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.
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 9 and 10 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:
Graff’s concerns about Ender’s game play
The reason for Ender’s family’s move
Peter’s interests and and philosophies
Valentine and Peter’s collaboration
The reason Graff visits Valentine
Valentine’s recognition
The makeup of Dragon Army
Bean’s general characterization
The cause of Ender’s sadness
And more
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 7 and 8 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:
Graff’s assessment of Ender’s reaction to Bernard
Alai’s request of Ender
The atypical nature of Ender’s army assignment
A distinguishing characteristic of Petra
Bonzo’s role
Ender’s reaction to being traded to Rat Army
Graff’s desire to manipulate Ender’s games
Dink’s unconventional thinking
Strange occurrences in Ender’s fantasy games
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 3 and 4 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 concerns of the unidentified voices
Graff’s role in Ender’s life
Graff’s curiosities about Ender’s behavior
The reason Mazer Rackham is famous
How the unidentified voices intend to foster Ender’s creativity
The general response to Ender’s arrival at Battle School
Ender’s reaction to being bullied
Graff’s philosophies
And more
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 1 and 2 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 protagonist’s compassionate nature
Ender’s birth name
The term used to refer to aliens in the novel
Family dynamics
The reason for a visit to the doctor
Why Ender is mocked by his peers
Ender’s response to bullying
Peter’s personal goals
And more
“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
“A Strange Story” by O. Henry is a narrative packed with situational irony, 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. Additionally, the brevity of the narrative helps to fill awkward gaps in the teaching schedule. 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:
Setting
The family’s last name
A character’s medical condition
The reason for a character’s departure
The effects of a character’s disappearance
Similarities between characters
Ironic coincidences
The resolution
Incorporate more science fiction into the high school classroom and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The protagonist’s job
Relationships between the protagonist and various characters
How the protagonist works to improve his intelligence
The effects of a medical experiment
The protagonist’s inferences about the learning process
The resolution
And more
Incorporate more science fiction into middle and high school classrooms and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering the sci-fi short story titled “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The protagonist
The setting
Expository details
External conflicts
The consequences of significant actions
Interactions between and among characters
The resolution
This summative test covers William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and includes an answer key, as well as a standards-based rubric for scoring essays. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will:
Demonstrate knowledge significant characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events throughout the play
Identify the context of meaningful quotations in the play
Apply knowledge of a variety of literary devices applied in the play including hyperbole, metaphor, malapropism, oxymoron, hyperbole, personification, invective, and pun
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to explore the complexities of Benedick’s character
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 5 of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, four close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Compare and contrast elements of one scene to those of another
Determine tone in context
Discern the intended effect of figurative language as it is used in the text
Consider how Shakespeare’s narrative techniques achieve both humorous and tension-relieving effects
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters (Benedick and Margaret; Benedick and Beatrice)
Evaluate whether Claudio is a sympathetic and accountable character
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on simile, paradox, personification, allusion, oxymoron, repetition, metaphor, callback, invective, verbal irony, and dramatic irony
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
Challenge high school students to go beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet convenient enough for teachers to efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Included are seventeen close reading worksheets, each addressing an individual scene, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By the end of the play, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words as they are used in the text
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context
Delve into the methods by which Shakespeare achieved narrative effects such as tension and comic relief
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Compare and contrast several characters
Conduct brief research on the four humors of classical Greek medicine to facilitate an evaluation of Benedick’s condition midway through the play
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, hyperbole, allusion, malapropism, personification, paradox, invective, oxymoron, symbolism, dramatic irony, situational irony, verbal irony, and more
Determine the tone of given passages
Discern the functions of given passages
Compare elements of one scene with those of another
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
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
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 3, 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
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Discern the overall tone of the scene
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast this scene to the previous scene
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on paradox, personification, allusion, oxymoron, repetition, metaphor, and more
Discern the intended effects of figurative language as it is used in the text
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 2, 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
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters (Benedick and Margaret; Benedick and Beatrice)
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on simile
Discern the intended effect of figurative language as it is used in the text
Help high school students develop close reading and poetry analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 146. Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet eliminates assessment planning responsibilities 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
Explore the narrator’s mindset
Discern the overall tone of the sonnet
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on metaphor, paradox, and personification
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 1, 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
Consider how Shakespeare’s narrative techniques achieve both humorous and tension-relieving effects
Determine the tone of dialogue in context
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Evaluate whether Claudio is a sympathetic and accountable character
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on simile, verbal irony, and dramatic irony
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
With this synonym activity covering chapters 1 through 3 of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, students will examine the author’s diction and explore nuances in words with similar meanings. Specifically, this worksheet requires students to define challenging words as they are used in the novel and choose the most suitable synonyms to replace those words without changing the author’s intended meaning. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. The following vocabulary terms are addressed:
diminutive
disapprobation
eccentric
erratic
imprudent
mystify
profound
taciturn
vapid
vexations
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 4 of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a multiple choice quiz on characters and plot, two close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Materials in this bundle may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using these resources for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.
By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the tone of dialogue in context
Discern the intended effect of narrative techniques
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate the internal conflicts of two characters (Beatrice and Benedick)
Contrast two characters (Borachio and Conrade)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including pun, hyperbole, oxymoron, allusion, metaphor, malapropism, imagery, and more
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 4, scene 2, 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
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the tone of dialogue in context
Explore how the setting of the scene contributes to the plot
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Contrast two characters (Borachio and Conrade)
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on malapropism
