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 reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and support the development of critical thinking skills with this bundle of resources for teaching Lord of the Flies by William Golding (chapter 6). A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for 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 this resource, students will:
Discern what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Analyze how complex characters interact and develop
Apply knowledge of various literary devices (personification, sibilance, simile, meiosis, allusion, and idiom)
Articulate the situational irony associated with Jack’s criticism of Ralph
Analyze the greater significance of the air battle and dead pilot
Analyze the author’s craft to explain how juxtaposition is applied in a given passage
Articulate Simon’s internal conflict in the context of the chapter
Write with clarity and precision
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 7 of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. 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: antagonism, brandish, bravado, brooding, ceaseless, crestfallen, curtly, daunting, dun, impervious, leaden, and splutter.
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
For many high school students, the horror genre promotes more active engagement with literature. “The Terrible Old Man” by H.P. Lovecraft is a concise horror story featuring plot elements such as robbery, a character who dabbles in the occult, and mutilated corpses - making the narrative a particularly compelling read during the Halloween season. The following are included in this bundle: 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. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and 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 activities, 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
Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Determine the story’s point of view
Discern the overall tone of the narrative
Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony
Draw parallels between the author’s life and the plot of “The Terrible Old Man”
Identify relevant textual details in support of claims and ideas
Write about compelling fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Daphne du Maurier’s short story “The Birds,” which features compelling elements consistent with the horror and psychological fiction genres: an isolated setting, killings without clear motivations, the suggestion of humanity’s inevitable extinction, and more. A plot-based quiz, close reading analysis worksheet, vocabulary application activity, crossword puzzle, word search game, and answer keys are provided in this bundle. 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 exercises, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Examine how elements of setting contribute to the development of suspense
Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others
Determine the functions of characters
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including personification, amplification, onomatopoeia, simile, epiphany, foreshadowing, and more
Conduct online research to answer a question about historical context
Reflect on humanity’s relationship with Nature
Consider relevant themes
Discern the significance of the protagonist’s final actions
Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Promote active engagement with fiction and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz on the short story “The Leap” by Louise Erdrich. An answer key is included. All materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Anna’s degenerative condition
Anna’s professional background
Events leading to Harold’s death
The means by which the narrator learned of her mother’s brush with death
Challenges Anna faced throughout life
How Anna’s choices influenced the course of her life, as well as the life of her daughter
Practical skills Anna learned while in the hospital
The reason the narrator returns home many years later
Anna’s efforts to save her daughter’s life
What the narrator learns about falling
Help high school students improve fluency, stamina, text comprehension, and close reading analysis of the formal elements of fiction with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the short story titled “The Leap” by Louise Erdrich. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Analyze what the narrator’s dialogue reveals about her feelings toward her mother
Explore character motivations
Isolate an example of figurative language from among several sentences in the text
Discern the intended effect of a given phrase (“one with the constant dark now”)
Articulate how the author incorporates a plot twist
Determine the function of a given paragraph
Identify several narrative techniques used by the author to convey liveliness and urgency
Determine what a character’s actions reveal about her psychological state
Make logical inferences about the author’s beliefs based on the context of the story
Articulate why the author chose “The Leap” as the title
Write clearly, concisely, and accurately in response to analytical questioning
Exercise rational thought
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Louise Erdrich’s short story “The Leap.” A plot-based quiz, close reading analysis worksheet, vocabulary application activity, crossword puzzle, word search game, and answer keys 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 engaging with these activities, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Consider the multiple possible meanings of the story’s title
Isolate examples of figurative language used in the text
Discern the intended effect of the author’s narrative techniques
Explore how the author conveys a sense of liveliness and urgency
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Doris Lessing’s coming-of-age short story “Through the Tunnel.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: beseech, buoyant, chivalry, clamber, continually, contrition, frond, idly, incredulous, inquisitive, luminous, myriad, promontory, and supplication.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Katherine Anne Porter’s short story “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: dyspepsia, frippery, hasty, inquire, intently, jilt, murmur, piety, solemn, tactful, vanity, and waver.
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter, a piece of psychological fiction that complements high school units involving modernist literature and the narrative technique known as stream of consciousness. This resource may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The characterization of George
Setting
The joys and pleasures in life
Granny Weatherall’s religious affiliation
Granny Weatherall’s perspective on dying
Granny Weatherall’s perspective on how women fulfill their lives
The contents of a box in the attic
Granny Weatherall’s message for George
The purpose of Father Connolly’s visit
Granny Weatherall’s eagerness to see someone
The resolution
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering Katherine Anne Porter’s short story “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” a piece of psychological fiction that complements literature units involving modernist literature and the narrative technique known as stream of consciousness. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for 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 do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the narrative’s point of view and setting
Determine the intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and symbolism
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Katherine Anne Porter’s short story “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” a piece of psychological fiction that complements high school units involving modernist literature and the narrative technique known as stream of consciousness. A plot-based quiz, close reading analysis worksheet, vocabulary application activity, crossword puzzle, word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for 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:
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
Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Discern the narrative’s point of view and setting
Determine the intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and symbolism
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Lie” by Kurt Vonnegut. The resource may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The Remenzels’ socioeconomic circumstances
Mrs. Remenzel’s suggestions for her son’s dorm room
Dr. Remenzel’s general disposition
The name of the school to which Eli is taken
The general history of the school
Eli’s disposition on the drive to the school
The parents’ inference based on Eli’s behavior
The identity of Tom Hilyer
The playing out of an awkward situation
Mrs. Remenzel’s confession
Dr. Remenzel’s surprising behavior
The resolution
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering Kurt Vonnegut’s short story titled “The Lie.” An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and 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 states explicitly and implicitly
Explore character motivations
Make logical inferences about a character’s values and beliefs
Explain how point of view shapes the reader’s understanding of plot
Articulate how one character serves as a foil to another
State two significant conflicts in the story
Defend the claim that Mrs. Remenzel is a good mother despite her shortcomings
Explore the similarities between the protagonist and his father
Generate a relevant theme that relates to the idea of embarrassment
Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: ashen, bleak, clamor, furtively, garish, laconic, larder, leaden, murmur, pallor, pilchard, placid, pram, scullery, stealthily, weary, 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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering “The Interlopers” by Saki. This resource may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The story’s setting
The story’s point of view
A legal judgment and corresponding conflict
A secret wish
The encounter between Ulrich and Georg
A complication
A major realization and sudden friendship
The resolution
The title’s significance
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this rigorous close reading analysis worksheet covering the short story “The Interlopers” by Saki. A detailed answer key and copy of the public domain narrative 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 completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore how point of view shapes the readers’ understanding of the story
Articulate the intended effects of the author’s diction (“pestilential wind,” “snarled,” etc.)
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, oxymoron, personification, onomatopoeia, foreshadowing, symbolism, and situational irony
Determine the function of a given passage
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Interlopers” by Saki. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: acquiesce, affray, dispossess, exasperation, fitful, interloper, keen, languor, pious, plight, precipitous, retort, vain, and wrest.
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
Reduce teacher workload, measure general reading comprehension, and promote homework accountability with this printable quiz on “The Wife’s Story” by Ursula K. Le Guin. An answer key is included. Questions pertain to the following key details:
The narrator’s emotional state
The narrator’s characterization of her husband
The relationship between the narrator and her sister
A quality about the narrator’s husband that “brings the shivers on” her
The moon’s role in the husband’s transformation
The “curse in his blood”
The husband’s tendency to leave home abruptly
The husband’s strange smell upon returning
The children’s fear of their own father
A physical transformation
The story’s resolution
Evaluate comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this bundle of resources covering chapters 1 through 3 of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Included are a plot-based quiz, a worksheet composed of high-order questions, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search, answer keys, and a copy of the relevant chapters. With this collection of resources, high school English teachers may save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the most proper application of vocabulary words as they are used in sentences
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Determine the intended effect of the author’s figurative language
Discern the primary function of chapters one through three
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, epiphany, simile, allusion, and personification
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision