"The Call of Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft Quiz, Close Reading, and Vocabulary Games

Facilitate vocabulary development, evaluate general reading comprehension, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Call of Cthulhu,” a narrative of special appeal to high school students interested in horror, science fiction, and the supernatural. This bundle includes three plot-based quizzes, three close reading analysis worksheets, a vocabulary application activity, a word search game, a crossword puzzle, the public domain text, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.

These resources 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 both explicitly and implicitly
• Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
• Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
• Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
• Determine the tone of a particular passage
• Discern the author’s intent and its effect on readers.
• Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including idiom, euphemism, simile, metaphor, invective, personification, hubris, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia
• Draw parallels between “The Call of Cthulhu” and the epic The Odyssey
• 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