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 vocabulary development, enhance reading comprehension, and align English Language Arts and American History curricula with this set of games and activities covering Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Soldier’s Home,” a piece of historical fiction focusing on the effects of war on a Marine who returns from fighting in World War I. 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: ambition, apocryphal, atrocity, bar, beau, boast, court, elaborately, hamper, muss, noncommittal, resentful, vaguely, and wander.
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 align English Language Arts and American History curricula with this plot-based quiz covering Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Soldier’s Home,” a piece of historical fiction focusing on the effects of war on a Marine who returns from fighting in World War I. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the narrative. An answer key and copy of the public domain text are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The protagonist’s educational background
The military branch in which the protagonist is enlisted
Why the protagonist finds it difficult to talk to others
The protagonist’s physical effects of lying and exaggerating stories
The protagonist’s musical instrument
What the protagonist does that temporarily makes him feel better
Helen’s relation to the protagonist
The protagonist’s relationship with his parents
How the protagonist makes his mother cry
The protagonist’s response to his mother’s tears
The resolution
Facilitate research on thirty topics related to The House on Mango Street and its author, Sandra Cisneros, with this low-prep, standards-based activity. Students will navigate informational texts about historically significant women (Elvia Carillo Puerto, Adelina Zendejas, Lydia Cacho, and more), landmark events (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Equal Rights Amendment, and more), social justice organizations (American Civil Liberties Union, League of Women Voters, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and more), Chicana authors (Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa, Denise Chávez, Michele Serros, and more), and opportunities for writers (Hispanic Scholarship Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and more). After compiling relevant details, the process culminates in the delivery of a formal presentation. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned text
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
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
Save time and maintain rigor with these printable resources supporting reading comprehension and analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (chapters 27-28). General comprehension quizzes are included, as are more rigorous close reading activities. These materials may be used to facilitate differentiated instruction in the classroom. Answer keys are provided.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete literary works, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging with these exercises, students will:
Address Scout’s youthful misconception of “two minor changes” in Maycomb
Analyze an excerpt to discern its significance to the plot
Draw a logical inference about Atticus’s remarks, which allude to the Supreme Court of the United States
Conduct brief research on the Great Depression’s influence on common Halloween practices, especially in the South
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Analyze the author’s craft to discern her intent
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of foreshadowing to the text, with emphasis on how Miss Tutti and Miss Frutti’s deafness contribute to the plot
Analyze an excerpt to discern its tone in context
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations
Analyze a Dr. Reynolds’s remarks to discern tone in context
Analyze the author’s craft to discern the intended effect
Apply knowledge of literary devices (hyperbole) to the text
Analyze Dr. Reynolds’s comments to Scout to discern and articulate his intent
Evaluate general reading comprehension, support critical thinking, and facilitate vocabulary development with this bundle of formative assessments covering Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby,” a piece of historical fiction that, when integrated into the English Language Arts classroom, complements American History curricula, as the plot precedes the Civil War and addresses the issue of how race and ethnicity affect one’s life experiences in the South. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain short story, and answer keys 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 engaging with these materials, students will perform the following tasks:
Identify what the text states both 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
Consider the effects of the author’s language and narrative techniques
Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including irony and foreshadowing
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Reduce teacher workload, promote homework accountability, and measure reading comprehension with this set of quizzes on chapters one through six of Bette Greene’s Summer of My German Soldier. A multiple choice version and short answer alternative are provided in addition to an answer key. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these resources, middle and high school students will demonstrate general knowledge of characters, setting, historical context, and plot.
Reduce teacher workload, promote homework accountability, and measure reading comprehension with this set of quizzes on chapters seven through 12 of Bette Greene’s Summer of My German Soldier. A multiple choice version and short answer alternative are provided in addition to an answer key. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these resources, middle and high school students will demonstrate general knowledge of characters, setting, historical context, and plot.
Help students better understand the historical context of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers and facilitate the process of researching topics related to the Vietnam War with this low-prep, standards-based resource. Students will choose from more than twenty relevant subjects—the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the Tet Offensive, the My Lai Massacre, Tinker vs. Des Moines, and Milton L. Olive III to name a few—and navigate credible sources with the goal of teaching others about their topic. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 6 and 7 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An alternate short answer version is provided for re-assessment purposes. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following plot elements:
A contest between Jem and Dill
The kids’ decision to sneak to the Radley residence
Mr. Radley scaring the kids off
How and why Jem lost his pants
Dill’s excuse for Jem’s lost pants
The lie Jem tells to Atticus
What motivates Jem to leave home in the middle of the night
Jem’s alarming discovery
Items in the knothole
Mr. Radley’s heartbreaking attempt to break Boo’s connection to the outside world
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 4 and 5 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An alternate short answer version is provided for re-assessment purposes. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following plot elements:
Discoveries in the knothole
Jem’s fear for Scout’s life
The irony of the discovery of money
Dill’s claim of a peculiar talent
The rolling tire incident
The game the kids play
Dill and Scout’s relationship
The evolving relationship between Scout and Miss Maudie
Theories pertaining to the mystery of Boo Radley
Miss Maudie’s impressions of Boo
Delivering a note to Boo
Atticus’s trick
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering chapters 24, 25, and 26 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An alternate short answer version is provided for re-assessment purposes. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following plot elements:
The missionary circle
Mrs. Merriweather’s critical comments
Mrs. Merriweather’s hypocrisy
Tom’s death
The bitter editorial
Bob Ewell’s antagonistic behaviors
Miss Gates’s hypocrisy
Jem’s reaction to the trial’s outcome
Eliminate assessment planning responsibilities and evaluate high school students’ knowledge of plot and literary craft with this summative test covering Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. An answer key is included, as well as a test prep guide and a standards-based rubric for scoring essay responses. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. The test is divided into four sections, outlined as follows:
Part 1 - Characters and Plot. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following characters and aspects of plot:Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following characters and aspects of plot:
♦ Perry’s background
♦ Perry’s medical condition
♦ Perry’s family
♦ Perry’s external conflicts
♦ Perry’s superiors
♦ Perry’s cohorts
♦ A nurse Perry meets
♦ Miscellaneous characters Perry meets along the way
Part 2 - Literary Craft. Students will apply knowledge of the following literary devices to quotes from the novel:
♦ Anaphora
♦ Aphorism
♦ External conflict
♦ Hyperbole
♦ Internal conflict
♦ Irony
♦ Metaphor
♦ Oxymoron
Part 3 - Meaningful Quotations in Context. Students will read the given quotes in order to discern the speaker and significance of each:
♦ “The army was the place I was going to get away from all the questions.” (Chapter 2)
♦ “Anything anybody got in the army, I got. You got a gun, I got a gun. You got boots, I got boots.” (Chapter 2)
♦ “Movies are the only real thing in life.” (Chapter 6)
♦ “He was a thing, a trophy. I wondered if I could become a trophy.” (Chapter 7)
♦ “A man in Nam fighting by my side is a man fighting by my side.” (Chapter 18)
♦ “Mama would expect me to be the same person, but it could never happen.” (Chapter 20)
Part 4 - Essay Writing. Students will develop a five paragraph essay in response to one of two given prompts:
♦ The first prompt requires students to explore Perry’s changing perspective on the war
♦ The second prompt requires students to evaluate any meaningful character’s methods of coping with the terrible realities of war
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 1, 2, and 3 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:
Historical context
Setting
Environmental conditions
Tom Joad’s 4-year stay
Tom Joad’s conviction
The interaction between Tom Joad and the driver
Tom Joad’s irritability
Workers vs. owners
The incident with the turtle
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 4, 5, and 6 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:
An encounter with Jim Casy
Jim Casy’s former profession
Jim Casy’s revelation
Jim Casy’s philosophical/religious belief
Tom’s conviction
Tom’s experience in prison
Tom’s farm
The eviction of farmers
What happened to Tom’s family
The family’s work
Where Tom and his acquaintances sleep
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 7, 8, and 9 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:
Narration of a used car salesman
Taking advantage of departing families
Uncle Tom’s guilt
Ma and Pa Joad’s reaction to Tom’s return
Granma’s request at breakfast
Tom’s youngest brother, Al
Narration of tenant farmers
Talk of material possessions and memories of home
Pawning belongings
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 10, 11, and 12 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:
Granma’s concern about California
Granpa’s intentions upon getting to California
The family pawning their possessions
The purpose of a family meeting
The activities following the family meeting
Muley Graves bidding goodbye
Granpa’s surprising reaction to departing
The method of halting a protest
Farmers’ worries about transportation and travel
The narrator’s assessment of corporate farmers
Treatment of farmers and their observations on a typical journey west
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 13, 14, and 15 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 family driver
Ma Joad’s perspective on the future
Al’s conflict with a gas station attendant
An incident involving the family dog
The family’s reaction to Oklahoma City
The Wilsons’ background
Sudden death of a family member
The influx of farmers posing a perceived threat to citizens of western states
Truckers and the coffee shop
A request of Mae
A shift in Mae’s reaction to patrons of the coffee shop
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 16, 17, and 18 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:
Ma’s reaction to Rose of Sharon’s news
An engine issue with the Wilsons’ vehicle
Ma’s disagreement with Tom and Casy’s decision
Spending the night at a roadside camp
Conditions for migrant farmers in California
The creation of larger migrant family communities
A degrading term for migrant families
Noah’s life-changing decision
A gravely ill character
Agricultural inspectors stopping the family
Sad news shared with the family
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 22, 23, and 24 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:
Life in the government-sponsored camp
The generosity of Timothy and Wilkie Wallace
The demands of the Farmers’ Association
“Red agitators”
The Farmers’ Association’s plan to cause trouble
Mrs. Sandy’s scary warning to Rose of Sharon
Ma’s feelings of sadness and loss
Ezra Huston’s big responsibility
The mountain men of Akron, Ohio
The “turkey shoot”
