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.
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this set of two plot-based quizzes covering chapters 14 and 15 of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The assessments may double as guided reading worksheets or review handouts. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following plot elements:
Aunt Alexandra’s feelings toward Calpurnia
The discovery under Scout’s bed
Breaking “the code of childhood”
Dill’s epiphany regarding Boo Radley’s isolation
Jem breaking up the meeting
Atticus and Mr. Underwood outside of the jailhouse
Jem’s concern for his father
The lynch mob
How the lynch mob came to disperse
Evaluate reading comprehension, support vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with these activities and assessments covering chapters 14 and 15 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Two plot-based quizzes, two close reading inference worksheets, three vocabulary activities, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed
Discern 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 tone of a particular excerpt
Explore an abrupt shift in tone in a given excerpt
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including paradox and dramatic irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss works of fiction
Evaluate reading comprehension, support vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with these activities and assessments covering chapters 29, 30, and 31 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Two plot-based quizzes, three close reading inference worksheets, three vocabulary activities, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these resources, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed
Discern 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
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including idiom, metaphor, personification, and assonance
Determine the symbolic value of a tree in the context of a passage
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss works of fiction
Help middle and high school students go beyond general comprehension, practice critical thinking skills, and explore literary elements with this close reading inference worksheet covering a passage from chapter 16 of Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, a dystopian science fiction and coming-of-age novel. 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 explicitly and implicitly
Explain the intended effect of figurative language
Consider how an allusion shapes meaning
Analyze differences and nuances in word meanings
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as onomatopoeia
Explore implications about society in a post-meteor world
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote accountability for homework completion with this plot-based quiz covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (chapter 1). 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:
Character description of a typical Baggins
Gandalf’s surprise appearance
Bilbo and Gandalf’s awkward conversation
The first dwarf to arrive unexpectedly
Awakening “something Tookish” within Bilbo
The dwarves’ skepticism toward Bilbo’s participation
Bilbo’s designated role
Description of the town of Dale
What Thorin receives from Gandalf during the party
The lost wealth of Thorin’s family
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 23 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Born Bad”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate the power of photographs, as well as their limitations
Conduct brief research on Our Lady of Guadalupe in order to explain why the name Guadalupe suits the character
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 17 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“The Family of Little Feet”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 dominant conflict in the vignette
Connect aspects of plot to the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Cinderella”
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, metaphor, simile, allusion, symbolism, and foreshadowing
Consider themes in context
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 21 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“The First Job”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Evaluate Esperanza’s work ethic
Determine whether Esperanza’s anxiety is a rational emotional response
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as situational irony
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 18 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“A Rice Sandwich”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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
Analyze the title of the vignette to articulate how it is suitable to the plot
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Reflect on the symbolism of keys in the context of the vignette
Apply knowledge of literary devices including epiphany and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 20 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Hips”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 main function of the vignette
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate the internal conflict presented in a given excerpt
Apply knowledge of literary devices including euphemism and hyperbole
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 26 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Edna’s Ruthie”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare characters from two texts to articulate what they share in common, using Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale” for reference
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 25 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Geraldo No Last Name”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 (with emphasis on the incorporation of fragments and colloquialisms)
Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including verbal irony and dramatic irony
Explore the concept of systematic prejudice, or institutional bias, in the text
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 30 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“No Speak English”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare two characters (Esperanza and Mamacita)
Articulate the irony of Mamacita’s physical appearance
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 29 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Four Skinny Trees”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification and sibilance
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 33 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Minerva Writes Poems”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 a given excerpt
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Conduct brief research on Roman mythology in order to explain the irony of Minerva’s name
Articulate the significance of the pancake dinner detail, taking into consideration Minerva’s financial distress
Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, situational irony, and double denotation
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 32 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Sally”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 primary function of the vignette
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Investigate the role imagery plays in developing Sally’s character
Analyze a given detail for symbolic value
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 4 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“My Name”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and situational irony
Analyze the symbolic meaning of a window in the context of this chapter
Explore relevant themes
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 2 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Hairs”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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
Compare and contrast the content and style of two paragraphs
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile, alliteration, assonance, repetition, and personification
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 5 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Cathy Queen of Cats”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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
Articulate a key function of the vignette
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Connect the vignette’s title to Esperanza’s skepticism of Cathy
Compare and contrast two characters (Cathy and Esperanza)
Evaluate the nature of the friendship between Cathy and Esperanza
Consider how the concept of gender inequality is addressed
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students improve critical thinking skills and explore literary elements with this close reading analysis worksheet covering vignette 14 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (“Alicia Who Sees Mice”). An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading inference 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 characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor
Explore the symbolism of mice in the context of a passage
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
