For many high school readers, horror and supernatural fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe features elements consistent with both genres: a Gothic mansion, psychological deterioration, heightened emotions, grim imagery, and more. With this bundle of high school resources covering “The Fall of the House of Usher,” English teachers will save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; the public domain narrative; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Explore dominant character traits and motivations Examine how complex characters think, behave, and interact Determine the greater significance of a given detail Apply knowledge of various sound and literary devices including alliteration, personification, euphemism, foreshadowing, situational irony, hyperbole, epiphany, juxtaposition, and more Articulate the intended effects of various sound devices, literary devices, and figurative expressions Analyze Poe’s use of descriptive language to infer the author’s intent Conduct brief research on Swiss painter Henry Fuseli to develop greater understanding of Poe’s allusion to him Explore the connection between the plot of the short story and the content of the poem titled “The Haunted Palace” Examine how the author successfully intensifies suspense in the context of a passage Analyze the connotative significance of the narrator’s labeling Roderick a hypochondriac Identify details that contribute to a dreamlike or nightmarish atmosphere Discern the functions of particular details Make logical inferences about the resolution Defend claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, 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 bundle of high school resources covering “The Sphinx,” English teachers will save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; the public domain narrative; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, 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

For many high school readers, realistic and young adult fiction are genres that maximize relatability and engagement with literature. “Geraldine Moore the Poet” by Toni Cade Bambara is a short story focusing on a girl with unfavorable life circumstances who is on the verge of an important self-discovery: that she has a natural talent for expressing herself poetically. With this bundle of high school resources covering “Geraldine Moore the Poet,” English Language Arts teachers will be able to evaluate general reading comprehension and support the continued development of close reading analysis skills. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable, editable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others Apply knowledge of various literary devices including foreshadowing, idiom, and ambiguity Articulate the function of a given detail Make logical inferences about the author’s intent Demonstrate awareness of the narrative’s inciting incident Articulate the symbolism associated with Geraldine’s being offered tomato soup Choose an opinion with which Geraldine is most likely to agree Evaluate the qualities that make Geraldine’s poem “the most poetic thing” Argue whether Geraldine or Mrs. Scott experiences the greatest epiphany Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision

For many high school readers, realistic and young adult fiction are genres that maximize relatability and engagement with literature. “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” by Toni Cade Bambara is a short story focusing on a Black family whose ways of life are being infringed upon by opportunistic, politically motivated filmmakers. With this bundle of high school resources covering “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird,” English Language Arts teachers will be able to evaluate general reading comprehension and support the continued development of close reading analysis skills. Included are the following: an editable, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others Infer character motivations Articulate the function of a specific character (Cathy) Make logical inferences about the author’s intent Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, idiom, and onomatopoeia Isolate an example of figurative language from among several options Choose an opinion with which Granny would most likely agree based on an anecdote she shares with her family Determine which character or characters are represented in the character of Goldilocks Identify several ways in which the filmmakers dehumanize Granny and members of her family Draw parallels between the American folk hero John Henry and the character of Granddaddy Cain Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Fairy tales are not just for elementary readers; even middle and high school students may use fairy tales as tools for extending beyond reading comprehension and practicing close reading analysis skills. “The Girl Without Hands” by the Brothers Grimm, also known as “The Maiden Without Hands” and “The Armless Maiden,” is a short story about the plight of a maiden whose poor father makes a bargain that results in her disfigurement and confinement. Included are the following: an editable, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; the public domain short story; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others Isolate a factual statement from falsehoods in the context of the miller’s characterization Explain how situational irony and dramatic irony are applied Discern the significance of the maiden’s decision to draw a circle around her Explore cause-and-effect relationships (how losing her hands affects the maiden physically, psychologically, and interpersonally) Analyze the silver hands for symbolic value Define complex words in context Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration and foreshadowing Cite textual evidence to support claims and ideas Write with clarity and precision

Evaluate reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and minimize take-home lesson planning with this set of instructional resources covering chapter two of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; and answer keys. Students will: Discern what the text states explicitly and implicitly Analyze character motivations Apply knowledge of various literary devices including alliteration, assonance, and simile Discern and articulate the greater significance of a given detail with emphasis on what is revealed about character modes of thinking Analyze how complex characters interact Make logical inferences about how Tom perceives Myrtle Demonstrate awareness of how social status influences behavior Compare Myrtle to the puppy she is gifted Discern a primary function of the chapter Write with clarity and precision

Evaluate reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and minimize take-home lesson planning with this set of instructional resources covering chapter five of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will: Discern what the text states explicitly and implicitly Analyze how complex characters interact Articulate how Gatsby’s behavior is ironic from Nick’s perspective Apply knowledge of various literary devices including situational irony, simile, and hyperbole Identify textual evidence that best supports a claim Analyze the author’s use of language to discern his intent Explore the symbolism of an object or objects Clarify and elaborate on a concern Nick has for Gatsby in a given passage Write with clarity and precision

Evaluate reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and minimize take-home lesson planning with this set of instructional resources covering chapter six of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will: Discern what the text states explicitly and implicitly Analyze how complex characters interact Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context Make logical inferences about Gatsby’s decision making Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, situational irony, hyperbole, euphemism, allusion, and personification Analyze the author’s craft to determine the intended meaning of a lesser known phrase Analyze what character dialogue reveals about their psychological and emotional states Determine the significance of a given detail Explore dynamic character Identify a main function of the chapter

Evaluate reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and minimize take-home lesson planning with this set of instructional resources covering chapter seven of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will: Discern what the text states explicitly and implicitly Analyze how complex characters interact Make a logical inference about Daisy’s parenting style Identify the significance of given characterization details Apply knowledge of various literary devices including assonance, consonance, metaphor, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, imagery, euphemism, and catharsis Analyze word choices to determine which word most accurately conveys an idea Explore character motivations Explore Nick’s assessment of Gatsby’s behavior in the context of the chapter Analyze the author’s craft Write ideas with clarity and precision