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.
Support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Sally.” The variety of question types also helps students prepare for standardized testing scenarios: main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, an online version made for Google Drive is available.)
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Analyze how complex characters develop and interact
Analyze a detail for symbolic value
Articulate what a figurative expression is intended to reveal about Sally’s character
Explore the author’s craft to discern and explain what role imagery plays in developing Sally’s character
Apply knowledge of a variety of literary devices and narrative techniques
Analyze the effect of directly addressing Sally on the reader
Discern the main function of the vignette
Write with clarity and precision
Support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Bums in the Attic.” The variety of question types also helps students prepare for standardized testing scenarios: main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Analyze how complex characters develop and interact
Explore character motivations
Apply knowledge of dramatic irony to the vignette
Apply knowledge of hyperbole to the vignette
Analyze the author’s craft to discern an accurate interpretation of text
Identify the best textual evidence in support of a claim
Discern the main function of the vignette
Prepare students in the classroom and in distance learning contexts to critically analyze texts at the high school level with this close reading of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (the vignette titled “Cathy Queen of Cats”). This assessment promotes high-order thinking that is consistent with high school English Language Arts standards. The variety of question types will also help prepare students for standardized testing scenarios: main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. Copyright restrictions do not allow for the novel’s content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text. The resource will be delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
Articulate a primary function of the vignette
Articulate why Cathy and Esperanza’s friendship is temporary
Articulate what Cathy implies is the reason for the neighborhood’s supposed deterioration
Identify Cathy’s race based on context clues
Explore Cathy’s modes of thinking
Identify how this chapter addresses the concept of gender inequality
Connect the vignette’s title to Esperanza’s skepticism of Cathy
Compare and contrast Cathy and Esperanza
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Our Good Day.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Alternatively, a Google Drive option is available.
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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Discern how double-denotation adds complexity to the storytelling
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Compare Esperanza to Rachel and Lucy
Articulate the figurative cost Esperanza pays to establish her new friendship
Evaluate whether Esperanza feels content to make a sacrifice in exchange for her friendship
Analyze the bicycle for symbolic value in Esperanza’s life
Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile and situational irony
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Alicia Who Sees Mice.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Alternatively, a Google Drive option is available.
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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words or phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials including a dictionary and thesaurus
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor
Articulate the significance of given details
Explore the symbolism of mice in the context of a passage
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Those Who Don’t.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in 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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effects of a given details
Discern the overall tone of the vignette
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Discern the function of given characters in context
Apply knowledge of literary devices including anaphora
Explore themes in context
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “The Family of Little Feet.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in 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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effects of figurative language in context
Connect aspects of plot to the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Cinderella”
Discern the dominant conflict in the vignette
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, metaphor, simile, allusion, symbolism, and foreshadowing
Explore themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “The Three Sisters.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in 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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Activate prior knowledge of characters and plot
Discern the intended effects of given details
Consider tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Compare two characters in the novel
Consider the symbolism associated with a circle
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, and foreshadowing
Connect elements of the vignette to elements of a Shakespearean play
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the final vignette, “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in 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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the greater significance of a given detail (“I am going to tell you a story about a girl who didn’t want to belong”)
Discern the intended effect of the author’s syntax (“the house I belong but do not belong to”)
Discern the intended effect of figurative language (“I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much”)
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Discern the tone of the vignette
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, anaphora, metaphor, dramatic irony, and more
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the twenty-first vignette titled “The First Job.” 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
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Evaluate Esperanza’s work ethic
Discern the nature of the relationship between Esperanza and Tito
Determine whether Esperanza’s anxiety is a rational emotional response
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as situational irony
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “My Name.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in 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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of the author’s diction
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
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
Articulate the greater significance of a given detail
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “My Name.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in 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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of the author’s diction
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
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
Articulate the greater significance of a given detail
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Prepare students in the classroom and in distance learning contexts to critically analyze texts at the high school level with this close reading of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (the vignette titled “Minerva Writes Poems”). This assessment promotes high-order thinking that is consistent with high school English Language Arts standards. The variety of question types will also help prepare students for standardized testing scenarios: main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. Copyright restrictions do not allow for the novel’s content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text. The resource will be delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including situational irony and oxymoron
Apply basic knowledge of Roman mythology to the character of Minerva to discern and explain the irony of the character’s name
Articulate the significance of the pancake dinner detail, taking into consideration Minerva’s financial distress
Analyze what Minerva’s behavior reveals about her psychological state
Make logical inferences about characterization in context
Analyze the author’s craft, articulating the intended effect of figurative language
Identify and explain an example of double denotation in the text
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Analyze how Minerva influences Esperanza’s outlook on her future
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering a cautionary fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm: “The Wolf and the Man.” 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 fox’s perspective on what makes for the best self-defense
The wolf’s impulsive nature
The fox’s role in the wolf’s downfall
The various humans the wolf observes
The fox’s actions in contrast to the wolf’s
The wolf’s lack of knowledge about the ways of man
The fox’s concluding remarks
Help middle and high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering “The Wonderful Musician” by the Brothers Grimm. The brevity of the narrative, coupled with the learning objectives of the activity, helps teachers fill awkward gaps in the teaching schedule without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are 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 and implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile and foreshadowing
Consider themes in context
Articulate the irony associated with the narrative’s title
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 works of fiction
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering a classic Grimm’s fairy tale titled “The Singing, Springing Lark.” An answer key and copy of the short story are provided. 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
Consult reference materials in order to learn or verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, foreshadowing, hubris, hyperbole, metaphor, oxymoron, personification, simile, situational irony, symbolism, and more
Consider a relevant theme in context
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 general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering a short story by the Brothers Grimm: “The Singing, Springing Lark.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the Grimm’s fairy tale. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The daughters’ requests of their father
The father’s favorite daughter
Threats from a predator
The father’s fear upon returning home
Peculiar traits of the prince
The reason for the youngest daughter’s return home
The reason for the prince’s reluctance to attend a celebratory event
How the prince is persuaded to attend
The prince’s seven-year promise
The princess’ pursuit of information and resources
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension, promote homework accountability, and eliminate take-home assessment planning with this bundle of instructional resources covering The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Included are formative quizzes, a summative test, and answer keys. All materials are delivered as both Word Documents and PDFs.
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 28, 29, and 30 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. 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. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The Joads’ financial situation
Ruthie’s fight and revelation
Tom’s reflective thoughts
Tom’s significant decision
Al and Agnes’s decision to get married
Horrendous weather conditions
How to men may remain strong according to the women
The need to build an embankment
Rose of Sharon’s stillborn child
Rose of Sharon’s role in trying to save a dying man
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 25, 26, and 27 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. 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. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Destruction of excess crops/food
Duration of time spent at Weedpatch camp
Ma’s decision to move the family onward
Complications in preparations to leave
An offer to pick peaches
Ma’s interaction with the Hooper Ranch clerk
The re-appearance of Jim Casy
A strike against the Hooper Ranch
The death of Jim Casy
Tom’s reaction to the death of Jim Casy
A decision to leave the peach farm