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 eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 5 and 6 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
A trip to the movies
Application of situational irony (irony of result)
Ackley’s inclusion
The intended subject matter of Stradlater’s composition assignment
Holden’s decision to deviate from the assignment’s expectations
Character description of Allie
Holden’s response to Allie’s death
Stradlater’s reaction to Holden’s writing
Holden’s attempt to irritate Stradlater
Stradlater’s date with Jane
A physical altercation
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 3 and 4 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
A prominent article of clothing
A character description of Ackley
Inference skills (Holden’s judgment of Ackley)
A character description of Stradlater
An agreement Holden strikes with Stradlater
Jane Gallagher
Holden’s obsession with and hatred toward phonies
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the social obstacles facing Winston from Book 2, chapter 1, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Identify what the text says both explicitly and implicitly
Discern meaning from figurative expressions
Use context as a clue to the meaning of words and phrases
Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations
Analyze and articulate how the author’s word choices contribute to Winston’s characterization
Demonstrate knowledge of onomatopoeia
Analyze the passage to discern its primary function
Analyze and articulate Winston’s internal conflict as illustrated in the passage
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about Winston’s marriage from Book 1, chapter 6, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given passage
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on paradox
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the voice behind the wall from Book 2, chapter 10, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the Party’s violent vision for the future from Book 3, chapter 3, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given passage
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about Winston’s intellectual acceptance of Party ideology from Book 3, chapter 4, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile
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
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about O’Brien’s personalized torture techniques from Book 3, chapter 5, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing academic rigor. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
This resource may facilitate 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 engaging with this resource, students will:
Analyze what the text conveys both explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of literary devices including onomatopoeia, personification, metaphor, and simile
Analyze character behaviors to discern their motivations
Explain the intended effect of a figurative expression
Determine the significance of a given paragraph
Determine the function of the passage
Write with logic, clarity, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this set of two quizzes covering Book 1, chapters 2 and 3, of George Orwell’s 1984. A multiple choice quiz and short answer option are included. Use one for post-reading comprehension checks, and use the other as a guided reading worksheet or re-assessment opportunity. Answer keys are also provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Winston’s fear of the Thought Police
The Junior Spies and their job
Public executions of the Party’s dissidents
Winston’s dream involving O’Brien’s voice
Winston’s dream involving his mother
A government purge
Physical jerks
Why it is so difficult to recall one’s childhood
Oceania’s enemy country
Communication via the telescreen
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning duties with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A short answer alternative is also provided for re-assessment purposes. Alternatively, these resources may serve as guided reading handouts to foster active reading habits. Answer keys are included. All materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The found man’s impressive physical attributes
The immediate awareness of the man’s status as ‘stranger’
The village’s attributes
The women’s discoveries as they clean the found man
The women’s acts of reverence toward the found man
The men’s perception of the found man
The village’s realization that their community is one of desolation
The narrative’s point of view and its significance
The narrative’s use of hyperbole and its overall effect
Engage middle and high school students with a classic example of horror and supernatural fiction, “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs, and use this set of rigorous questions to promote close reading analysis skills. A variety of question types facilitates the process of analyzing character motivations, examining how word choices influence a reader’s interpretations, applying knowledge of literary devices, and articulating ideas in writing with clarity and precision. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Analyze the author’s word choices to gain deeper insight into setting and characterization
Explore the role of setting in terms of developing characterization
Make logical inferences about characters based on their actions
Find deeper meaning in a given allusion
Discern the tone of a character’s dialogue
Explore how complex characters think and interact
Determine the function of a given detail
Examine details that represent a shift in tone
Make logical inferences about the author’s intent
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and euphemism
Analyze how Mr. and Mrs. White’s marriage is affected by grief
Identify specific details that contribute to the vampiric characterization of Mrs. White
Defend claims and support ideas with relevant textual details
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello. With a focus on Act 1, scene 2, this resource saves teachers valuable time without sacrificing academic rigor. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable PDFs and Word Documents.
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.
More specifically, questions pertain to the following:
Analyzing the phrase “He comes to bad intent” for meaning.
Analyzing the phrase “Come, sir, I am for you” for meaning and synthesizing it with knowledge of Iago’s characterization.
Analyzing text for meaning: why Othello claims that Brabantio is worthy of respect.
Analyzing text to determine character motivations (why Brabantio thinks Othello is a thief).
Analyzing text to isolate true statements from unfounded statements.
Locating textual evidence and annotating text to make comprehension visible: identifying all references to supernatural forces and all indications of Brabantio’s prejudiced mentality.
Paraphrasing dialogue.
Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills for high school with this set of rigorous questions about Shakespeare’s Othello. Focusing on Act 3, scene 4, 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. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Explore character motivations
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Make logical inferences in context
Discern the meaning of complex words and phrases in context
Paraphrase Shakespearean language
Isolate a falsehood from factual statements about plot
Articulate the significance of a given detail
Write with clarity and precision
Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills for high school with this set of rigorous questions about Shakespeare’s Othello. Focusing on Act 4, scene 1, 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. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Analyze what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the meaning of complex words and phrases in context
Make logical inferences in context
Explore character motivations
Analyze how complex characters interact
Analyze the author’s craft to articulate the effect of an idiomatic expression
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello. With a focus on Iago’s skillful manipulation of Roderigo in Act 4, scene 2, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing academic rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable PDFs and Word Documents.
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:
Analyze what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the meaning of complex words and phrases in context
Demonstrate knowledge of literary devices
Make logical inferences in context
Explore character motivations
Analyze how complex characters interact
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
Extend comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school with this worksheet composed of analytical questions on introductory letters 1 through 4 of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. With this resource, teachers can save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain chapters are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. More specifically, students will be able to:
Articulate what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Explore character motivations
Articulate Walton’s professional objective(s)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, assonance, situational irony, and hyperbole
Discern the function of a given excerpt
Articulate cause-and-effect relationships
Infer with which statement Walton is most likely to agree
Define complex words and phrases in context
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
Analyze how the author’s craft contributes to the development of mood
Discern subtle and more obvious distinctions among adjectives
Save time and measure general reading comprehension with this set of printable quizzes on O. Henry’s short story titled “The Gift of the Magi.” A multiple choice option and alternate short answer version are included, along with answer keys and a copy of the public domain narrative. All materials are delivered in a zip file as Word Documents and PDFs. Questions pertain to the following important details/concepts:
The protagonist’s financial struggles
The narrator’s commentary on the nature of life
Jim’s income reduction
Della’s intentions with the money she has
The characters’ most prized possessions
Madame Sofronie’s role in the story
Della’s emotional state as she shops
Della’s purchase for Jim
Della’s habit
Jim’s reaction to receiving Della’s gift
Jim’s purchase for Della
Parallels between the characters and the magi
Situational irony (irony of result) the magi
Situational irony (irony of result)
With this multiple choice, plot-based quiz covering the first chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, high school English teachers will be able to evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. A short answer version is also provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Nick’s personal background
Nick’s self perception
Nick’s perception of Gatsby
The setting
Nick’s career
The contrast between West Egg and East Egg
Nick’s academic background
A character description of Daisy
A character description of Tom
A character description of Jordan
The green light in the distance
Fairy tales are not just for elementary students; even high school readers can use (and enjoy) fairy tales as a tool for practicing close reading analysis skills. This worksheet composed of rigorous questions covers “Rapunzel” by the Brothers Grimm. With an estimated Lexile Measure range of 1010-1200, the short story is suitable for both middle and high school students. The briefness of the narrative also makes it an appropriate time-filler for awkward gaps in teaching schedules. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Articulate what is stated in the text explicitly and implicitly
Explore character motivations
Analyze how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others
Examine tone
Analyze the authors’ craft, paying special attention to diction in order to make logical inferences
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including simile, situational irony, and dramatic irony
Analyze nuances in words with similar meanings
Choose the most synonymous word to replace a word used in the text
Write with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions for Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat." With an estimated Lexile Measure of 1100, the narrative and its corresponding close reading exercise are appropriate additions to a horror- or Halloween-themed short story unit. A copy of “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe is provided, as is a detailed answer key. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, secondary students will demonstrate an ability to do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Articulate the narrator’s intent in a given excerpt
Isolate a false statement from factual details associated with a given excerpt
Examine the narrator’s modes of thinking to discern and articulate what he identifies as the cause(s) of his current circumstances
Analyze a given excerpt to discern its primary function
Apply knowledge of the anaphora to an excerpt
Apply knowledge of simile to an excerpt
Apply knowledge of hyperbaton to an excerpt
Apply knowledge of paradox to an excerpt
Apply knowledge of alliteration to an excerpt
Examine cause and effect relationships
Conduct brief research on Roman mythology to discern and articulate why the name Pluto carries symbolic value
Analyze the narrator’s past behaviors and statements to make logical inferences about the cause of a destructive fire
Identify textual details to support the claim that the second cat never existed
Use logic and textual evidence to support the claim that the narrator feels subconscious guilt over the murder of Pluto
Articulate why the narrator may be resentful of his wife
Articulate how the narrator exhibits hubris and how hubris contributes to plot development
Write with clarity, logic, and precision