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.
Promote homework accountability and measure general reading comprehension with this quiz on Act 4 of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The information Gertrude gives Claudius about Hamlet
Hamlet’s refusal to identify the location of Polonius’ corpse
Hamlet’s interaction with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz
Hamlet’s reputation among the people of Denmark
Claudius’ assessment of Hamlet’s psychological state
Claudius’ plan to have Hamlet murdered
The actions of the Norwegian army
Fortinbras’ influence on Hamlet’s mindset
Ophelia’s peculiar behavior
The characterization of Laertes
Horatio’s letter from Hamlet
The tool Laertes will use to kill Hamlet
The manner of Ophelia’s death
Promote homework accountability and measure general reading comprehension with this quiz on Act 5 of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The nature of the gravediggers’ conversation
Hamlet’s reaction to the gravediggers’ behaviors
Hamlet’s similarities to the gravediggers
The nature of Hamlet’s conversation with the gravediggers
A former jester named Yorick
The church’s perspective on people who commit suicide
Laertes’ emotional response to Ophelia’s burial
Hamlet’s discovery of the plot to have him killed
Hamlet’s feelings toward Laertes
Hamlet’s duel with Laertes
Hamlet’s assessment of his physical strength in comparison to Laertes
The nature of Gertrude’s death
Hamlet’s belief regarding who should be the new King of Denmark
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 3, 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, students will be able to:
Identify what Claudius compares Hamlet to
Consider plot developments from Claudius’s point of view
Identify why it is important for Claudius to give the illusion of careful consideration when banishing Hamlet
Identify textual evidence that supports Claudius’s judgment that Hamlet is going insane
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of words and phrases using reference materials such as a dictionary or thesaurus
Identify Hamlet’s justification for calling Claudius his mother
Make a logical inference about Hamlet’s thinking based on dialogue
Discern the tone of a given passage
Consider plot developments from Hamlet’s point of view
Identify Hamlet’s intent based on his interactions with Claudius in this scene
Identify and explain an example of dramatic irony in this scene
Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile
Write with clarity and precision
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 5, scene 1, 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, students will be able to:
Articulate what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Consider author’s intent and articulate why Shakespeare may have chosen to begin this scene in a graveyard
Analyze characterization to discern the gravedigger’s primary function(s)
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Consider how aristocratic class privileges influence plot development
Describe Hamlet’s reaction to the gravedigger’s singing, as well as the reason for his reaction
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, hyperbole, allusion, alliteration, dramatic irony, situational irony, and more
Characterize Hamlet’s relationship with Yorick
Articulate how Hamlet’s lack of emotional or psychological control is manifested physically
Make logical inferences from the point of view of Hamlet
Demonstrate knowledge of Claudius’s mindset
Write with clarity and precision
Promote homework accountability and measure general reading comprehension with this bundle of plot-based quizzes on Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
By taking these assessments, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The sighting of the King of Denmark’s ghost
Horatio’s forceful interaction with the ghost
Character motivations
Hamlet’s mourning over the loss of his father
The reason for Hamlet’s anger toward his mother
Laertes’ perspective on the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia
Polonius’ condemnation of young men for their lack of decency
A ghost’s revelation to Hamlet
Horatio and Marcellus’ promise to Hamlet
Reynaldo’s spying on Laertes
The cause of Ophelia’s fright
Polonius’ recommendation to Ophelia
Ophelia’s rejection of Hamlet
The arrival of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
The roles of Voltemand and Cornelius
Claudius’ effect on Fortinbras
Hamlet’s comparison of Denmark to a prison
The interaction among Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern
The effect of the actors on Hamlet
Hamlet’s self-criticism
Hamlet’s fear
Polonius’ gift to Ophelia
Claudius’ psychological state
Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts
Hamlet’s degrading criticisms and comments about Ophelia
Hamlet’s confession to Ophelia
A primary cause of Ophelia’s sorrow
The interaction between Hamlet and Horatio
The function of the play from Hamlet’s perspective
Gertrude and Claudius’ reaction to the play
Claudius’ decision with regard to the seemingly insane Hamlet
Claudius’ internal conflicts
Polonius’ sneakiness
The appearance of the ghost
Gertrude’s acknowledgement regarding her current husband
The information Gertrude gives Claudius about Hamlet
Hamlet’s refusal to identify the location of Polonius’ corpse
Hamlet’s interaction with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz
Hamlet’s reputation among the people of Denmark
Claudius’ assessment of Hamlet’s psychological state
Claudius’ plan to have Hamlet murdered
The actions of the Norwegian army
Fortinbras’ influence on Hamlet’s mindset
Ophelia’s peculiar behavior
The characterization of Laertes
Horatio’s letter from Hamlet
The tool Laertes will use to kill Hamlet
The manner of Ophelia’s death
The nature of the gravediggers’ conversation
Hamlet’s reaction to the gravediggers’ behaviors
Hamlet’s similarities to the gravediggers
The nature of Hamlet’s conversation with the gravediggers
A former jester named Yorick
The church’s perspective on people who commit suicide
Laertes’ emotional response to Ophelia’s burial
Hamlet’s discovery of the plot to have him killed
Hamlet’s feelings toward Laertes
Hamlet’s duel with Laertes
Hamlet’s assessment of his physical strength in comparison to Laertes
The nature of Gertrude’s death
Hamlet’s belief regarding who should be the new King of Denmark
Conclude your unit on Shakespeare’s Hamlet with this summative assessment, which is delivered as a Word Document and PDF. An answer key is included. This fifty-question assessment is divided into four sections and breaks down as follows. Students will demonstrate comprehension of the following:
An encounter with a ghost
The reason for Hamlet’s anger toward his mother
Ophelia’s unsettling interactions with Hamlet
Ophelia’s rejection of Hamlet
Hamlet’s self-criticisms
Hamlet’s fear
Claudius’s guilty conscience
Hamlet’s confession to Ophelia
Ophelia’s emotional reaction to Hamlet’s fall from honor
The purpose of a play performance
The murder of Claudius
Gertrude’s awareness that she married a killer
Interactions among Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern
The effect Fortinbras has on Hamlet
The manner of Ophelia’s death
Ophelia’s burial
Laertes’s expression of extreme mourning
Hamlet’s declaration on who should be the next King of Denmark
The manner of Gertrude’s death
Hamlet’s relationship with Laertes
The similarities the gravediggers share with Hamlet
Ophelia’s behavior right before her death
Norway’s aggression toward Poland
Claudius’s psychological state
How Hamlet is affected by the actors
Polonius’s sending a spy to report back on Laertes
Laertes assessment of Hamlet’s love for Ophelia
Hamlet’s criticism of his mother’s marriage
Act 1, scene 2: It is not nor it cannot come to good, / But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
Act 1, scene 3: Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain, / If with too credent ear you list his songs, / Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open / To his unmaster’d importunity.
Act 1, scene 7: If thou art privy to thy country’s fate, / O, speak!
Act 2, scene 2: Bloody, bawdy villain! / Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! / O vengeance!
Act 3, scene 3: The cease of majesty / Dies not alone; but, like a gulf, doth draw / What’s near it with it…
Act 4, scene 1: So dreaded slander – / Whose whisper o’er the world’s diameter, / As level as the cannon to his blank, / Transports the poisoned shot – may miss our name / And hit the woundless air.
Act 4, scene 2: But such officers do the / king best service in the end: he keeps them, like / an ape, in the corner of his jaw…
Act 4, scene 4: How all occasions do inform against me, / And spur my dull revenge!
Act 5, scene 1: Why, e’en so: and now my Lady Worm’s; chapless, and / knocked about the mazzard with a sexton’s spade: / here’s fine revolution, and we had the trick to / see’t. Did these bones cost no more the breeding, / but to play at loggats with ’em? Mine ache to think on’t.
Metaphor
Simile
Hyperbole
Allusion
Personification
Alliteration
Sibilance
Oxymoron
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 Act 2, scene 2, 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, 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
Make logical inferences in context
Apply knowledge of literary devices to the text including alliteration and situational irony
Discern the meaning of complex words and phrases in context
Identify textual evidence in support of a claim
Write with clarity and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 29 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:
Apply knowledge of various literary devices to passages in the text (idiom, metaphor, personification, assonance)
Discern the meaning of a given word or phrase
Discern a character’s intent
Analyze Boo Radley’s physical characteristics to articulate the author’s intent
Analyze the author’s craft
Write with clarity and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 31 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.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Discern the tone of a character’s remarks
Use context to determine the symbolism of a tree in context
Apply knowledge of various literary devices to passages in the text (personification)
Discern a character’s intent
Discern the author’s intent
Cite evidence to support the claim that Scout’s world perspective has matured
Analyze the author’s craft
Make a logical inference about why Alexandra would be proud of Scout
Write with clarity and precision
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 26 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:
Apply knowledge of various literary devices to passages in the text
Discern the intended effect of figurative language
Articulate the significance of Atticus’s re-election
Discern the most accurate paraphrasing of a detail in a given passage
Analyze how complex characters interact
Discern author’s intent
Analyze the text from an historical context
Discern the tone of a given passage.
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 23 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:
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations.
Analyze Scout’s dialogue to make a logical inference about Atticus’s parenting
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor
Identify textual evidence in support of the claim that Jem is a dynamic character
Explore the internal conflict that exists within Jem
Connect a portion of a given passage to the content of a previous chapter
Analyze how complex characters interact
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 2, 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
Determine the function of a particular excerpt
Conduct brief research on classical mythology — more specifically the tale of Arion and the dolphin — and draw parallels between the mythological figure and Sebastian
Consider the text’s allusion to Elysium to infer greater meaning
Discern the tone of a character’s dialogue
Come to class/depart class better prepared to discuss literary material
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
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 3, 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 tone in context
Identify the greater significance of a given detail
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole and simile
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Identify a function of the scene
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 4, 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
Apply knowledge of figurative language
Discern the significance of a given detail
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Identify excerpts in support of claims
Isolate a factual detail about plot from falsehoods
Come to class/leave class better prepared to discuss literary material
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the science fiction short story “The Fog Horn” by Ray Bradbury. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging in this exercise, students will…
Articulate what is stated in the text explicitly and implicitly
Identify several examples of personification and/or anthropomorphism in the narrative
Identify several textual details that contribute to a sense of isolation
Discern the intended meaning of figurative language
Discern the function of a given excerpt
Apply knowledge of sonic literary devices including consonance and assonance
Analyze the author’s craft
Identify stylistic changes in a given excerpt
Articulate the intended effect of stylistic changes in a given excerpt
Analyze relationships between complex characters
Articulate how a given detail is an example of foreshadowing
Make logical inferences about character motivations
Cite textual evidence in support of inferences and claims
Write with clarity and precision
Help high school students analyze how Langston Hughes used direct description, dialect, and various literary devices to develop complex characters and situations in “Thank You, Ma’am.” Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this resource serves well for an independent learning opportunity, as well as for small-group discussions. Through such discussions, students may evaluate peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to support claims, clarifying or challenging ideas as needed. An answer key is included.
Help high school students develop a greater understanding of how H.P. Lovecraft used descriptive language, auditory imagery, characterization, and various literary techniques in “The Beast in the Cave” to establish an eerie mood consistent with the Gothic fiction genre. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this resource serves well as an independent learning opportunity, as well as for small-group discussions. Through such discussions, students may evaluate peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to support claims, clarifying or challenging ideas as needed. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included.
Help high school students analyze how W. W. Jacobs used foreshadowing, characterization, description, situational irony, verbal irony, personification, and symbolism to establish a tense mood and tone in “The Monkey’s Paw” that is consistent with the conventions of horror and supernatural fiction. Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this resource serves well for an independent learning opportunity, as well as for small-group discussions. Through such discussions, students may evaluate peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to support claims, clarifying or challenging ideas as needed. An answer key is included.
Promote active engagement with fiction, support the development of close reading analysis skills for high school, and evaluate general reading comprehension with this bundle of resources for teaching the Gothic short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. Included are the following: a plot-based quiz, a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading questions, a craft analysis activity, the public domain narrative, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will perform the following tasks:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Analyze the nature of character relationships and interactions
Examine grammatically correct structure
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the text
Identify the best evidence of foreshadowing in a given passage
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including verbal irony
Make logical inferences about the protagonist’s mindset and motivations
Identify relevant textual evidence in support of a claim or idea
Promote active engagement with fiction, support the development of close reading analysis skills for high school, and evaluate general reading comprehension with this bundle of resources for teaching the science fiction short story “The Fog Horn” by Ray Bradbury. Included are the following: a plot-based quiz, a rigorous close reading worksheet, a craft analysis activity, and answer keys. By engaging with these materials, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate what is stated in the text explicitly and implicitly
Identify several examples of personification and/or anthropomorphism in the narrative
Identify several textual details that contribute to a sense of isolation
Discern the intended meaning of figurative language
Discern the function of a given excerpt
Apply knowledge of sonic literary devices including consonance and assonance
Analyze the author’s craft
Identify stylistic changes in a given excerpt
Articulate the intended effect of stylistic changes in a given excerpt
Analyze relationships between complex characters
Articulate how a given detail is an example of foreshadowing
Make logical inferences about character motivations
Cite textual evidence in support of inferences and claims
Write with clarity and precision
Develop a greater understanding of how Ray Bradbury used descriptive language, characterization, setting, and various literary devices to establish an eerie mood that is consistent with the supernatural fiction and science fiction genres.
