"The Wives of the Dead" by Nathaniel Hawthorne Quiz, Close Reading, and Vocabulary Games Bundle

Evaluate general reading comprehension, support critical thinking, and promote homework accountability with this bundle of formative assessments covering Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Wives of the Dead,” a piece addressing themes of grief and illusion. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are 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 engaging with these materials, students will perform the following tasks:

• Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
• 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
• Discern the narrative’s point of view
• Describe tone in context
• Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
• Compare and contrast the protagonists
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, ambiguity, dramatic irony, and situational irony
• Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
• Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision