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.
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 6 and 7 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: appeal, ascertaining, bewilderment, burdensome, cleave, commotion, crude, desolate, eerily, hone, meditative, murmur, perpetual, pilgrimage, prowess, ramshackle, and vaguely.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 14 and 15 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: acquiescence, begrudge, bestow, futility, impassive, infallible, oblivious, obscure, pensive, placid, rankle, reverent, succinct, uncouth, and venerable.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 19 and 20 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: caliber, candid, corroborative, discreet, expunge, idle, impudent, indict, industrious, instinctively, iota, meditations, murmur, perpetuate, sneer, subtlety, temerity, and volition.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapters 24, 25, and 26 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, a Google Drive option is available.)
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: adjourn, apprehension, brevity, dainty, duress, editorial, impertinence, ordeals, persecution, sibilant, spurious, and varmint.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Maurice Walsh’s short story titled “The Quiet Man.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Significance of the title
Point of view
Setting
The protagonist’s motivations
The antagonist’s motivations
Ellen’s relation to Liam
How character relationships change
Ellen’s feelings toward Liam
Ellen’s motivations
A revelation concerning the protagonist
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz on Marvin Kaye’s satirical short story “Ms. Lipshutz and the Goblin.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Daphne’s Quest for the Perfect Mate
The story’s setting
Daphne’s professional life
Daphne’s first impression of Klotsch
Klotsch’s poor behavior
Klotsch’s previous employer
The reason Daphne misses the bus
Daphne and Klotsch’s post-marriage lives
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
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.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Infer why Shakespeare may have chosen to underemphasize the war battle in this scene
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification
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 craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 4, scene 5, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
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.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the primary function of the scene
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on assonance, alliteration, and sibilance
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 literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 4, scene 4, 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
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Discern the tone of the scene
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and situational irony
Support claims or 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 literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 4, scene 2, 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
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as dramatic irony
Support claims or 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 craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on foreshadowing, situational irony, and symbolism
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 Shakespearean drama
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate why Shakespeare may have made this scene so short
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 Shakespearean drama
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 4, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’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 personification, simile, and anaphora
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 Shakespearean drama
“The Rats in the Walls” by H.P. Lovecraft is a dark and engaging short story for high school students, especially during the Halloween season. Use this plot-based quiz to evaluate general reading comprehension, or assign it as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with a work of Lovecraftian horror. An answer key is included, as well as a copy of the narrative, which has been edited to eliminate invective. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The name and location of the ancestral estate
The protagonist’s intentions for the estate
Secondary characters and their connections to the protagonist
Secondary characters and their primary roles in the text
The content of the protagonist’s dreams
The fate of the protagonist’s ancestors
The protagonist’s fate
And more
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Four Clever Brothers.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: adept, apathetic, artful, comely, destitute, discreetly, formidable, hasten, jovial, meddle, proffer, purloin, quarrel, and wily.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Seven Ravens.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: allude, amiable, arresting, bestow, brusquely, doleful, earnest, furtively, hasten, jubilant, scarcely, weary, and winsome.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Dog and the Sparrow.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: amble, apoplectic, deftly, dejected, earnest, emaciated, hapless, hastily, haughty, incredulous, lament, lethargic, morsel, odious, plaintive, rash, repent, sulky, vanquish, vexation, and voraciously.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. An answer key and copy of the narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Discern the function of a given passage
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including flashback, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, symbolism, and more
Consider themes in context
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, answer keys, and a copy of the narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: aberration, abrupt, acquiesce, admonition, apprehension, assent, conjure, dinghy, direful, effect, emphatic, formidable, gale, gunwale, haggard, heartily, impetuous, indifferent, ingenuously, invariably, jeer, listlessly, myriad, obstreperous, ominous, opprobrious, oration, phosphorescence, plausible, schooner, sidle, wily, and wistfully.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. An answer key and copy of the narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Reflect on the significance of the narrative’s title
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast two characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, personification, metaphor, symbolism, and more
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