Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 4, scene 1, of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. 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. More specifically, students will do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Examine nuances in words with similar meanings Discern the tone of dialogue in context Discern the intended effect of narrative techniques Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Articulate the internal conflicts of two characters (Beatrice and Benedick) Apply knowledge of literary devices including pun, hyperbole, oxymoron, allusion, metaphor, imagery, and more Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Book 1 of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Two crossword puzzles, two word search activities, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: atrocity, bough, clamor, conspicuous, contempt, dingy, dissemble, feeble, furtively, genially, heretical, incredulous, inscrutable, interminable, murmur, nebulous, obsolete, odious, procure, reproach, strident, subtlety, tedious, treachery, and tremulous. 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 comprehension, explore literary devices, and improve critical thinking skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering Act 1, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. By engaging with this close reading analysis activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Determine the tone of the scene Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, explore literary devices, and improve critical thinking skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering Act 1, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. By engaging with this close reading analysis activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Determine the tone of the scene Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile and metaphor Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, explore literary devices, and improve critical thinking skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering the soliloquy in Act 2, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. By engaging with this close reading analysis activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Discern tone in context Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, explore literary devices, and improve critical thinking skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering Act 3, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. By engaging with this close reading analysis activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Consider the greater significance of given details Define words and phrases as they are used in the text Discern the intended effect of Shakespearean language in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on dramatic irony, simile, and metaphor Determine the tone of a given passage Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

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 1, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. More specifically, students will do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define words and phrases as they are used in the text Discern the intended effect of Shakespearean language in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Discern the tone of a given passage Apply knowledge of literary devices including verbal irony, sibilance, personification, consonance, and inversion Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, explore literary devices, and improve critical thinking skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering Act 5, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. By engaging with this close reading analysis activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Consider how aristocratic class privileges influence plot development Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Discern the function of the gravedigger Discern the tone of given passages Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, hyperbole, allusion, alliteration, dramatic irony, situational irony, and more Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, explore literary devices, and improve critical thinking skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering Act 4, scene 7, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. By engaging with this close reading analysis activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Discern the function of a given passage Determine the tone of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including hubris, personification, metaphor, and irony Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, practice critical thinking skills, and explore literary elements with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 22 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will do the following: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Explore cause-and-effect relationships Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, sarcasm, and simile Consider the thematic significance of the interaction between Jem and Maudie Atkinson (a belief that there is hope for positive change in the American justice system, although that change will probably happen slowly) Come to class better prepared to discuss works of fiction

Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote accountability for homework completion with this plot-based quiz covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (chapter 6). 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. Questions pertain to the following important plot details: The dwarves’ complaints Gandalf’s insistence that the dwarves look for Bilbo The adventurers’ reaction to Bilbo’s sudden return Incident involving the Wargs Wargs and their history with another antagonistic group Gandalf’s rescue efforts The Eagles’ arrival The Eagles’ fear of man

With this summative test covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, high school English teachers will evaluate student knowledge and analysis of plot while eliminating the need for at-home assessment planning. In addition to an answer key, a standards-based rubric for scoring the essay section is included to streamline the scoring process. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this test, students will demonstrate understanding of plot (characters, setting, conflicts, etc.); apply knowledge of literary devices to the text; write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision; and support claims with relevant textual evidence Part 1. Character Identification Multiple choice. Demonstrate knowledge of the following characters: Bilbo Thorin Gandalf Elrond Beorn Bard Smaug Roac Kili & Fili Bombur Bifur Bofur Dwalin Balin Dori Gollum The Great Goblin Lord of the Eagles The trolls The Elvenking The woof-elves The thrush Wargs Part 2. Important Places and Concepts. Multiple choice. Demonstrate awareness of the following: The Arkenstone Durin’s Day Description of a typical Baggins What it means to be “Tookish” The dwarves’ response to Bilbo’s participation Bilbo’s emotional response following the unexpected party The conflict involving the trolls Beorn’s concerns Bilbo’s sword The Orcrist Rivendell and the Last Homely House The enchanted stream Thorin and the Elvenking’s stubbornness Bilbo’s strategic rescue of the adventurers Bilbo’s flaw in the escape plan Lake-town’s reaction to the presence of the adventurers The mountain’s secret door A dragon’s special traits Part 3. Multiple Choice. Literary Devices. Apply knowledge of the following literary devices: Internal conflict Metaphor Simile Hyperbole Imagery Dramatic irony Situational irony Onomatopoeia Alliteration Personification Part 4. Quote Association. Part 4. Quote Association. Identify the speakers of the following quotes: “If I say he is a Burglar, a Burglar he is, or will be when the time comes.” “Moon letters are rune letters, but you cannot see them.” “He’s found it, yes he must have. My birthday present.” “The day will come when they will perish and I will go back!” “I’m going to lie here and sleep and dream of food, if I can’t get it any other way.” “No treasure will come back through Mirkwood without my having something to say in the matter.” “You ought to have brought 500 burglars, not one.” “I don’t know your smell, but if you are not one of those men of the lake, you had their help.” “Look for the hollow of the left breast as he flies and turns above you.” “It is a hundred years and three and fifty since I came out of the egg…” Part 5. Essay Writing. Students will read the last few paragraphs of the novel and articulate what the author implies about achieving a fulfilling life.

Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote accountability for homework completion with this plot-based quiz covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (chapter 2). 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. Questions pertain to the following important plot details: The morning after the unexpected party The letter Disappearance of a major character A discovery that leads the adventurers into trouble Bert, Tom, and William Bilbo’s weak bargaining attempts Capturing the dwarves Rescuing the dwarves Discoveries made before locating the troll’s cave

Measure and extend reading comprehension of the final third of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale (chapters 31-46). Included are two assessments for differentiation purposes, one subjective and one objective. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in a zip file containing Word Document and PDF versions. Questions pertain to the following important details: A network of believers, disenchanted with society Serena’s suggestion to the narrator Revelations about the baby Jezabelle’s The return of Moira The function of women in the colonies Nick’s garage home The savage act of Salvaging Particicution A character’s suicide Offred and the resolution

Evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering Act 3 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The plot-based assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Cassio’s verbal exchange with Desdemona Iago encouraging Othello’s suspicions toward Desdemona Desdemona’s requests for Othello to forgive Cassio Othello’s insistence that Iago tell him everything he knows Iago’s underhanded behaviors and statements Othello’s statements on marital trust and jealousy The retrieval of Desdemona’s handkerchief Othello’s mounting suspicions Othello’s ultimatum to Iago Desdemona’s frustrations

Evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering Act 4 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The plot-based assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Othello’s rage-fueled trance Iago’s conspiracy to make Othello think Cassio loves Desdemona Iago’s barbarous suggestion regarding Desdemona’s fate The letter from Venice Lodovico’s witnessing Othello’s abusive behavior Emilia’s verbal exchange with Othello Othello’s confrontation with Desdemona Desdemona turning to Iago for help Roderigo’s frustration with Iago The arrangement Iago makes for Roderigo Desdemona’s foreshadowing fear

Measure and extend reading comprehension of the second third of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale (chapters 18-30). Included are two assessments for differentiation purposes, one subjective and one objective. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered as Word Documents and PDFs. Questions pertain to the following important details: Luke’s plans according to Offred The relationship between Offred and her mother Birthing day Moira’s tense escape The Commander’s private request of Offred A test of loyalty A present Changes in the Ceremony The evolution in the relationship with Ofglen Significant life events of the past A Latin phrase A question of purpose and a desire for normalcy