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.
This worksheet features 62 common roots and formatives. Students will define each root or formative, using context and available resources (e.g., dictionaries, internet). Also, students will form words by combining roots and formatives.
LEARNING TARGETS:
1. Students will determine the meanings of common word roots.
2. Students will apply knowledge of word roots by combining word roots and creating new words.
3. Students will discern meanings of common formatives using context clues.
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills for high school with this close reading analysis worksheet covering the science fiction short story “The Star Beast” by Nicholas Stuart Gray. A detailed answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, 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 with emphasis on how the author helps the audience empathize with a non-human protagonist
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hubris and situational irony
Consider themes in context
Articulate how the narrative conforms to standard conventions of science fiction
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
With this multiple choice, plot-based quiz covering the first chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, high school English teachers will be able to evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. A short answer version is also provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Nick’s personal background
Nick’s self perception
Nick’s perception of Gatsby
The setting
Nick’s career
The contrast between West Egg and East Egg
Nick’s academic background
A character description of Daisy
A character description of Tom
A character description of Jordan
The green light in the distance
With this multiple choice, plot-based quiz covering the fourth chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, high school English teachers will be able to evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. A short answer version is also provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The purpose of Nick’s list
The apparent inconsistencies in Gatsby’s autobiography
Gatsby’s proof to assuage Nick’s skepticism
Gatsby’s interaction with a police officer
Meyer Wolfsheim’s questionable background
Nick’s new assumption concerning Gatsby’s wealth
Gatsby’s motive to move into his West Egg mansion
A revelation concerning the green light across the water
A request Gatsby makes of Jordan
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “Beware of the Dog” by Roald Dahl. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. In addition to a multiple choice option, a short answer version is provided for re-assessment purposes. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The protagonist’s name
The pilot’s physical condition
The reason the pilot is uncertain of his location
The doctor’s stated outlook for the pilot’s long-term health
The alleged location of the hospital in which the pilot is treated
Reasons the pilot grows skeptical of his healthcare providers
The significance of the water quality
The pilot’s view out of his window
A revelation concerning the medical professionals
The pilot’s interaction with an officer
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this set of two quizzes covering Book 1, chapters 2 and 3, 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:
Winston’s fear of the Thought Police
The Junior Spies and their job
Public executions of the Party’s dissidents
Winston’s dream involving O’Brien’s voice
Winston’s dream involving his mother
A government purge
Physical jerks
Why it is so difficult to recall one’s childhood
Oceania’s enemy country
Communication via the telescreen
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 George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the Two Minutes Hate from Book 1, chapter 1, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Determine and analyze the development of key ideas and themes, including the effects of mob mentality
Analyze how the author’s word choices add to the text’s complexity
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply and articulate knowledge of literary devices and techniques including consonance, simile, and situational irony
Activate background knowledge on Nazi Germany’s treatment of the Jews and articulating historical parallels to the Two Minutes Hate
Write about literature with accuracy, clarity, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 1 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques with emphasis on how setting influences mood
Determine the function of a given paragraph
Consider the greater significance of given details
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on foreshadowing and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 2 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Select the most appropriate synonym for a word in the text
Discern the intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques with emphasis on why the author utilizes repetition in context
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on personification, verbal irony, and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help learners go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Othello. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and dramatic techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including internal conflict, allusion, epiphany, assonance, and double denotation
Support ideas and claims with relevant textual evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss works of Shakespeare
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 18 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Indicate the function of the chapter
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on ambiguity
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 26 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, are provided. 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly
Activate prior knowledge to articulate inconsistencies in plot
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
Consider the greater significance of given details
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering chapter 7 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. With this close reading activity, students will be able to:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Articulate the significance of a given detail
Describe the tone of a given remark
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
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
Help learners go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering letters 1 through 4 of Mary Shelley’s science fiction novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. An answer key and copy of the relevant chapters are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading 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 function of a given excerpt
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, assonance, situational irony, and hyperbole
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help learners go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapters 10, 11, and 12 of Mary Shelley’s science fiction novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. An answer key and copy of the relevant chapters are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading 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 function of a given paragraph
Contrast elements of chapter 11 with elements of chapter 10
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and allusion
Explore themes in context with emphasis on “the barbarity of man”
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help students go beyond basic comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 8 of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The nature and variety of question types also facilitate preparation for standardized testing scenarios. 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:
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
Isolate a passage that reflects the conflict between primal impulses and the conditioning of civil society
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including simile, onomatopoeia, situational irony, and more
Conduct brief research on the Greek myth of Prometheus and draw literary parallels between it and Lord of the Flies
Consider themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the ironic short story “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Analyze how complex characters interact and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, metaphor, personification, dramatic irony, and situational irony
Compare and contrast characters
Analyze the author’s diction to understand its intended effect
Analyze the author’s stylistic choices such as the decision to capitalize “Art” and “Literature”
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Write 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 George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about Winston’s marriage from Book 1, chapter 6, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given passage
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on paradox
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
Evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this plot-based quiz covering chapter two of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The animal who was absent from Old Major’s speech
The fate of Old Major
The significance of Napoleon and Snowball
The Commandments of Animalism
Moses’ statements on what happens after an animal dies
Why Moses is disliked by the other animals
Mollie’s conflict
The most loyal disciples of Animalism
The cause of Mr. Jones’ worsening emotional state
Details about the Revolution
The passing of a resolution
Snowball’s instructions to the animals at the end of the chapter
Help students go beyond general comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 1 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. The variety of question types may also help prepare learners for standardized testing scenarios. 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:
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
Discern the function of a given passage
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification and verisimilitude
Conduct brief research on the beliefs of German philosopher Karl Marx
Articulate whether Major’s speech reflects a belief in Marxist ideology
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature