided reading worksheet or re-assessment opportunity. Answer keys are also provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Winston’s fear of the Thought Police
The Junior Spies and their job
Public executions of the Party’s dissidents
Winston’s dream involving O’Brien’s voice
Winston’s dream involving his mother
A government purge
Physical jerks
Why it is so difficult to recall one’s childhood
Oceania’s enemy country
Communication via the telescreen
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this set of two quizzes covering Book 2, chapters 7 and 8, of George Orwell’s 1984. A multiple choice quiz and short answer option are included. Use one for post-reading comprehension checks, and use the other as a guided reading worksheet or re-assessment opportunity. Answer keys are also provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Winston’s nightmare
Winston’s previous belief that he was responsible for his mom’s death
A flood of memories returning
The Party’s influence on its members
How Winston and Julia are jeopardizing their own safety
Winston and Julia’s desire to join the Brotherhood
An encounter with O’Brien
Winston’s feelings after his meeting with O’Brien
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 5, scene 4, of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided.
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.
More specifically, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of figurative language as it is used in the text
Define complex words and phrases in context
Verify the meanings of words and phrases using reference materials as needed
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on invective and callback
Articulate an unanswered question related to the plot
Make rational predictions about future events using context clues
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
“The Night Came Slowly” by Kate Chopin is an complex narrative packed with symbolism, yet it is short enough to compensate for awkward gaps in teaching schedules. With this plot-based quiz covering the short story, teachers will be able to evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. An answer key is provided, as well as a copy of the public domain text. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The narrator’s perspective on humanity
The narrator’s perspective on nature
The narrator’s perspective on literature
The narrator’s personal reflections
The narrator’s spirituality
The setting
Personifying details
And more
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 5 and 6 of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, a science fiction novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The collective term for Ender’s group members
The group’s supervisor
Ender’s observations of older kids playing games
How Ender compels an older kid to play a best-of-three set against him
The older kids’ reaction to Ender’s victory in the best-of-three series
Ender’s new friendship
The means by which Ender wins a challenging game
Ender’s ponderings
And more