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Inquiring Mind of the English Teacher Kind

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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.

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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.
"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan Vocabulary Games
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"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan Vocabulary Games

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Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Amy Tan’s short story “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: assert, dawdle, discordant, dutifully, fiasco, lament, lilting, listlessly, mutter, nonchalantly, prodigy, reverie, shrilly, sonata, squabble, stricken, sulky, 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
"The Possibility of Evil" Quiz, Close Reading, and Vocabulary Games Bundle
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"The Possibility of Evil" Quiz, Close Reading, and Vocabulary Games Bundle

3 Resources
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching the short story “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: 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 Determine the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Discern the functions of given details Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony, foreshadowing, situational irony, and symbolism Conduct brief online research on a relevant topic (Ethan Allen) in order to answer a question about plot 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
Frankenstein Chapters 16 through 18 Vocabulary Games and Activities
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Frankenstein Chapters 16 through 18 Vocabulary Games and Activities

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Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the science fiction novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (chapters 16, 17, and 18). A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. 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
Halloween Research Project and Speech Materials for High School ELA
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Halloween Research Project and Speech Materials for High School ELA

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Complement a unit on Gothic fiction and embrace the harvest season with this low-prep, standards-based research project addressing 33 topics directly and indirectly related to Halloween: ancient celebrations, holidays, and practices (Samhain, Lemuria, guising, souling, and more); more recent traditions (Guy Fawkes Night, the history of trick-or-treating, and the history of pumpkin carving); myths, legends, and superstitions (Jack O’Lantern, the Beast of Bray Road, Mothman, and more); medical conditions (“werewolf syndrome,” “walking corpse syndrome,” and “vampire disease”); historical figures (Vlad the Impaler, John Hathorne, Sarah Good, and more); and Halloween-inspired authors (Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, H.P. Lovecraft, and more). Supporting materials—including a detailed scoring rubric—are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks: Collect and classify reliable sources on an assigned topic Develop successful methods of recording information Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias Apply conventions of MLA formatting Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies Present information in a formal, coherent manner
The Handmaid’s Tale Vocabulary Games and Activities (Chapters 31 through 34)
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The Handmaid’s Tale Vocabulary Games and Activities (Chapters 31 through 34)

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Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (chapters 31, 32, 33, and 34). 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: anguished, appease, camaraderie, diffuse, fruitful, gaiety, ignominious, indifferent, indignity, luxuriate, palpable, querulous, respectively, smoldering, squeamish, subversive, transgression, and whimper. 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
Animal Farm Chapter 9 Vocabulary Games
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Animal Farm Chapter 9 Vocabulary Games

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Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 9 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. 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: bray, complicity, contemptuously, dart, demeanor, indignantly, internment, knacker, oration, superannuated, temper, and waft. 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
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson Vocabulary Games and Activities
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"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson Vocabulary Games and Activities

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Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, 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: boisterous, gravely, interminably, jovial, lapse, murmur, paraphernalia, perfunctory, precede, profusely, reprimand, and shabby. 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
"Flight" by John Steinbeck Quiz and Answer Key
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"Flight" by John Steinbeck Quiz and Answer Key

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Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering John Steinbeck’s short story “Flight.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The cause of Papa Torres’ death The items Pepé takes with him on a trip The reasons for Pepé’s trip Events culminating with a fatal injury Mama Torres’ reaction to her son’s departure What happens to Pepé’s horse The cause of Pepé’s hand injury How Pepé treats his injury The cause of Pepé’s death
"A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin Vocabulary Games for High School
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"A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin Vocabulary Games for High School

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Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Kate Chopin’s short story “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: acute, appreciable, consternation, decipher, deft, fastidious, gaudy, gaunt, judicious, laborious, matinee, muse, poignant, and shabby. 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
"The New Dress" by Virginia Woolf Vocabulary Games
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"The New Dress" by Virginia Woolf Vocabulary Games

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Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Virginia Woolf’s short story “The New Dress.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: altar, annul, botany, chastise, clamor, decrepit, dingy, etymology, feeble, fructify, gesticulate, miserly, odious, paltry, pertly, peter, principle, relentlessly, satirical, scanty, simper, sordid, squint, and vacillate. 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
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl Quiz and Answer Key
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"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl Quiz and Answer Key

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Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Setting The protagonist’s age A porter’s recommendation The protagonist’s immediate reaction to the building The landlady’s personality How the protagonist learns of previous visitors Similarities among the guests The landlady’s eccentricities A sign of danger And more
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 Close Reading Worksheet
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Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 Close Reading Worksheet

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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 2, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 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 both explicitly and implicitly Discern the function of Macbeth’s soliloquy Discern tone in context Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare the characters of Banquo and Macbeth Consider the symbolism of a diamond in context Apply knowledge of literary devices such as personification and simile Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Macbeth Act 5 Scene 4 Close Reading Worksheet
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Macbeth Act 5 Scene 4 Close Reading Worksheet

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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 5, scene 4, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 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 both explicitly and implicitly Discern the intended effects of Shakespeare’s diction Define complex words and phrases in context Determine the function of the scene Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices such as alliteration and allusion Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 Close Reading Worksheet
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Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 Close Reading Worksheet

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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 3, scene 4, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 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 both explicitly and implicitly Define complex words and phrases in context Determine the function of a given detail Explore cause-and-effect relationships Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Identify similarities between two characters Apply knowledge of literary devices such as euphemism, hyperbole, allusion, situational irony, dramatic irony, alliteration, consonance, and metaphor Make logical inferences about Elizabethan culture and its perspective on the supernatural Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Macbeth Act 3 Scene 6 Close Reading Worksheet
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Macbeth Act 3 Scene 6 Close Reading Worksheet

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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 3, scene 6, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 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 both explicitly and implicitly Define complex words and phrases in context Discern tone in context Determine the function of the scene Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Analyze Shakespeare’s incorporation of religious imagery to articulate what it implies about Macbeth Apply knowledge of literary devices such as assonance, alliteration, and sibilance Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Julius Caesar Act 2 Scene 3 Close Reading Analysis Worksheet and Answer Key
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Julius Caesar Act 2 Scene 3 Close Reading Analysis Worksheet and Answer Key

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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 2, 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 engaging with 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 Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare aspects of Artemidorus’s characterization with Calpurnia’s Articulate Artemidorus’ distinguishing qualities Predict whether Caesar will seriously consider Artemidorus’s advice 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
Lord of the Flies Chapter 2 Close Reading Analysis Worksheet
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Lord of the Flies Chapter 2 Close Reading Analysis Worksheet

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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 2 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 Describe tone in context Determine the broader significance of key details such as the group’s not bringing the conch shell to the mountain Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of various literary devices zoomorphism and metaphor 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
Othello Act 2 Quiz, Close Reading Worksheets, and Vocabulary Games Bundle
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Othello Act 2 Quiz, Close Reading Worksheets, and Vocabulary Games Bundle

5 Resources
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. A plot-based quiz, three close reading worksheets (one per scene), a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Annotate text to make engagement visible Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and dramatic techniques Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, simile, situational irony, and more 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 works of Shakespeare
Twelfth Night Act 1 Quiz & Close Reading Bundle
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Twelfth Night Act 1 Quiz & Close Reading Bundle

6 Resources
Help high school students extend reading comprehension and analyze plot developments in Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with this bundle of assessments. Answer keys are included. Covering every scene in Act 1, this bundle offers a plot-based quiz and five close reading analysis worksheets designed to facilitate students’ abilities to do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex vocabulary in the context of a passage Examine nuances in words with similar denotations Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Compare and contrast two characters (Orsino and Olivia) Discern the tone of a given excerpt Determine the functions of particular excerpts Explore nuances in words with similar meanings Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on metaphor, simile, hyperbole, and sibilance Conduct brief research on classical mythology — more specifically the tale of Arion and the dolphin — and draw parallels between the mythological figure and Sebastian Consider the text’s allusion to Elysium to infer greater meaning Defend claims with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class/leave class better prepared to discuss literary materials
The War of the Worlds Book 1 Chapters 1 through 5 Quiz and Answer Key
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The War of the Worlds Book 1 Chapters 1 through 5 Quiz and Answer Key

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Promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering a portion of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (book 1, chapters 1 through 5). The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Setting Strange sightings on Mars The Martians’ intentions First impressions of the Martians’ ship General characterization of the narrator The narrator’s assumptions about the cylinder The identity of a journalist Physical description of the alien beings An apparent complication for the extraterrestrials Acts of violence