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 students achieve more purposeful reading experiences and sharpen their note-taking skills with this reading guide covering Act 2 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In addition, this resource aims to facilitate review and future recall of plot. Students will identify what the text states explicitly, track character and plot development, articulate the context and significance of given quotations, and more. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. The following details are addressed:
Dramatic irony
The rejection of names
Romeo’s fear of rejection
Juliet’s concern over acting hastily
Juliet’s desire for Romeo to send her a message
Friar Laurence’s beliefs on good and evil
Friar Laurence’s concerns for Romeo
Romeo’s request of Friar Laurence
Friar Laurence’s optimistic view of the union of Romeo and Juliet
The Nurse’s private conversation with Romeo
The plan to marry Juliet
The Nurse’s comic relief
And more
Help students achieve more purposeful reading experiences and sharpen their note-taking skills with this reading guide covering Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In addition, this resource aims to facilitate review and future recall of plot. Students will identify what the text states explicitly, track character and plot development, articulate the context and significance of given quotations, and more. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. The following details are addressed:
Lord Capulet’s rush to marry off Juliet
Lord Capulet’s threat to Juliet
Juliet’s morbid confession to Friar Laurence
The purpose of the vial
Juliet’s request for forgiveness from her father
Lord Capulet’s praise for Friar Laurence
Juliet’s paranoia in regard to Friar Laurence’s motives
The burial vault
The Nurse’s terrible discovery
Cancellation of the wedding
And more
Help students achieve more purposeful reading experiences and sharpen their note-taking skills with this reading guide covering Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In addition, this resource aims to facilitate review and future recall of plot. Students will identify what the text states explicitly, track character and plot development, articulate the context and significance of given quotations, and more. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. The following details are addressed:
Tybalt’s verbal attack on Romeo
Dramatic irony
Mercutio’s decision to fight Tybalt
Romeo’s abrupt character change
Defying the prince’s orders
Lady Capulet’s demand
Romeo’s punishment
The Nurse’s news and ensuing confusion
Juliet’s immediate reaction to learning the truth
Juliet’s defense of her husband
The Nurse’s motivation to seek out Romeo
Romeo’s feelings toward his punishment
Friar Laurence’s strong words for Romeo
Romeo’s potential suicide attempt
Friar Laurence’s optimistic plan
Lord Capulet’s arrangement with Paris
Whether Romeo believes he will see his wife once more
Foreshadowing
Lady Capulet’s plan for Romeo after exile
The Nurse’s advice to Juliet
Juliet’s desire to seek Friar Laurence’s help
And more
Help students achieve more purposeful reading experiences and sharpen their note-taking skills with this reading guide covering Act 5 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In addition, this resource aims to facilitate review and future recall of plot. Students will identify what the text states explicitly, track character and plot development, articulate the context and significance of given quotations, and more. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. The following details are addressed:
Failure of Friar Laurence’s plan
Romeo’s visit to the apothecary
The apothecary’s concern
Friar Laurence and the quarantine
Friar John’s task
Paris in the churchyard
Balthasar’s news
Romeo’s interaction with Paris
Romeo’s suicide
Juliet’s awakening
Friar Laurence’s upsetting news
Juliet’s method of suicide
Lady Montague’s death
The resolution
And more
Measure general comprehension and hold students accountable for reading Farley Mowat’s nonfiction book Never Cry Wolf with this set of printable assessments on chapters 17 through 24. In addition to a multiple choice quiz, a constructed response version is provided, which may double as a guided reading worksheet to encourage active engagement with the text. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in a zip file containing both Word Document and PDF versions.
Questions pertain to the following details.
Angeline’s surprising ability
Angeline’s family
Census of the wolf population
Population control
The Churchill incident
Why Inuit women thought Mowat was crazy
The purpose behind the wolves’ test of the caribou
A repulsive discovery concerning the caribou
Growth of the pups
A study involving a gas mask
A mass death
The final professional obligation
Incorporate autobiographical nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and measure general reading comprehension with this editable quiz on “Straw into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the Everyday” by Sandra Cisneros. This autobiographical essay addresses the variables that shaped Cisneros into the writer she became and emphasizes the inspirational message that seemingly impossible things are possible with a little imagination. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The nature of a misunderstanding
The author’s self-image
The author’s educational experiences
The dynamics of the author’s family
The breaking of a “terrible taboo”
Traits the author inherited from each of her parents
How the author’s mother influenced her writing
The author’s hometown
The reasons the author disliked school as a child
A major life event in 1966
Theme
Conclude a unit on Shakespeare’s Othello with this summative test and answer key. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate general knowledge of character actions, dialogue, and motivations. In addition, they will explore the significance of selected passages and apply knowledge of literary devices such as situational irony and dramatic irony. Finally, students will write with clarity, accuracy, and precision in response to a prompt requiring them to analyze Iago and support the claim that he is a weak villain. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
A 34-slide PowerPoint on ethics in journalism. Concepts covered include:
The Janet Cooke Incident
Code of ethics
Journalistic credibility
Journalism and the Constitution
Prior restraint
Journalistic objectivity
Sensationalism
Overstatement
Right of reply
Attribution
Fairness to all
Plagiarism
The Stephen Glass Incident
Slander
Libel
Libel laws
Examples of libel
Defenses against libel
Privacy lawsuits
Limits on scholastic journalism
In loco parentis
The Tinker Decision of 1969
The Hazelwood Case of 1988
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 19, 20, and 21 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
California’s history
American squatters’ sense of entitlement to land
The perceived threat of the Okies
Granma’s body
Hoovervilles
The characterization of Floyd Knowles
The reason for an employment “blacklist”
A mistake Connie thinks he and Rose of Sharon made
The arrest of Floyd Knowles
Tom tripping the police officer
Casy’s willingness to take the fall
Uncle John’s dejection
Tom’s belief the family needs to move on before more trouble erupts
An armed, angry mob
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 25, 26, and 27 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Destruction of excess crops/food
Duration of time spent at Weedpatch camp
Ma’s decision to move the family onward
Complications in preparations to leave
An offer to pick peaches
Ma’s interaction with the Hooper Ranch clerk
The re-appearance of Jim Casy
A strike against the Hooper Ranch
The death of Jim Casy
Tom’s reaction to the death of Jim Casy
A decision to leave the peach farm
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this set of two quizzes covering Book 2, chapters 4 through 6, 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:
The room Winston rents
Julia’s encounter with a rat
The significance of the paperweight
Winston’s imagination as he stares into the paperweight
The expected vanishing of a character
Winston’s reaction to the singing of a prole woman
The hate song and other preparations for Hate Week
Julia’s accusations against the Party
An encounter with O’Brien
O’Brien’s offer to Winston
Save time and measure general reading comprehension with this printable quiz on “Middle Woman,” a short story by Orson Scott Card. Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this assessment makes it easier to quickly gather data on student recall and reading habits. An answer key is provided. Due to copyright restrictions, a copy of the short story is not included.
By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Middle Woman’s annual journey to visit her sisters
The malevolent reason the dragon offers humans three wishes
Middle Woman’s reasonable first wish
The dragon’s evil actions
Situational irony
Middle Woman’s intelligent second wish
Her husband’s criticism of her, berating her as a changeable woman
Middle Woman’s cheerfulness despite criticism
Ensuing years in which Middle Woman uses her intellect rather than her remaining wish
The dragon’s return many years later
An offer of immortality
Middle Woman’s kind final wish.
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 5 and 6 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 trip to the movies
Application of situational irony (irony of result)
Ackley’s inclusion
The intended subject matter of Stradlater’s composition assignment
Holden’s decision to deviate from the assignment’s expectations
Character description of Allie
Holden’s response to Allie’s death
Stradlater’s reaction to Holden’s writing
Holden’s attempt to irritate Stradlater
Stradlater’s date with Jane
A physical altercation
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapter 24 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:
Mr. Antolini’s luxurious apartment
Mr. Antolini’s drunkenness
Holden’s explanation as to why he disliked Pencey Prep
That Mr. Antolini is compared to D.B.
Holden’s interest in side stories or digressions
Mr. Antolini’s fear that Holden is destined for “a terrible fall”
The root of Holden’s dissatisfaction in life, according to Mr. Antolini
The significance of an education for Holden, according to Mr. Antolini
How Mr. Antolini awakens Holden
Holden’s visceral reaction to the manner in which he was awakened
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 25 and 26 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 plot elements:
Holden’s second guessing of Mr. Antolini’s motivations
Holden’s concern for his own safety as he crosses streets
Holden’s desire to re-connect with Phoebe at the Museum of Art
Holden’s desire to move out west and avoid human interaction
What upsets Holden at the school
Holden’s impending physical collapse
The return of the red hunting hat
A trip to the zoo
Holden’s emotional state as he watches Phoebe on the carousel
Holden’s decision to return home
Promote student accountability and measure general reading comprehension of J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. Featuring 112 questions spanning the entire novel, this bundle quickly and conveniently provides formative data on student knowledge and reading habits. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Answer keys are included.
Questions pertain to the following key details:
Point of view
The tone of Holden’s voice
Where Holden is at the start of the story
Holden’s family
Reason for Holden’s dismissal from Pencey Prep
Holden’s irresponsible behaviors and actions
Visiting Mr. Spencer
“Life is a game”
Mr. Spencer’s advice to Holden
Holden’s awful paper on ancient Egyptians
Holden’s lack of willingness to confront his own actions
A prominent article of clothing
A character description of Ackley
Inference skills (Holden’s judgment of Ackley)
A character description of Stradlater
An agreement Holden strikes with Stradlater
Jane Gallagher
Holden’s obsession with and hatred toward phonies
A trip to the movies
Application of situational irony (irony of result)
Ackley’s inclusion
The intended subject matter of Stradlater’s composition assignment
Holden’s decision to deviate from the assignment’s expectations
Character description of Allie
Holden’s response to Allie’s death
Stradlater’s reaction to Holden’s writing
Holden’s attempt to irritate Stradlater
Stradlater’s date with Jane
A physical altercation
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
Phoebe (her humor, creativity, and biggest imperfection according to Holden)
The Lavender Room
Holden’s actions in the Lavender Room (ordering drinks, flirting, etc.)
The history of Holden and Jane’s friendship
Textual evidence that supports how Holden felt closest to Jane (baseball glove)
Jane’s alcoholic father
“All you knew is you were happy”
Horwitz
Ernie’s nightclub
The significance of these chapters in terms of our understanding of Holden’s character (his loneliness and search for companionship)
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
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
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
Holden’s observation about sleeping children
How Holden was able to gain easy access to his parents’ apartment
Holden’s perusal of Phoebe’s school books and personal notes
Phoebe’s middle name
Phoebe’s concern that Dad will want to kill Holden for being expelled
How Phoebe demonstrates her frustrations toward Holden
Phoebe’s accusation that Holden hates everything
Holden’s interpretation of a misheard song lyric
The James Castle incident
What Holden loaned James
Holden’s desire to call Mr. Antolini
Mr. Antolini’s luxurious apartment
Mr. Antolini’s drunkenness
Holden’s explanation as to why he disliked Pencey Prep
That Mr. Antolini is compared to D.B.
Holden’s interest in side stories or digressions
Mr. Antolini’s fear that Holden is destined for “a terrible fall”
The root of Holden’s dissatisfaction in life, according to Mr. Antolini
The significance of an education for Holden, according to Mr. Antolini
How Mr. Antolini awakens Holden
Holden’s visceral reaction to the manner in which he was awakened
Holden’s second guessing of Mr. Antolini’s motivations
Holden’s concern for his own safety as he crosses streets
Holden’s desire to re-connect with Phoebe at the Museum of Art
Holden’s desire to move out west and avoid human interaction
What upsets Holden at the school
Holden’s impending physical collapse
The return of the red hunting hat
A trip to the zoo
Holden’s emotional state as he watches Phoebe on the carousel
Holden’s decision to return home
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 10, 11, and 12 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:
Phoebe (her humor, creativity, and biggest imperfection according to Holden)
The Lavender Room
Holden’s actions in the Lavender Room (ordering drinks, flirting, etc.)
The history of Holden and Jane’s friendship
Textual evidence that supports how Holden felt closest to Jane (baseball glove)
Jane’s alcoholic father
“All you knew is you were happy”
Horwitz
Ernie’s nightclub
The significance of these chapters in terms of our understanding of Holden’s character (his loneliness and search for companionship)
Reinforce the standard conventions of academic writing and perform a quick check of students’ knowledge with this grammar worksheet on commas, conjunctions, semicolons. Two versions of this activity are provided, including a multiple choice option to expedite take-home grading. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
By engaging with this material, students will demonstrate an ability to:
Separate dependent clauses from independent clauses using semicolons or commas with conjunctions
Join two independent clauses with a comma and contextually appropriate conjunction
Separate items in a series using commas
Isolate non-essential elements (appositive phrases) in the middle of sentences using commas
Use commas to separate the elements of dates and places
Punctuate coordinating adjectives in a series
Format direct quotations
Isolate interrupters (however, nevertheless, etc.) in the middle of sentences using commas
Use semicolons before conjunctive adverbs that join independent clauses
Use semicolons to separate items in a series if they contain internal punctuation
Help middle and high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and develop close reading analysis skills while they engage with The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin. This set of rigorous questions covers the prologue through chapter three (“The Lotus Eaters”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine the author’s phrasing in order to make logical inferences about character motivations
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact with one another
Discern the nature of character relationships
Select the best synonym for a given word as it is used in the text
Apply knowledge of foreshadowing
Measure general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering chapters one through nine of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. A firsthand account of the author’s experiences as a child soldier during the Sierra Leone Civil War, this book is an excellent choice for teachers who want to incorporate more autobiographical nonfiction into their English and/or history classes. In addition to an answer key, an short answer quiz option is provided for re-assessment purposes. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Recent political changes in Sierra Leone
Background details concerning key figures in the text
Shared experiences among key figures in the text
Major entities associated with conflict, such as the Revolutionary United Front
Consequences of war
And more